Nothing but BIG THINGS!!!

I want to go up the BIG tower and eat lots of BIG pizza and go to the beach!

Amy Buchanan-Hughes, on things she wanted to do in Chicago

Well, we've certainly done those, though to be honest the pizza was a bit of a let-down. It was just a bit over-processed and big rather than actually tasty. But hey, we had it.

And the big tower was very exciting! All the local tip-offs we got suggested that we should go to a cocktal bar in the John Hancock tower, which is slightly shorter than the Sears tower but means you get in free and get a table to sit at while you drink an expensive drink that's still cheaper than admission to the Sears, so we did that. We got up there at 7pm, so we had plenty of time to drink in the view of the city and Lake Michigan before the sun sank into the plains beyond. It was absolutely magical, Mum you would have loved it!

We've been staying here with a friend and her family, who have all been amazingly welcoming and hospitable. As Jaime's parents are Indian we've been struggling a little to properly defne what "spicy" means, but frankly when the food tastes that good it's not worth quibbling! We spent a day relaxing at theirs but also made it round a load of museums and parks, as well as getting a quick ride on the infamous elevated train that goes round corners at right angles. Seriously, this is one crazy country!