Destination Chicago, USA

Chicago is a city with soul. It is one of those rare places that makes you feel as if you belong from the moment you arrive.

In the 1770s, a black Haitian trader, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable founded a settlement at the mouth of what is now known as the Chicago River. The area called by the Indians, Eschikagou, which roughly translates as “smells like stinking onions” – due to the foul odours from the swamps – metamorphosed into one of the greatest cities in the USA and a world-class destination. 

It is hard not to admire the Windy City, as it is nicknamed. It has had its trials and tribulations. It was devastated by the Great Fire of 1871 and had the likes of Al Capone and John Dillinger winning it a reputation as a lawless city during the 1920s and 30s. But, the home of Barrack Obama has, as I discovered, the amazing ability to reinvent itself continually.  

My idea of a holiday is arriving in a city, walking round and getting under its skin and delving into its psyche. From the moment I took my first stroll along Michigan Avenue – dubbed the Magnificent Mile – renowned for its excellent shopping, I was hooked. 

Much more laid-back and charming than New York, Chicago has a rather American mid-western feel about it. This unpretentious city not only fizzes with excitement, it oozes romance. 

Chicago skyline from the south

© City of Chicago

From a boat cruising along the Chicago River, I gazed in awe at the buildings which could only be described as works of wonder. Standing out from the crowd of skyscrapers punctuating the clouds is the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), said to be the tallest building in America.

As evening was approaching, I headed to the John Hannock Center and zoomed up in the lift to the Observatory (recently renamed as 360 Chicago) where I stood mesmerised watching the last rays of the sun disappear over Lake Michigan. It was pretty spectacular.

I was too early for this spring’s opening of the TILT, but I am not sure that I would have been brave enough to enter the enclosed glass and steel platform which, as its name suggests, tilts outward from the building’s 94^th floor 1,000 ft above the city’s spectacular skyline.

The next day I took the Frank Lloyd Wright Tour of Oak Park. You don’t have to be a design buff to appreciate the work of the man regarded as one of America’s finest and most influential architects of the 20^th century.   

The bridge opens over the Chicago River
© Cesar Russ Photography

Afterwards I sauntered by Lake Michigan. In the sunlight, the aqua- blue water sparkled like a jewel and it seemed to go on forever. It felt as if I was by the sea rather than a lake. I stumbled on a great beach where I whiled away an hour or two.

Also on my agenda was the highly-acclaimed Millennium Park brimming with 21-century architectural gems and arguably one of the city’s star attractions. Try to catch a performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Frank-Gehry designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion. For a Ferris Wheel ride, the iconic Navy Pier is the place to go.

I couldn’t resist delving into Chicago’s murky past, so I hopped on the “Untouchables Tour Bus” to get a taster of its notorious gangsters and learn a little history. It is touristy, but is a lot of fun.

Back in the present and it was time to take advantage of Chicago’s superb cutting-edge restaurants. It’s a foodie’s paradise catering for all tastes and budgets – well it is famed for its hotdogs. It is virtually impossible to resist the temptation.

Proclaimed the birthplace of the skyscraper and famed for baseball and jazz, I discovered Chicago has so much more to offer. My only disappointment was I wasn’t there for longer. Four days is just not enough to track down all the delights of what has now become one of my top favourite American cities.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

British Airways offers a daily service from London Heathrow to Chicago fourteen times a week. Prices from £574.65 return including taxes/fees/carrier charges. To book or for more information including regional departures visit www.ba.com/Chicago or call 0844 493 0787 

Efficient and friendly staff always make it a pleasure to fly with this airline

Hotel Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

 Lobby

 ©Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

Stay at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, rates start from $157.50 USD (approx £95) including VAT. For more information visit www.sofitel.com 

A superb chic hotel within minutes of the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, and Lake Michigan

Learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone ethos is that “learning a language should be fun, easy and effective.” Making, in its words, “learning a new language second nature.”

I had always wanted to speak Spanish. I already knew a few words, so I decided to give the web-based language program a whirl. The idea is that you are immersed straight into the language. There isn’t any translation or vocabulary lists to learn by heart. It is simply pairing words with images.

You start off with a few nouns to build blocks. You hear the word, see it written and look at the picture at the same time. You then start to practice the word. As you see it so many times, you are supposed to remember it. Lessons also include writing basic phrases.

It is quickly on to seeing pairs, a boy and girl, and then basic verbs. The man reads, the woman eats, etc. slowly building up to more complex sentences.  Rosetta Stone tests your pronunciation.

The theory is that you should always be able to make out what the picture is telling you. However, occasionally, I did find it confusing as to what it was trying to describe. 

There were some conundrums, with grammar. As I did have a knowledge of the language, I was able to make it out, and the parts I was not sure about, I looked up in a reference book. 

Mexico City

If you know somebody who speaks the language that would be useful and they can explain to you what you are unsure about. Alternatively, get a good grammar book. Sometimes with repetition, it would though become clear, other times I consulted a book. 

Having learnt languages the traditional way in a class room, I wanted to know why something was the way it was so that I would be able to put my own sentence together.

There are live video tuition sessions where you, along with a few other users at the same level, can reinforce the grammar and words that you have just learnt. Your mistakes are gently corrected. There are games to play and apps to download.

I have to admit to thinking that I had not got very far, until one day I found myself at Tower Bridge being asked by a Mexican family for directions which, thanks to Rosetta Stone, I managed to give them in Spanish. I also was able to tell them that I had visited Mexico City and how much I liked it. They seemed to understand me and I them.

After this encounter, I realised how much I had picked up. Rosetta Stone is a great way to learn a language, especially, if you are starting from scratch. You have to recall words and, later on, sentences quickly as you would in a normal conversation.

This is a great method to use if you want to quickly learn the basics for holidays or business travel.  You can have a free trial (rosettastone.co.uk) so you can see whether you like it before you get your credit card out.

By Daralyn Danns