Citylife Chicago

Last week we spent some time with our good friends P&V from Australia in Chicago and on the farm.

What can I say - as always when we get together, there is lots of laughter, good food and fabulous champagne and wine.

Nothing unusual about that - except this time it was on the other side of the world. 

We spent a few days in Chicago first, the highlights being:

A visit to the floor of the CME (M's old trading patch)

Tours of the magnificent Chicago architecture - on foot and by boat 

P enjoying architectural tour

Lots of walking - the Mag Mile, Millenium Park and the Egg, a rain aborted trip to the Lincoln park area, downtown shopping, the Art Institute of Chicago to see Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity. We packed a lot in.

Can you spot us in the reflection

and of course dinner at Alinea for V's birthday- a once in a lifetime mind blowing dining experience.



Inside the restaurant it is dark and mysterious



The presentation is imaginative but the ingredients are real and recognisable



The meal is presented dramatically and with humour

Each mouthful is distinctive and evocative

A tasting plate of tiny morsels of duck was accompanied by 60 complementing tastes -we had fun trying to guess them

The final savoury was to die for.

V scored an extra birthday treat

And just when we thought we had finished they lay the table with another dessert,

An unforgettable experience!

Part Two continues on the farm.