This weekend, my sweet husband Terry took me out for an early
birthday present! We hopped on a train to downtown Chicago...
We passed through the Christkindlmarket for a quick
glance at all the pretty things for sale...
The food smelled SO GOOD!
But there was no time to eat anything today...
We had a little time to kill,
so we walked around the mall awhile...
Oh, the Apple Store! But no, that wasn't in today's plan...
The Allsaints Store! Oh, I just HAD to stop and gaze at
the wall of antique sewing machines!
I mean WALLS of sewing machines!
Steampunkers would absolutely love this store! Pricey, but fun!
I had to make a stop to visit with my pals, the carriage horses!
And gaze upon the famous Chicago Water Tower...
Finally! We're here!
The Peninsula Hotel!
I paused to pose by the piano...
Then climbed the grand staircase to...
Afternoon Tea in the lobby!
Doesn't Terry look dapper?
We love that the Peninsula serves a vegetarian tea on request.
We both ordered a pot of Earl Grey decaffeinated.
Then our 3-tiered server was placed on the table,
along with a basket of scones and the jam,
lemon curd and Devonshire cream!
We enjoyed our finger sandwiches first...
Followed by these scrumptious three cheese and leek quiches...
And finally the scones and the sweets!
A warm chocolate chai moelleux was a delicious bonus!
We sipped, and ate, and sipped some more...
The darkness fell over our view from the window.
We took one last look at the tree, and were on our way back home.
Thank you, Terry, for the elegant and delicious birthday present!
______________________
If you've never walked down the streets of Chicago at night,
come along with us as we leave the Peninsula and
walk back to our train. We cross the Chicago River in two
spots, pass the Christkindl Market at Daley Plaza, and
happened upon PuppetBike.com... and I gave the puppets
a dollar bill!
Wow! Beautiful pictures of a beautiful city. And what a fond memory to have!
ReplyDeleteToday (December 6th) is my wife's birthday. I will NOT show her this post (LOL).
Happy early Birthday!!
Hi Ken-
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to your lovely wife! I'm sure you will both celebrate in a way she really loves. I'm very hard to shop for and don't need anything, really, so this was a very special treat!
-Pam
What a fun time you must have had. Chicago is always beautiful for Christmas. Nothing more elegant than a high tea. happy Birthday. Richard from My Old Historic House.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard-
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, Chicago is always extra pretty with all the Christmas lights everywhere!
-Pam
Dear Pam,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you!! The Christmas spirit pervades Chicago in the streets, within all those shops, and that fabulous hotel. They look beautiful! What a wonderful gift! Terry knows how to make your birthday extra special! I wish you many, many more filled with bliss...and more bliss!
Truly we are kindred souls. My birthday is this Friday. :)
Tis the season my friend! Let's make it extra merry! xoxo
Sandra
Hi Miss Sandra-
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, and I hope you have a blissful birthday on Friday! It's always hard to get reservations around Christmastime. My birthday isn't until the 21st, and it was delightful to begin the celebrating a bit early! Have a wonderful holiday season, and enjoy the chilly weather! :-)
-Pam
WOW!!! What a gorgeous post Pam. A real treat to watch. Loved the video, of course, there had to be sirens or it wouldn't be real. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteYou are making me nostalgic about living in a big city.
All my best wishes for your birthday and for the Holidays.
Anyes
XX
Hi Anyes-
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It's funny, when you're in the city all the time, you don't even hear the sirens and all the noise. I'm glad you liked my post!
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Happy belated Birthday! The hotel looks amazing. That tree in the middle of the room is huge. Glad you had a good time and thanks for the tour on the way home.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam-
ReplyDeleteThank you, and thanks for dropping by! I think it's always fun to see the big trees that some places put up for Christmas. It makes the experience seem bigger than life!
-Pam
How lovely. I adore high tea, something so terribly delightful and fussy in one event. Christmas in the city is always fun, no matter what city you visit. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year. Blessings to you and those you love. Sea Witch
ReplyDeleteHi Sea Witch-
ReplyDeleteThank you for the good wishes! May you also have a Merry Christmas and a delightful 2012! :-)
-Pam
I can't believe all the sewing machines! What a sight to see!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle-
ReplyDeleteIsn't it cool? The shear amount of them, all stacked up like that, makes quite an impact! :-)
-Pam