Chicago Reunioning

In the middle of last summer, I received a wedding invitation in the mail. Kim was getting married and invited me to her wedding on the 12th of July. Weddings are a bit like London buses and summer 2019 saw three invites, two which were a day apart from one another in two different continents.

Since Clare and Sweden got to me first, I decided that, in lieu of a wedding, a long weekend to the greater Chicagoland area was in order. Kim and my friendship are the best spoils of a failed relationship. I met her when I was dating Dave. She was dating his housemate, Alex, and when things went south with both of these relationships, we were left with each other's friendship. Winning. 

Kim is also one of those international school junkies. After long stints in India and Russia, she made her way home to the Midwest, where she got a job teaching science and fell in love with a man who wanted to work his way through the all-you-can-eat sushi menu at the local Japanese place with her. Let me tell you, with the questionable choices on that menu (hello Mexican roll?!), that's true love. 

Our few days together were like a great snuggly jumper and a warm pair of socks. There was tv and sushi and Schnapps in the hot chocolate. There was a train ride into Chicago proper and a family new year's eve fondue party. The highlights:

Chicago Town

The crisp, clear blue sky air was a delight.

 

 

First stop: Brunch

A cafe famous for the waitress who would self-announce 'Joday's back!' that Paul, Jeff and Catey and I went to years ago and I never blogged because my computer died)

 

Onto: The View from Cindy's

Cocktails and views of the Bean by Anish Kapoor (its pretentious name: Cloud Gate). Side note: if you like rivalry or seeing pretentious tossers get their comeuppance, read how Anish Kapoor got taken down a peg by Stuart Semple. It involves Blackest Black and Pinkest Pink and I promise it's fantastic. 

 

Millennium Park

The Bean up close and personal and the festivities in preparation for the Winter Classic, a hockey lover's dream of nostalgic uniforms and outdoor football stadiums turned into hockey rinks.

 

 

Views from Around:

 

 

Fondue 

Kim's family host an annual NYE fondue party with their neighbours. And you've not done fondue until you've dipped an onion in boiling hot peanut oil and made your own Outback Steakhouse Bloomin' Onion.

 

On the way out from this very brief stay, I had a journey through Chicago Midway airport. And although this should really not be a highlight, I mean the airport is just that much further away from the far side of town, it did have this: 

 

Chicago for the win! Kim for the win! Kim and Michael Joe for the win!

Kent: Hastings and Folkestone

For our second and third day trips of the extra long weekend, we made our way to Kent, the borough next door but still two trains away. 

First stop: Hastings 

First impressions that there were an awful lot of student tour groups wandering around. Because as it transpires, Hastings was home to the epic Battle of 1066, a tidbit I got from revision for my Life in the UK test. I'm not sure Hastings is quite the place you could spend all day in as a student tourist...

 

 The Seaside was beautiful in an understated way including these fishermen's huts:

 

 

 

 

Final stop: Folkestone

Folkestone is a town bent on artistic revival. It's not without its charms and after a brief potter through the Sunday trading hours, we took a long walk down the coast.

 

 The Folkestone mermaid: exactly the same size as the original in Copenhagen and equally impressive (read: not really at all). The only upside is that this lady was not surrounded by a million tourists. Go Folkestone!

 

 It appears that Frank still does not love the water:

 

 Folkestone pod landing?

 Boop!

 

 

 I must admit that I was rather taken with Folkestone. The sun being out makes such a difference. Regardless, our little four-day journey was at its end. The upside though: all of these towns are easily accessible via London. So if you're looking for a day trip to the sea and want to avoid the crowds of Brighton, you can't go wrong. Unless it's raining, that is.

East Sussex: Rye and Camber Sands

Paul and I dub the October half term the UK Holiday. In this way, we do the noble thing and pay through the nose to holiday domestically knowing full well that we could go abroad and, even with the flight, pay significantly less money. Woo Brexit. No.

We make the most of it by booking dog friendly accommodation. Frank loves the beach, loves a snuggle. Since Paul started a new job in May and had less rollover holiday, we opted for a four-day weekend in Sussex and Kent, an hour's train ride away.

The weekend involved a variety of day trips to Rye itself, then Camber Sands, Folkestone and Hastings. Along the way we casually bumped into friends, which was v nice. Not much to say about these places other than that although the Great British Seaside is a thing of the Victorian past, these little towns are doing a lot to make themselves marketable again.

Rye
With a population of less than 5000 people, you don't really go to Rye to be amongst the people. But if you want charming cobbled streets and that old England feel that so many Americans go to London seeking, Rye's a winner.

 

 

 

 The sunset hit the town spectacularly:

 

 

 Rye Castle: 

 

 I love a literary pun:

 

 

 

At this point, Frank just humours me:

Camber Sands 
A bus ride or three point five miles amble away from Rye, Camber Sands is the closest thing to a sandy beach you'll get that also has a proximity to London.

October is for pubs and brisk walks and snuggling.