After the tour I went to the Art Institute of Chicago (stopping on the way for a bag of cheddar and caramel mix popcorn from Garretts) where I spent four hours absorbing the art. It is an impressive gallery. I loved the Warhols and the Van Goghs. The Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit about her life in New York was impressive. I was confused by a painting called ‘Distributor’ by Robert Ryman. It was a blank, white canvas. I asked the volunteer nearby it was it actually a piece of art or was it waiting installation. She told me that it was quite a controversial piece. I had a dream about that painting while sleeping the following night, so clearly it made an impression. After the art I went to Lou Malnati’s for a famed Chicago deep dish pizza. I ordered the individual portion and still struggled. I enjoyed but was not overly impressed. I feel that way about pizza in general. Tasty, but it’s only pizza.

There was a text on my phone to tell me that my niece had been born and that both mother and baby were healthy. A wonderful piece of news which meant that I’d get to meet her in a few days. This had been my hope (being well aware of course that there was no guarantee she’d arrive during my visit).

I took a train back to Chinatown and that evening I dined at a local restaurant called ‘Go 4 Food’ where I had spiced pork and noodles with a side of soup and vegetables. I took the train north after dinner to Boystown where I had enjoyed many a beverage on my previous trip. It has since been renamed North Halsted to fully represent the LGBTQIA+ community. Reference to Boystown remained everywhere. I imbibed a beverage in Roscoe’s Bar which I believe I remember from 1999. Overall I had walked fifteen miles on that day.

The following morning saw me rise at 7am. To celebrate becoming an uncle I decided to get an All-American diner breakfast. I pictured getting a refill in my coffee by a wise-cracking, Mid Western diner waitress who talked tough but had a heart of cold. Because this clearly happens in ALL American diners. Chinatown did not provide such an establishment however.

Onto Google I went and found a place called ‘Cracked: the egg came first’ in the Douglas part of town. Whinnying with pleasure I took the 20 minutes walk. It turned out, however that this was a location where several restaurants rented kitchen space and was takeaway only. I ordered through the machine and picked up my coffee and sandwich from a locker.

Service with a beep.

I’d find a rustic park to consume my potato and egg sandwich in comfort. Not to be. It turns out I was in the grim, industrial wastelands of county Chicago. Lots of used car dealerships but no park. I dined at a bus stop bench, waving the buses by as they stopped for me. It was a very nice sandwich.

Afterwards I took the bus to Navy Pier which houses a funfair; a children’s museum; and many bars and restaurants. Normally this place is jam packed with tourists. At that early hour it was quite beautiful before the crowd descended.

I wandered over to the Magnificent Mile – a street which housed, luxury shops and hotels and where Oprah Winfrey had resided in a massive duplex in Water Tower for the twenty five years her show had broadcast from this city.

At 1pm I was joining a free walking tour which was to meet at the Picasso statue. Our guide was a native American woman named Tori, originally from Washington State, but resident in Chicago for the last five years. She showed us some interesting parts of the town including the beautiful Rookery Building; the Jay Pritzker Pavilion which houses free summer concerts and the Chicago Cultural Centre. The walking tour is advertised as ‘free’ but of course you are mean to leave a tip. I gave her the recommended twenty dollars as it was an enjoyable and informative few hours.

Back to Chinatown for dinner at a Hunan restaurant, followed by a forty minute train-ride on the Red L-train back to North Halsted where I watched a comedy/sketch/improv show by an ensemble called BabyWine at the Annoyance Bar and Theater. A rather entertaining evening all round. Another fifteen miles walked and a throbbing blister on my big, right toe were the rewards for my exertions.

After checkout on Saturday I enjoyed a magnificent breakfast at a Chinese bakery where I dined plentifully for under ten dollars.

My flight to Burlington was two hours and was uneventful. I read ‘Rosemary’s baby’ by Ira Levin while onboard. An unsettling book.

My brother collected me at the airport. Mother and baby had been discharged from hospital earlier that day. I would see them tomorrow. I dined on a meal of chicken and chips at Al’s Fry’s (that’s how it’s spelled).

The next morning my brother collected me from my AirBNB and I dined on an omelette breakfast following by a brief journey to get organic pears at the Winooskie Farmer’s Market.

Onward to their home where I met my beautiful new niece. Mother and baby were both doing well and it was really wonderful that I got to meet them and hold my favourite niece for the first time (who I am sure will be great friends with my favourite nephew in Ireland).

After baby was fed, and settled, my brother and I took a drive into Burlington where we lunched at the August First (or was it Fourth) diner. I had a chicken club sandwich and admired all the blue hair and veganism that abounded. Vermont has always been a liberal place so it felt lovely.

We took a stroll up Church Street where we visited a bookshop and had an ice-cream at Ben and Jerry’s (local boys made good).

Then onto Lake Champlain (the largest lake in the USA that is not a Great Lake). I had a local IPA and we chatted about serial killer shows on Netflix as the sun shimmered on the lake. We also had an interesting discussion about the death of hope when it comes to the architectural design of water treatment facilities in Vermont (one such building was lurking in the background).

Back home to see mother and daughter and to take several pictures, to send to the Murphies in Ireland, many of whom who will be visiting in the coming weeks.

The next day saw another breakfast at Sneakers in Winooskie, followed by more niece time. Her first excursion since arriving home two days earlier was that afternoon – a routine check up. I will be able to regale her in future with wild yarns about her second ever car trip.

While she was at her appointment I wandered about town. There’s a sequel to Beetlejuice? Why wasn’t I told?

All was good with the check-up and I bid farewell to the lovely, new family. I was heading back to Chicago and flying home the following day.

For dinner on my last evening in Chicago, I went to a Mexican restaurant and drank a local Chicago IPA.

The next morning was my last in Chicago. As I was staying beside Lincoln Park, I went to the free zoo in the torrential rain. At the point when it felt like the rain was penetrating my skin, I called it a day and gathered my belongings to head back to the airport. Ireland was calling me – well Aer Lingus was at least.

Terminal 3 – flight’s on time (with just a two hour delay.)

The flight attendant on the trip from Chicago to Dublin was in chatty form.

I overheard her telling the gentleman in the row in front of me how awful the incoming flight had been, when over the Atlantic a passenger had started demanding to be let off the plane, and how a flight attendant had to stay near her throughout the rest of the flight in case she decided to make a run for it at 40,000 feet.

I decided to tell her about my adventure on the Lagos to Amsterdam KLM flight last year on the return trip from my brother’s wedding, when flight turbulence resulted in a mid-air childbirth and an emergency landing in Barcelona. She was suitably horrified but somewhat relieved it had not occurred on an Aer Lingus flight.

We landed at 7.30am, exhausted. Chicago is now one of my favourite cities in the world (I think I actually prefer it to New York).

My niece is definitely my favourite niece ever.

An epic trip.