Chicago and flying home...

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We landed in Chicago in the evening of Inauguration Day...we braced ourselves for mahem but there was nothing going on!!! So we landed got our bags safely (phew!!) We had planned to get a cab but saw a shuttle desk and thought we would try and get to our hotel a cheaper way! The guy said if we ran we could catch him and get a ride to our hotel.....it was fine the driver was putting the bags in the back. There was only us and another guy...driving through the streets of Chicago was great...trees lit in fairy lights and the sidewalkes lined with snow. We dropped off the other guy first, the driver said that this was a very upmarket place in Chicago...the guys apartment looked very nice...a massive block with 6 apartments...each one had it's own floor! Nice!!! The driver was really friendly...although maybe a little naive! He gave us a quick tour of Chicago and detoured on the way to our hotel (bearing in mind it was gone midnight Chicago time! and we were pooped!!) but was really good, he showed us Magnificent Mile, recommended some shows and was good to speak to a local :-) I asked if he could recommend anywhere to eat which wasn't some big chain like Planet Hollywood or TGIs...the guy said well Chicago is famous for it's pizza. "You wanna start off with the thin crust if you've never had pizza before(!) but there's a place just up here that is famous for it's pizza pie." This must be the 'Chicago Town Deep Dish' pizza, indeedy it was. Mental note made!

Arriving at the Holiday Inn in the West Loop of the city was great, a hotel!! Such a treat after bunk beds, darth vaders and bad nights sleep! The bed was so big and so comfy, we even had a pillow menu! Ha! It was pretty much straight to bed but we hadn't really adjusted to the time. 6 hours behind us, 4 hours ahead of Hawaii where we'd just come from...although hadn't really adjusted from New Zealand all that well! We watched TV, turned it off, turned it on, turned it off in an attempt to get some sleep, woke up late morning the next day and decided on our only full day we would do 'Magnificent Mile.' It was exactly what it says, a magnificent mile of shops...many malls and gorgeous shops :-) We walked a couple of blocks down to the station to catch the 151 bus....we saw a few ppl go into what we thought was the station, didn't look up to much from the outside but once inside it was like walking through a wardrobe to narnia, a very grand building! Reminded me of New Yorks Grand Central Station, a glorious building, so quiet as it was so huge with so few people in it. We caught the bus no dramas and were on our way, we confused the bus driver by asking for a return! No transfers...still not sure what that means to this day but was an odd system, no change on the bus (fair nuff) but no real tariff? I'm assuming it's 2 bucks to get anywhere around the city?

So Bloomingdales was up 1st after a very very rich hot chocolate! I saw them make it! Melted dark chocolate topped up the warm milk....very good but a bit sickly at the end. After many shops it was getting dark and Magnificent Mile was gradually lighting up at night, the fairy lights in the bare trees was beautiful. We had such a great day, deep powdery snow with pure blue skies and sunshine :-) It was finished off with a visit to the recommended pizzeria...we were told that we wouldn't be able to eat much more than 1 slice each...ok, so we ordered a couple of Buds and a small CYO pizza...made a bit of a boob by having cheesey garlic bread to start. But the food was so good! Never had a pizza like it, made fresh as we were told it would take 30-45 mins to come, but by the time we'd had some beer and starters it appeared! Yummy!

Our last day we visited the shops nearby, we did get a doggy bag for our pizza...i may have had a slice before bed the previous night after the meal but it was not good for breakfast the next day. After 1 or 2 shops Dan was hank marvin so we proceeded to Subway, I have had enough of Subway, was never really a fan but now i am really over it. We did a few more shops before i decided to grab a nite at Macy's...in the food court :-) Think Harrods and then triple the size and think big portions. I ordered a humble turkey sandwich, it was on cinnamon bread, 10 slices of turkey with brie, bacon and some sort of sweet relish!!! Mental!! Only wanted a bleedin sandwich, was good but a little bit too sweet with the cinnamon. Dan just watched in disbelief as i demolished it. Don't be fooled people! I can tuck it away!

So we caught the bus back to the Holiday Inn in plenty of time and waited for our shuttle to the airport by a warm fire in the lobby...so this was it. We were actually going home, home time. I have gone through phases of being excited about going home, but I couldn't wait to see the folks at the airport. But I spose I didn't really miss living in England, its the family and friends that I'd missed.

Dan had mentioned asking for an upgrade being our last flight and all, think we have given BA/Quantas enough of our custom!!! I prepped Dan and explained I would do all the talking, no interupting, no nothing, I would handle it. I made sure I did my hair and make-up, wore a nice pair of pumps, had a little scarf on and my lovely new black mac. Ok. Also a key to getting upgraded is getting there very early, we were around 3 hours early....perfect. No one in the queue for check in, we were called over by a BA rep on the 1st class desk (funny that). Handed over the passports and then began my (maybe rehearsed) speech to go in for the kill. 'So we've been travelling the WORLD for the past 4 and a half months now with BA and we have done over 10 flghts with your airline, I was wondering if I could be ever so cheeky and ask for an upgrade.' Completely had her engaged in conversation, wow 4 and a half months, where have u been?? Great. Captured. Blah blah....what time is your flight? 7.55pm i replied.....well we can't upgrade you in the cabin I'm afraid but we will try and make you as confortable as possible. She checked in our bags and I thought OK not 'Great Success.' She made a phone call though and said my name down the phone...she explained that we could use the British Airways Lounge. We walked away thinking OK, the lounge. I asked Dan what the lounge was and he thought ah it'll probably be like the seats you book on the ferry, comfy recliner chairs.

After a few failed attempts at trying to get into the wrong lounge! HA! So uncouf! Haha. We entered the promise land. The nice lady said make your way right to the back...oakly dokely!!!! As we walked in we passed hung up coats with briefcases next to the coats....and then we found our way to the lounge. we sat at a table to the side that the business men on laptops weren't. There was a bar infront of us with white wine in coolers that went into the table and racks of different red wines...and fruit and juices and then along the right side were sandwiches, cheese and crackers, biscuits, crisps and A BEER FRIDGE! Also make your own drink with a wide range of spirits. We glanced at each other, quite stunned! They'd let the riff raff in!! Haha. Dan said dya wanna get a couple of beers, no u go, u go, u go, u go....OK I'll go!!! I cooly waltzed over to the beer fridge, grabbed a couple of Buds and cracked them open. The worktop was so pristine that I even put the bottle tops in my pocket to bin later!!! Hhaha! I didn't know the rules of make mess and they clear up after u! Woohuu! So on the beers we were, people were sort of helping themselves but i think we may have got our moneys worth, well actually it was a freebie upgrade. It was quite funny actually, Dan said the people in this room had probably paid more for this than we had paid for our whole round the world ticket! Although I guess it was probably their companies that had lumped it. We had sandwiches along with beer after beer and then I decided I would make myself a G&T. :-D The spirits had those pourers on the top, like the ones that just pour one measure. I picked a tall glass rather than a tumbler to aviod the many trips to the food and drink.....and poured in some Gordons...it was pouring away and i was waiting for the pour to become a tickle to indicate 1 shot...it kept going so i thought ok I'd better stop this now! It was nearly half a glass of gin! I used the tongs to retreive a piece of lime and dropped it in the gin....SPLOSH! Gin splashed my face but i proceeded to be cool as i grabbed a bottle of tonic water out the fridge. Headed back over to Dan was a huge grin, he exclaimed HOW MUCH GIN?!! And then had the tipsy giggles :-D After Gin there was cheese eating and scoffed a few oreos....we had to finish on a baileys....the spout wasnt pouring right, a measly trickle....i whipped off the pourer and got us both a decent glass. Dan was horrified at the pourer pulling offness. We thought we'd better go to the gate with only 10 minutes until boarding, we were pretty darn chuffed and it made the flight very pleasant with some more wine to follow.

This was the crunch time, please let all 3 bags pop through those rubber curtains and arrive safe and sound in London Heathrows new Terminal 5. Dan's mind was obviously elsewhere as 2 of our bags drifted straight past him. We had a txt to confirm that the parental units were in arrivals....ooooo butterflies!!!!!! Loaded the trolly, had all our stuff and proceeded to the arrivals area......stomach churning...no one to be seen, uh oh hope they didnt go to Gatwick! haha. We came out of the barriers and caught Bob and Ian chatting away and snuck up behind them! Surprised them! Ian causually eating a breakfast sandwich, where was mum and dad?! They had been stuck in traffic en route, dad was having a pee and mum fetching some coffees. Hugs all round when they appeared. Mum gripping my tightly! :-) Was good to see everyone, we saw Lin and Chris later at Bob & Lins. So now we'd seen the families, normality was sinking in.

We landed Friday morning, managed to lock ourselves out friday evening after a curry at mum and dads! Doh! Was very nice to sleep in our own bed again! And saw our fluffy children and being back in our house was great. So on relfection, what a blast we had. Such an adventure, half of which we didnt even know we would do....renting the Wicked and driving the Great Ocean Road, seeing Pearl Harbour, swimming with the Hectors Dolphins, Scuba Diving and having a ball. It was none stop until Auckland really, was good to chill in Auckland, America was perfect to end on. But it is good to be home, great seeing everyone and has been good to have a sense of nomality, the same bed for a while, a decent meal every night, no travelling for a while!

All in all a great experience would definately recommend it....it opens your mind, and you learn loads. Heard a song on the radio by an Australian band...it has been played for months when we were in Oz....it's called Walking on a Dream, a great song that will remind us of our trip. Thanks to all you guys putting us up out there and yes our trip will be truely memorable xxx

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