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| A festive hotel entrance |
On arrival we had a little festive drink in the Signature Lounge on the top floor (100th storey) of the Hancock Tower, to a magnificent view of downtown Chicago. It stands at 1,127ft and is the 6th tallest building in the United States, well worth a visit if you get to go!
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| View from the Signature Lounge |
The others were off to a club, but I didn't stay out too late. The next day I had plans to be up bright and early to indulge in a little last minute Christmas shopping, and pick up a present for Mum. She's a notoriously hard one to buy for - the woman has everything! Nevertheless I knew she'd like a carry-on travel case to take with her on her European weekend trips. So I set off to, frankly, the loveliest department store in Chicago - where else but Bloomingdale's! They have excellent sales on this time of year (often half price), and if you are a foreigner to the city you can pick up a 10-15% discount (go to Customer Services and bring your ID), which essentially eliminates the sneaky tax America puts on all their price tags, plus a bit more.
In the end I decided on a chic little wheelie from Italian luggage company Bric's. The espresso leather trimming gives it an 'expensive' sheen (although with 55% discount as well as the exchange rate it was still £100). I love the understated elegance of Bric's luggage, none of this vulgar monogramming that fashion houses seem to have a penchant for nowadays. Just solid, good quality tailoring, something that will last her a lifetime.
So, after my purchase, a gingerbread latte from Starbucks and a leisurely walk down the Magnificent Mile back to my hotel, I spent the rest of Christmas Eve in a bubble bath, tucking into room service and watching Love Actually - bliss! Then it was back on the plane, homeward bound, with St. Nicholas closely following behind us to London on our tail wind...
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