Leaving Chicago... On the day we arrived, we were driving along and saw a scarlet bird. I thought perhaps someone's pet had escaped, it was such a bright red, it seemed tropical. But no, it was a cardinal, the state bird of Illinois. I don't remember ever seeing one when I lived there, so I took it as a sign that our visit would be great... And that it was! There were other creatures that caught our attention, fireflies every night sparkling around us as we sat...

Another great day exploring the city. Took the architecture boat tour along the Chicago river for a different perspective and heard about the history of many of the iconic skyscrapers that make up the sky line. Walked along Navy Pier under the huge Ferris wheel, with all the other tourists. In the evening we sat out in Gerry's yard drinking beers and had lots of visitors drop by including Tommy and Tony, Gerry's friends who had turned up on my doorstep in Düssel...

So hot today! We were sitting in the garden at around 10am and after ten minutes had to admit defeat and move inside to the air conditioning! What a complaint to have! Later we went downtown, by the lake, through Grant Park to the Art Institute and Millennium Park. Taking it all it. Stopped for bagels. Commenting all the time about how friendly and helpful everyone is! Anu gets lots of attention and is as good as gold! In the evening we had a Canavan family ...

The nine hour flight was long, but surprisingly hassle-free. We arrived at midday Chicago time, which was 7 pm in Düsseldorf and although we were tired, we were full of excitement and more than happy to have Gerry give us a tour of all the wealthy suburbs north of the city. Through Glencoe, Wilmette and Winnetka, where I used to work, we marveled at all the beautiful houses. In the evening, we sat outside with cold beers, until exhaustion finally took over. We a...