The Big Easy

A few weeks ago, I helped a friend celebrate her birthday in New Orleans. I was excited because it would be my first trip to New Orleans, but was nervous, because I can't hang like I could in the 'old days.' I know, it's pitiful. As they say in athletics, I had to "dig deep." My friends stayed here:





They enjoyed it very much; it's on a very beautiful part of Esplanade. I stayed just down the street at the Five Continents B&B. Unfortunately, my crap phone pictures don't do the B & B justice. It was so wonderful. Jess, who runs the place, was very welcoming. He offered a map with his top suggestions, a Five Continents card (so that I could just hand it to the taxi driver, if I couldn't remember the address by the end of the night), and the card of his preferred taxi company. Oh and the breakfast! So freakin' delicious. I'm completely sold on Five Continents. When I go back to NOLA, I definitely intend to stay there again.

This place, the Dufour - Baldwin House - was a few houses from where I stayed. From the front, it was quite impressive. I can only imagine what the interior museum and gardens look like.



Once, I checked in to the B & B, we took off towards Bourbon Street. I was parched, so I opted for a "hand grenade" drink. I asked the man behind the counter what was in the concoction and he replied, "I can't give out that information." That sounds perfectly legal and safe, so of course, I had one. After meeting up with other friends on Bourbon St. we set out for a night of fun. We walked by Jackson Square and took a look at the waterfront at night. Then made our way to Frenchman's St., as recommended by Jess.

Along the way, we saw this:



Really, NOLA? You'll only allow one? The next day, when we walked past the same place, they'd changed the sign to read, "one drink minimum." That's better.

Then, Frenchman's Street welcomed us with this:



A band of strangely clad musicians, playing the most eclectic instruments I've ever seen. One guy (wearing the saggiest pair of "tighty-whiteys" I've laid eyes upon) was playing what looked like a metal trunk. Another was playing something that resembled a beer bong/funnel. Um, at least, so I've heard. Of course, I absolutely loved it. I seriously heart anything odd or weird. What a wonderful way to start the New Orleans experience.


By the time we got there, we were pretty hungry. We stopped into a place called, "Praline Connection." It had really good reviews on yelp.

We started out with Alligator Sausage. It was so good, but really just tasted like any other amazingly seasoned sausage.



I don't recall what everyone had...I had rice, beans and okra. It was wonderfully spicy!



After a belly full of Cajun food, we found the Spotted Cat. It was such fun! I felt like I was in the movie, "Irma La Douce." Well, except for the whole, being a prostitute, thing. I was waiting for a strapping, young Jack Lemmon to come strolling through the door! :-)



Afterward, we went to a place called, "DBA," which was right across the street from the Spotted Cat. They had a zydeco band playing and a huge dance floor. Two local guys heard me saying how much I wanted to learn to dance to this type of music, and humored me for a bit. They ended up being a ton of fun. One of the guys was a cyclist, too. What. A. Blast! With another night to go. Watch out NOLA!

...to be continued...either sooner or later...

Dominican Republic, Take Two

Last year was my first trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I had such an amazing time, that I seized the opportunity to go again this year. This year, I stayed at a different resort, the Melia Caribe Tropical. It was less expensive (by only about $100.00), so it was a perfect chance to check out another resort and compare the two.

Here's my friend as we exited the plane. The airport had guides who led you to the appropriate part of the airport. I was scolded for holding up the line by taking a picture. Whoopsie...


I loved these palm trees; they reminded me of fans.


Here's our villa. There were 8 rooms to each villa. It looked very European to me. The resort where I stayed last year, Iberostar Bavaro, definitely had a beach-ier look to all of the buildings.

The Melia resort was HUGE. They had trams that ran every 15 minutes, to take guests to different areas of the resort. We lucked out! Our villa was located a minute walk from the beach, pool, beach buffet and fitness center/spa!


Each morning, this was my view from the beach buffet. The food wasn't amazing, but there were plenty of choices. I normally stuck to fresh fruit, then took a cup of yogurt to the beach with me. They had really exotic flavors - guava, passion fruit and other flavors I couldn't read because I didn't recognize the names in Spanish. :-)


Every day, the super tall, athletic Russians would begin a game of beach volleyball. After I went *kayaking, I asked if I could join the game. Ok, so I played volleyball in college. I can hold my own on an indoor court. However, I absolutely cannot move in the sand. So, I did A LOT of diving. I was covered, from head to toe, in sand. And I had crazy beach hair...Exhibit A:


The resort had shows each night. One night, they performed scenes from musicals: Cabaret, Dirty Dancing, West Side Story and several more that I can't remember right now. This was a scene from Cabaret:



I can't believe that I didn't take more pictures of the ginormous pool and its swim up bar. One of my favorite bartenders was Pascual (I probably butchered the spelling of his name). He would usually entice me into drinking mamajuana, though. Mamajuana is mostly, rum, red wine and honey and is supposed to have medicinal qualities. It will make you (err, me) really loopy.






Overall, I had a great time. The staff were all very nice and accomodating. With the exception of the cleaning staff, they all spoke several languages. Even with the cleaning staff, I didn't have a problem communicating my needs to them. However, the Melia wasn't as swanky as Iberostar Bavaro. I would go back to Melia and have a good time (I'm pretty easy to please), however, given a choice, I would pay the extra money for Iberostar Bavaro.

*I rented a kayak paddled around for a few minutes, then began to have a "shark freak out..." "what if the bottom of the boat looks like food to a shark...eek..."

Howdy Stranger

Ok, so, I know I've been on hiatus lately. So much has happened...computer on the fritz and went on a vacation to the Dominican Republic! It's only been a month ago, but it feels like ages since I went on vacation. Is that an indication that I need another vacation, pronto? If only my budget would allow!

Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is amazing. Really. Amazing. The country's quite poor, but the people seem quite educated. At least the people that I communicated with; although, my view might be somewhat skewed, since I really only saw the airport and resort.



The airport was mostly open and had a hatched roof! I began to worry when they made everyone pay $10.00 just to enter the country. Then I really started to worry when I realized that my taxi driver was, in fact, not afraid to die. Thankfully, I survived the taxi ride to the resort...because the resort was pure heaven!





Snack bar to the left and beach straight ahead. I could really get used to this...



Fresh coconut milk? Why yes, I'll give it a go!



Winding down at the bar!


At the casino with our Spanish friends. This casino was where "fun went to die." Somehow, we still managed to smile, though.


The water was cold and the sun was hot. Quite possibly the best pool...ever.


It was a beautiful day at the beach!

Normally, I go for the "rush-rush" vacation. Live like the locals, see everything there is to see in a limited amount of time. By the time it's over, getting back to reality is almost a welcomed relief. As they say, needing a vacation after the vacation. So this relaxing, resort beach vacation was very out of the norm for me. As you can see, I managed a good time. I can't wait to go back! Who's with me?!

Oh, Louis Quatorze!

Today we took a day trip to Versailles. Due to having previously missed an adequate morning dose of caffeine and thus suffering the massive headaches that followed, I woke up early to ensure that I had cafe and croissants before the long day ahead. The plan was to leave at 8am...did I mention that we went to sleep at about 3am? Oy! At about 7am, I ventured to a local cafe for some goods - to go. The problem was, I could order everything in French, but could NOT remember how to ask for everything "to go." It was no problem, the waiter helped me with my French "a portir!" There was a little old man at the end of the bar who started speaking to me in English. Was I that obvious? Yeah, probably. He was very friendly; we had light conversation, "where are you from, how long are you here, must 'sees' in Paris..." When he asked why I wasn't going to enjoy my cafe & croissant in the restaurant, I let him know that we were about to leave for Versailles. He replied, "I am heading to Versailles, today, too." It's a beautiful day to enjoy the gardens and it's only about 10 minutes away. "Really?" "I thought the train ride was about an hour." "Oh, I have a car, it's a quick, easy drive." When my items were ready, I wished the waiter and nice old man a "bon journee" and rushed back to meet my brother and Etienne.

First, I told Etienne about the friendly old man and he replied, "is he driving us to Versailles, then." Um, no, I don't know that guy, he could have kidnapped us and sold us into slavery for all I knew. Then I told Dave, who responded EXACTLY like Etienne. Oh, and Dave *did* see the movie, "Taken." Ha!

So, we left a bit later than we expected, but we all had cafe and croissants and that was a good thing. We arrived at Versailles at about 9:45am to find a pretty long ticket line forming. No worries, the line moved rather quickly. By 10:15am, we had our tickets. Now off to the Chateau! Wait, what? We have to wait in an even LONGER line to enter the Chateau?

Um, yeah...see the people to the left? They're ahead of us and we're not at the end of the line!

We finally entered the Chateau. Impressive? Yes. Decedant? Very. Gold and marble covered practically every inch. And the garden...!

View of the Jardin (garden)

Nothing can compare to the grandeur that was - the Hall of Mirrors. Just as the name indicates, one side of the massive hall is completely lined in mirrors, the other side is a stretch of windows overlooking the garden. King Louis XIV created the hall of mirrors so that when the sun shone into the windows, the sun reflected off of the mirrors to remind everyone that the sun king lived there.

Entering the Hall of Mirrors

The arched ceiling was lined with paintings of different scenes; old Greek scenes; party scenes; war scenes. One thing I noticed, as I meandered through the hall, like rushing water through the crack in a dam (yeah, it was crowded), was that Louis Quatorze was the center piece of every painting. It made me laugh. I hear ya Louis!

Taking a picture of the Hall with the massive windows overlooking the garden behind me.

Jardin from the Hall of Mirrors

King's Chambre

After walking through the Chateau, I couldn't help feeling sad that so much of the original contents were destroyed when the French stormed the palace. Oh, I completely understand...if I were starving, I would be the first to melt down curtains made with gold thread so that I could buy food!

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to take a stroll through the never ending jardin or check out the canal, Petit Trianon or Grand Ecurie, where the horses are kept. To really do Versailles right, it's necessary to arrive as soon as the doors open. Maybe even get there when the gardens open 2 hours before the Chateau opens. Not only can you beat most of the crowd, but can thoroughly enjoy all that the Palace has to offer! Maybe in Euro-Sprint, Part Deux!

Parisian Museums, Boat Rides and Cuisine, Oh My!

On May 30th we took a guided tour of L'Opera Garnier. Honestly, I didn't know anything about the opera house before the tour. Immediately upon entering the building, I was taken aback. I feel like a bit of a broken record...but the architecture...the design, it was so decadent and beautiful!


One interesting fact about L'Opera's design...if I remember the story correctly, a prior king was killed in a bombing in front of the L'Opera as he was getting out of his carriage. Napoleon III wanted something grand AND he didn't want to have to get out of his carriage to enter the building. So, there is a wide pathway (wide enough for horses and a carriage), the kings entrance, on the side of the building. The king wouldn't have to exit his carriage until he was almost at his box!




This is Garnier's first display upon entering L'Opera. Inside the second circle from the center, there is writing...including the year, 1815. Can you see it? There's more, but unfortunately, I can't remember or make it out from my picture. I do remember that this entry way was lined with mirrors. I suppose so the creme de la creme could make sure they were, indeed, exquisite.





Here's the view as you walk up the first set of stairs. Marble as far as you can see; every piece of artwork and every design was thoroughly thought out. The landing at the top of the staircase (to the right) is supposed to mirror a stage. Those walking up the stairs are somewhat on display as if they are the actors. Those who have already made it to that level and are socializing along the hallways that have balconies throughout, feel as though they are watching the stage from a posh balcony seat. Very clever.


The ceiling inside the opera house. This is not the original. It was made on top of the original (however, the original is preserved underneath...there's about an inch between the two ceilings) in the 1980's (I think) to spike interest again in L'Opera Garnier. There are several scenes in the picture...each one with a different color background.




A copy of the original ceiling.





The grand hall. This is where the creme de la creme would meet and socialize. Oh and only the creme de la creme could afford to be season ticket holders to the opera.




At each end of the hall, there was a MASSIVE fireplace. It was understood that if people were behind the fireplace, they were discussing extremely important business and mustn't be disturbed. We are DEFINITELY discussing extremely important business and shouldn't be disturbed, but we DO find time to pose for a picture.




Balcony outside the grand hall.





There was so much more to the opera house. If you have the opportunity to go to Paris and have time, I suggest this tour. It will blow you away!


After L'Opera Garnier, we made our way to Rue de Royal. The street is filled with swanky designer shops and such. About 30 minutes of all of the finery that I couldn't, nor would I want to afford, was about enough for me. We made our way to the River Seine for a boat ride. Along the way, we found the best little macaroon place and had a proper sample. Tres yum!

Lady Liberty along side the Eiffel Tower?? I feel so at home!



It was a gorgeous day for a boat ride along the Seine. It was nice to sit (or stand) and enjoy the ride.



Musee d'Orsay. This was built as a train station for one of the World's Fair's hosted by Paris. It's now a museum...it's my understanding that it sorta picks up where the Louvre leaves off. My kinda art; unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to check it out this time 'round.


After the boat ride, we went to Musee du Quai Branly. There was a jazz exhibit at the museum. I found it fascinating how U.S. musicians influenced music in other countries...WHILE thousands of miles away. :-). Also, it was incredible how much white Americans tried to take credit for innovating and cultivating jazz. Of course, we know the story of jazz...I'm no expert, but even I know about the greats who began playing in New Orleans...Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll, etc. However, the articles from the time were giving credit to white Americans who most people have never heard of... it was quite laughable and terribly sad to say the least. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm sure people from every ethnicity had some influence in the cultivation of jazz; reading some of these articles, though, was quite like reading fiction. Unfortunately, there were no pictures allowed. :-(


We had a long day, but it was far from over! When I say Euro-sprint, I mean it!

We more than worked up an incredible appetite, so Etienne took us to one of his favorite restaurants, Chez Francoise. It had an upscale piano bar sort of atmosphere. Quite nice...and the food; oy! I had lobe de foie gras (I know, but when in Paris...), entrecote de boeuf, jus au thyme, pommes sautees (filet with herb sauce and sauteed potatoes), mousse de chocolate blanc, compotee de fruits rouges (white chocolate mousse with fruit), cafe and chocolat. Of course we had plenty of wine as well. Oh my! Everything was so delicious. I saved a menu :-)

No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn

We arrived in Amsterdam yesterday morning at 8am. The 9 hour flight from Houston to Amsterdam was not as bad as I thought, although, I was unable to sleep form more than (maybe) 4 hours--all in about 30 minute increments. Being located in an aisle seat close to the restroom, I found my seat being used as a "sling-shot"as people exiting the restroom pulled on the headrest of my seat to spring themselves forward down the aisle as they made their way back to their seat. Great fun!

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful! Sunny and 75!

From central station we took a canal ride to our hotel.

We had several hours to kill before we could check in, so we walked to a market just a few blocks from our hotel. It was a massive market with fresh fruit, veggies and clothing, etc. Once we were able to check in to the hotel, we settled in for a much needed nap! Our hotel room (pics to follow) wins my brother, Dave's, "Smallest Room Award." There is room for bunkbeds and not much else. The bathroom is also quite small, but everything is clean and comfy. All we need.

FYI...after carrying my backpack for much of the day, I determined that I STILL packed too much...I was very ready to have that thing off my back by the time we made it to our hotel room.

After our nap, we freshened-up and jumped on the canal bus (we purchased a 24 hour pass; it's a great deal, but we would have gotten more use out of it if we had purchased it for today) and made our way to the Anne Frankhuis. The tour was quite surreal. Most have read the book and watched the movie, so have a grasp of the story. However, it becomes more real, or maybe it's hard not to really internalize the dynamics and sympathize more when you're actually there. Not just seeing the artifacts and accompanying discriptions, but walking along the same floorboards where the Franks stayed in hiding; brushing against the same walls that they might have brushed against. Very sad indeed.

Once we finished the Anne Frank tour, we made our way to the Red Light district. What an experience. The energy in that area is wild. What's interesting to me is the overall laid back attitude. Sex, sex, sex everywhere, and no one bats an eye.

There's a bar right beside our hotel. After a few hours checking out downtown, we had dinner and the coldest, most delicious draft heineken I've ever had. The bartender, Aturo, was from Spain. We've met several people here; most are not locals. It seems that this is sort of a melting pot for parts of Europe, but my view is from a very small slot of time...Everyone here is so friendly and TALL. I'm pretty average height here. Wild. Oh, another oddity that I noticed is that toilets are taller here than in the states...I suppose because the average height is so much taller.

It's a "Seattle"day here today. We went to Dam Square to meet with a walking tour and must have just missed them. We are taking our own walking tour (from one of my guidebooks) now...just stopped by the OBA (open biblioteque amsterdam) to check get a break from the rain; check email, etc. Hopefully, we won't get too lost on our tour. Amsterdam is relatively small and public transport is pretty easy to figure out though. Later we head to the Rijksmuseum then off to Paris tomorrow!

Until next time...