Dear Chicago

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After another awful drive day, this time with a screaming Amish baby on the bus (maybe he was crying because his parents don't have a TV) and lack of food until a very dubious chicken sandwich at motorway services, I arrived at my friend Dan's at about 9, just in time to go out drinking and get more drunk than I should have on not that many beers.

The next morning we took a walk down to Lake Michigan, where the temperature seemed to drop about 10 degrees, so needless to say we didn't hang around long.

Dan then had to go to work so I got the subway downtown and went to the Chicago Art Institute. Annoyingly, the section on European Art from 1400 to 1800 was closed which left just the impressionist section open, which failed to thrill me. There was also a photography exhibition on showing photos of teenage girls on the verge of womanhood, some of which were a bit dubious which could explain the number of dodgy men in raincoats there.

I finished there at around 5 by which time it was already dark. Walked up through Millennium Park and watched the ice skaters for a bit and also checked out the Bean, a giant bean shaped piece of art made from metal which is cooler than it sounds as it reflects the city skyline on its surface.

I'd been told that better than the Sears Tower (the tallest building in the US) is the John Hancock building, and instead of paying to go up to the observation deck you can go to the bar at the top instead, which I did. The view was amazing though photos didn't come out as it was so dark. And it would have been cheaper to pay to go to the observation deck as my Long Island Iced Tea set me back $15 but never mind.

That evening, Dan, his friend Bobby and myself went to a bar called Greenmills, a former speakeasy which is where Al Capone used to drink. They have live music every night and there was a big band on when were were there playing jazz and swing. The place was a bit like going back in time, a lot of people who go there dress up in the 20's style, the whole experience was really cool, even better than a Saturday night at the Venue.

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