We can’t leave America without a final diner breakfast and this morning we go back towards last nights dive bar and head into Mary’s Cafe next door.
We order our fresh orange juice and filter coffee and slowly start plans for the day. When the food arrives again it is huge and we’re unsure how we’re going to eat this all and get around today. Cleverly Scotty goes for just sausage with his eggs and toast, but I go the full hog and have corned beef hash with hash browns, scrambled eggs and toast (I don’t get close to touching the toast!).
We try to walk it off by heading in the direction of the park again to look around the Loop and at the architecture there. The buildings are fabulous with great lines and grand shapes.
The humidity finally brings some rain, but this is heavier than yesterday and we decide we do actually need to take shelter. We find ourselves in Jamba Juice and have two great juices which are so yummy and remind us of the great juices we can look forward to back in Cairo.
As it is the end of our holiday and we want to relax more than do touristy things we’ve booked tickets to the afternoon showing of Toy Story 3D at a cinema near the hotel. Popcorn and drinks in hand we head in. Pixar have done it again and it’s a great film. They just manage to blend something for kids and something for adults so well, with themes that just ring so true. This episode is about Andy going to college and we are both there thinking about when we went to uni ourselves and also when we came out to Egypt. The 3D adds to the film, but in a way similar to Avatar where 3D is being used to give the film and scenes depth, rather than to jump out at you. We’re so glad to have caught the film as Pixar just produce such classics and it’s a great way to end our holiday on a high.
We return to the hotel before getting food, and buy some Goose Island ale from the shop across the road from the hotel as we've discovered the Inn of Chicago has roof terrace where you can bring your own. Happily esconced 22 storeys up, we decide to record a video blog.
For dinner we decide to try an Italian place near the hotel which is actually next door to the diner and dive bar but has an enticing smell of garlic that is drawing us in. It looks quite classy and quite busy. It seems that everyone else must have the same feeling towards this glorious garlic smell as it is packed and we can’t get anyone’s attention to even find out about waiting for a table. It seems this isn’t the place for us, but we know somewhere that is, so we head back to the Rock Bottom Brewery, grab a booth at the back and order a few beers. It feels like there is a lot more atmosphere here than last night even though it was busy then too, so we enjoy our cold beers and spend our time people watching and catching glimpses of the baseball on the many TVs around the pub.
As our deserts were pretty mediocre last night and we’re hungry we opt for a starter to share and then our mains. We realise our error when the starter of nachos arrives and its about the size of two main courses already! They are delicious and we try to do them justice, but it’s not happening. Our waitress leaves them with us when our mains arrive and we are really struggling now. I’ve ordered a pizza (as we are in Chicago after all!) but can only manage half of it and Scotty is the same with his meal. They give us a box to take away half our meal and we leave talking about how it creates problems for everyone by serving such huge meals. The main courses are so large, that no one can finish them so everyone ends up taking it home and putting it in the fridge. All all they need to do is have smaller portions (smaller prices) and then people will eat these, be satisfied and not live on left overs!
We order our fresh orange juice and filter coffee and slowly start plans for the day. When the food arrives again it is huge and we’re unsure how we’re going to eat this all and get around today. Cleverly Scotty goes for just sausage with his eggs and toast, but I go the full hog and have corned beef hash with hash browns, scrambled eggs and toast (I don’t get close to touching the toast!).
We try to walk it off by heading in the direction of the park again to look around the Loop and at the architecture there. The buildings are fabulous with great lines and grand shapes.
The humidity finally brings some rain, but this is heavier than yesterday and we decide we do actually need to take shelter. We find ourselves in Jamba Juice and have two great juices which are so yummy and remind us of the great juices we can look forward to back in Cairo.
As it is the end of our holiday and we want to relax more than do touristy things we’ve booked tickets to the afternoon showing of Toy Story 3D at a cinema near the hotel. Popcorn and drinks in hand we head in. Pixar have done it again and it’s a great film. They just manage to blend something for kids and something for adults so well, with themes that just ring so true. This episode is about Andy going to college and we are both there thinking about when we went to uni ourselves and also when we came out to Egypt. The 3D adds to the film, but in a way similar to Avatar where 3D is being used to give the film and scenes depth, rather than to jump out at you. We’re so glad to have caught the film as Pixar just produce such classics and it’s a great way to end our holiday on a high.
We return to the hotel before getting food, and buy some Goose Island ale from the shop across the road from the hotel as we've discovered the Inn of Chicago has roof terrace where you can bring your own. Happily esconced 22 storeys up, we decide to record a video blog.
For dinner we decide to try an Italian place near the hotel which is actually next door to the diner and dive bar but has an enticing smell of garlic that is drawing us in. It looks quite classy and quite busy. It seems that everyone else must have the same feeling towards this glorious garlic smell as it is packed and we can’t get anyone’s attention to even find out about waiting for a table. It seems this isn’t the place for us, but we know somewhere that is, so we head back to the Rock Bottom Brewery, grab a booth at the back and order a few beers. It feels like there is a lot more atmosphere here than last night even though it was busy then too, so we enjoy our cold beers and spend our time people watching and catching glimpses of the baseball on the many TVs around the pub.
As our deserts were pretty mediocre last night and we’re hungry we opt for a starter to share and then our mains. We realise our error when the starter of nachos arrives and its about the size of two main courses already! They are delicious and we try to do them justice, but it’s not happening. Our waitress leaves them with us when our mains arrive and we are really struggling now. I’ve ordered a pizza (as we are in Chicago after all!) but can only manage half of it and Scotty is the same with his meal. They give us a box to take away half our meal and we leave talking about how it creates problems for everyone by serving such huge meals. The main courses are so large, that no one can finish them so everyone ends up taking it home and putting it in the fridge. All all they need to do is have smaller portions (smaller prices) and then people will eat these, be satisfied and not live on left overs!
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