Roman roamin'

Rome is kicking our butts. We arrived on Tuesday morning and it's now Thursday evening. Elizabeth got sick at the Vatican and threw up in a garbage bin outside a souvenir shop after we spent 145 Euros for a soso lunch. That sums it up. Ancient history, the Church, and things more expensive than expected for less than anticipated returns. But don't get me wrong, we've seen things we always wanted to see and we have had good experiences too. And honestly the wine you can get for a couple bucks is amazing. But this is an exhausting city. We saw Elizabeth's Aunt Erica while here and she says it's suffocating living with so much history. I completely understand. There's a little church down the street from the apartment we've rented. Just a little nondescript thing but the lowest level is pagan in origin, the nave is medieval and the ceiling is Rennaissance. If that's on a little side street you can imagine what the rest of the city is like. I'm on historiographical overload.

The place we are staying is a nice two bedroom apartment with a pull out sofa. It's a two minute walk to the Colisseum so it's a great location. And it's nice having a washing machine and a kitchen. It was pretty reasonable too. But like a lot of these things it's only got air conditioning in the two bedrooms. We open the doors and its not too bad. There's a terrific gelato place on the corner, a grocery around the block and several nice coffee shops.

I don't think there's any such thing as coffee to go here. At least I haven't seen it. Instead you order and are served in a nice little coffee cup your espresso or capucino and you drink it standing there. It's a nice little break in your morning. It costs more if you sit down at a table, even to wait. It's little things like that that leave you feeling a little bit ripped off constantly.

The food has been hit and miss. And it seems we can only feed our group of six for 100-150 Euros whether its lunch or dinner so the last two nights we've stayed in and had cold cuts sandwiches. We did have a wonderful meal at Elizabeth's aunts house and also had great pizza there including one with zucchini blossoms and anchovies that was surprisingly delicious. The gelato everywhere has been great. I like the fruit ones and the pistachio but the chocolatey ones have been popular with our crowd too.

Getting around took some getting used to and now that we're leaving of course we've gotten the hang of it! We blew a lot of money on cabs early on. They aren't that expensive but we always needed two. As an aside, you just round up if you want to tip the driver. But busses are the way to go. We bought the Roma Pass to get in the Colisseum, Palatine and Forum and it comes with free public transport for three days. Although I must say we were never asked for a ticket. You also have an option of buying minutes on busses. Not sure why they do it that way but they do. When a bus comes you just shove your way on. Romans don't believe in lines.

The Coliseum is as grand as I remembered from 26 years ago and they have a nice little open air museum on the second floor. They are doing construction on the Forum and they have terrible signage so we got a little turned around but we saw all we wanted to see, including the spot where Caesar was cremated. But it's so much to take in! Later in the day we went to Trevi fountain which was my second favorite sight we saw. It's so surprising to round a corner and suddenly see this huge refreshing fountain growing out of a building. We tossed our coins so we'll be back! We then walked down the street to the Spanish Steps where we were attacked by rose and souvenir wielding hawkers. We did have a fun meal not far from there though so it wasn't all bad.

 

We also went to the Vatican. We had arranged through the apartment owner to have a tour guide. The guide was an extra 180 Euros but she explained a lot to us and we skipped all the lines. Aside from the heat and crowds it was very interesting. The Sistene Chapel was as awe inspiring as I remembered but the murmuring crowds and the constant shushing and cries of "Silencio!" from the security staff take some of the luster off. St. Peter's too is awe inspiring but it's just too much to take in. Bigger isn't always better and I found it hard to feel God in that space.

 

Today though was my favorite day. We took the 85 bus from the Coliseum and got off and walked several blocks to the Pantheon. We met Erica there and had a quick coffee and then went inside. It was much less crowded, free and beautiful. It was my favorite site we've seen. The light coming through the open skylight is stunning. Erica told us that on Pentecost they drop roses from a helicopter through the hole. That must be magical.

 

Then we took a walk and strolled through the Campo de Fiore, a famous market. We got some nuts and enjoyed the sites. We then took a tiny bus back to Erica's where we had lunch. Afterwards we said our goodbyes and then walked to the Cola di Riezo to do some shopping. Conrad got some awesome Italian dress shoes. The girls found some clothes they liked and I got an Italian bicycling jersey. Apparently I'm a giant here because I was a 4XL here. I'm only an XL back home! Tonight we begged off meeting the rest of the family at Erica's. We'll take it easy and pack up. Tomorrow we leave for Florence and our Tuscan villa!

 

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You bet we're gonna have fun in Vegas!

On a plane heading to Las Vegas! We're going to meet our friends Carl and Nicole who are driving down from Phoenix. Up at 5 am to make our flight, Elizabeth is currently napping next to me. I'm using the Blogsy app on my new iPad. So far so good. It was easy to set up and typing on the iPad has actually been pretty easy. It's a mini that Elizabeth got me for my birthday this week and I'm embarrassingly in love with it.


We're staying at the Planet Hollywood Resort. It's the old Aladdin hotel remodeled. I going to try the "slip the check in person a $20 to get an upgrade" trick but I'm notoriously bad at this sort of thing so we'll see. We've reserved a cabana by the pool for the day on Saturday. My thought was it would not only be cool but it would also keep us out of the casino for the day! More on that on Saturday. Since we're on such an early flight we're probably not going to be able to check in right away. Hopefully our luggage will make it and we'll be able to grab our bathing suits and head to the pool. It's supposed to be 111 there today. Yikes!

We did do a better job packing this trip. Just 1 large and 1 carry on suitcase. For our Italy trip this summer we're limiting everyone to a carry on a piece. Not sure how Elizabeth will be able to do that but we'll see.

More later!

The fanciest G&T I've ever had

Well it's 7am and I can't sleep. The suns up and shining through the window despite the curtains. Probably another way to get you in the casino. The pilot of our flight said "remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, including your money". And it's true in a way. But isn't that half the fun? And a reason to come back? To try again?

Fritters in a shoe, why?

We got in early yesterday and paid an extra $28 to check in early. Turns out that wasn't the best idea. We did get rooms next to each other but it was limited availability so it was in an older part of the hotel. We did get a nap in though.

Good friends, good times! At Jaleo

We spent the afternoon catching up with our friends and doing a little gambling and then headed out to dinner. Carl and I had a bet on who would lose the most weight before the trip and I won so dinner was on him. Thanks Carl! We went to the Cosmopolitan to their tapas restaurant and bar Jaleo. Really cool hotel and a cool bar and restaurant. They had specialty gin and tonics so I had to get one! Right? The bartender was a great guy. From Brazil. Gave us good advice on what to order and took our picture for us. Dinner was good. We got fritters that came in a shoe for some reason, some carne asada, some shrimp, some chicken. Had a blast. And just so you know, I didn't have to pay! Thanks Carl!

Back to food and drink. If you sit down at a bar and put in $20 in the video machine they'll comp your drinks. You don't have to actually play and lose that $20. You can cash out when you finish your drink. But honestly it's a lot of fun. Carl and I sat and played for a while at New York, New York one afternoon. The bartender was cool and told us to play Deuces Wild and taught us the best way to play. I won $17 bucks or so and we had a couple drinks. If you're playing slots or a low limit table game you'll get drinks comped too but verrrry slowly. It's not the best way to drink. It's better some times to just pay for your drinks at the bar and not gamble away more than you're drinking. Both ways are fun.

The food was better than I expected. In addition to Jaleo we also went to Spago at Caesar's Palace, which was great, and breakfast at Paris casino, which was incredible. Ate there twice. Get the corned beef hash if you go! We tried to get in Gordan Ramsey's BURGR restaurant but the line was always too long. Nicole had a rewards card for the Harrah's chain, which includes Planet Hollywood, so we got some discounts on some meals. Thanks Nicole!

The secret VIP entrance to Absinthe!

Had to take a picture of this!

It was great being there with folks who know what they are doing. There's a discount day of ticket service that we used for both shows we saw. If you aren't wanting a particular show it's a great way to go. And we actually got into the main one we wanted to see, Zumanity. It's a very adult Cirque show and was really amazing. I don't know how they get such athletic, talented and good looking people but wow! We got seats on the second row so I had topless women flying over my head and Elizabeth had spandexed male crotches in her face. The drinks all have sexy names. We did Jell-O shots. Can't tell you how long it's been since I had one of those! And then I had a Long Dong Silver. Come on, wouldn't you? There was a pre-show and Nicole got called up on stage for it and was promptly dry humped by the comedy act. She's a good sport though and we all enjoyed it. As she made her way back to her seat she flipped her hair and loudly said, "Nothing I haven't done already this weekend!" The audience went nuts. There's a lot of adult content so if you don't like that sort of thing don't go. If you do, you're in for a fun night!

The other show we saw was Absinthe! at Caesar's Palace. This is a smaller venue, a circus tent outside Caesar's. we once again used the discount ticket service and sprung for the VIP seats since it was just a few bucks more. We were third row this time. Once you purchase your tickets you have to go to the box office to get the actual seats and tickets. Nicole and I went to pick them up but got lost in Caesar's on the way. That place is huge! I usually have a good sense of direction but all the twists and turns and no daylight got me. We got good seats though. It's a circular stage in the tent. The show was similar to Zumanity in that the acts were sexy and acrobatic but this was earthier and less well choreographed, more circus like. Both shows were great. The MC or Ringmaster, I think they called him the Billionaire, was hilarious. And this was the show where I was called up on stage. They were setting up a high wire act so to entertain the crowd the MC had a lap dance contest. He picked me, "big white guy", to go up against "the only black guy in the audience" to dance for "dirty Republican wife". His names, not mine. I had to go first because as the MC said, "it'll be all over when black guy dances for her". I may or may not have had a few drinks. Since my moves are limited I went for the slowly peel off the shirt move and butt shake. Hilarity ensued. "Black guy" wasn't much better thankfully but she chose him as the winner. I like to think the audience liked me better. Can't trust those Republican wives. We all won a drink of Lucid Absinthe so I finally got that drink of absinthe I wanted a year ago in New Orleans! It was really licorice tasting. Reminded me of ouzo. Not bad but probably not everyone's taste.

My second place drink of Absinthe

Lap dancing like a fool

As I stated earlier, we had originally thought to rent a cabana by the adult pool. If you want to rent one,  do it in advance as we had some trouble getting the reservation. It's a great idea. You can do it with a bottle or without. You get mixers and a bartender and some other stuff. In the end we didn't do it. The pool just didn't look that great and we were having too much fun doing other stuff. Other hotels have the same type service so check if you go.

We wrapped up our weekend the next day and said our goodbyes. Elizabeth wasn't feeling too well at this point. I recommend Dramamine for hungover travelers. I mean dehydrated travelers! When we got to the airport our flight had been cancelled and they had booked us on a flight 3 hours later. Sigh. Then that flight had delays and then an engine problem so it was 2:45 am by the time we got home. But we did get a $50 travel voucher. Hmmm, what should I bet it on?

Can't wait to go back! What a great weekend!

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Sarasota Stingray Shuffle

We're taking a lot of trips this summer. This was a great start to them. Followers know we just celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary. Elizabeth usually plans and books our trips so to surprise her for the anniversary I wanted to select a place and plan a trip for us. I first started looking along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts but everything was booked or too expensive. I then checked out the Panhandle and Alabama coasts. Everything seemed a little too family oriented. Then I thought about moving further south. Our good friends the Lawson's live near Tampa so I contacted them and asked for advice. Susan suggested several places near Tampa. I had in mind two requirements, a beach bar and room service. I got far more than that. The place I picked was Lido Beach Resort in Sarasota. It was perfect. So once again a huge thank you to Susan!

Our view!

We flew down on Delta, having sprung for Economy Comfort seats, and landed in Tampa. Being me, I had neglected to determine how we were going to get from the airport to the hotel until a few days before the trip. I called up the hotel and they told me it would be about a $100 cab ride from the airport. Each way! Ah El, you're such a good planner! We figured out we could rent a cheap car from Dollar for less than that so we left the airport in a crappy little Dodge minivan.

The drive from Tampa to Sarasota takes you over the Sunshine Skyway bridge, rated number 3 in the world by the Travel Channel! It really is a cool bridge with a great view from the top. Sarasota itself is really beautiful to drive through. The water is amazing. It reminded me of the Caribbean. We went through Armand Circle on the way, more on that later.

Originally I had booked an Ocean View room with 2 queens because that was available. When we got to the resort they had upgraded us to an Ocean Front King suite! Oh yeah! Sometimes I forget to book a car, sometimes I get awesome upgrades. It's all the joy of travel! The resort has two buildings, a shorter building and a tower. We were on the 6th floor of the tower with an awesome view. We checked in, checked out the room and hit the bar! The Tiki Bar was just what you'd expect a Tiki Bar to be. Right between the pools and the beach entrance it is a typical wrap around bar with additional table seating. Susan had told us about the Rum Runners so that's what I got. Elizabeth went with the Pina Colada. Both were good but I stuck with the Rum Runner all weekend. A couple of those and a shrimp cocktail and we were ready for the beach!

As I said before, the water was amazingly clear. We're used to the Atlantic and lots of waves and murky water. The Gulf was crystal clear and there weren't any real waves. The beach area is nice with lounge chairs for use and umbrellas for rent for $15. They do have warning signs posted telling you to beware the stingrays and shuffle your feet. Apparently if you shuffle your feet the stingrays will hear you coming and leave you alone. If not, you could get stung. While not deadly, unless you get hit in the heart like the Crocodile Hunter, it is very painful. I read that when they sting you they keep pumping the neurotoxin until the stinger is removed! Yikes!

Before the wedding crashers

The water was amazing

Keep on shufflen

That night we wanted some fried shrimp, because hey, we were at the beach! The concierge and TripAdvisor both recommended Dockside on Longboat Key. So we hopped in the trusty minivan and off we went. There is something vaguely satisfying about circling Armand Circle with it's fancy shops while in a beater minivan.

We nearly missed the place, it's tucked behind a service station and is in a small marina. The kind with dry storage for boats but only a couple slips for short term use. We wanted to sit outside and it was going to be a 45 minute wait so we ordered a couple drinks. Since it was going to be awhile I opened a tab. The bartender then told us about a place to wait down by the dock where there were a few tables. Travel/bar tip: bartenders would rather have you open a tab and only have to close out one ticket for you rather than a ticket for every drink. So help them out and open a tab, sometimes you'll get told about a nice place to enjoy your drink! It was a really nice view across Sarasota Bay looking towards the Ringling Museum. The meal was terrific. We started with a seafood chowder and then both got the fried shrimp. They were done right and we were sitting right by the dock.

Fried shrimp by the bay.

Sunsets were beautiful.

The next morning we ordered in room service, because hey, this was our anniversary trip! Then we headed down to the beach and got a couple chairs and an umbrella. Unfortunately there were several weddings going on and one of the wedding parties decided to camp out right in front of us. But we were still at the beach so who's complaining? We split a shrimp po boy for lunch and had a few more Rum Runners and suddenly it didn't matter that much.

That evening we decided to take advantage of Happy Hour. I had found a bar on the 8th floor of the tower while trying to get ice earlier in the day. We headed up there for the view and the 2 for 1 Happy Hour. It was great! Mostly locals by the looks of it there was a fun crowd. The bartenders were great. They had a half price appetizer menu as well so we ordered the lobster sliders. Wow! That was good. Just lobster, mayo, some lettuce, on a great little bun. We were supposed to have gone to a nice restaurant for dinner but after Happy Hour I really didn't need to be driving so we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. It was really good! I got snapper and Elizabeth had the filet. The seafood chowder we started with was also really good, I think. I'm not really sure since I was still under the effect of Happy Hour Rum Runners.

Lobster sliders and Rum Runners for Happy Hour!

Snapper

The next day I went down first thing and reserved an umbrella and four chairs up as close as I could get so our view wouldn't be blocked. We liked the po boy so much we had it again after hitting the beach. Susan and Frank showed up in the early afternoon and we had a quick drink before hitting the beach again. It's always great to see old friends and we enjoyed the afternoon. Saw a few stingrays, had a few drinks and then headed in to change for dinner.

Susan had suggested and made reservations at Shore restaurant in Armand Circle. The resort has a shuttle that drops you off and picks you up at the Tommy Bahama restaurant. Convenient and great if you plan to imbibe. Armand Circle is a pretty big place. There's a large park in the center of a roundabout with shops and restaurants along the outside circle and down streets at the four compass points. It took us a few minutes to find the restaurant but we did. It's located upstairs above a retail store by the same name and is open to the front. It has that modern, surfer, deck vibe with faux teak decking and stainless steel. We ordered some drinks and an appetizer. I don't remember what we all ordered because we were having too good a time talking and laughing. So no food porn pics from Shore. There was one memorable thing. After the sun went down the roof over our section was slowly retracted providing a great view of the sky. Very cool.

After the meal we headed back towards the pick up point and very nearly missed our ride! We had to hustle but we made the last shuttle of the evening. The rest of the night we spent enjoying each others company and a few more drinks. It was one of the funnest evenings we've ever had thanks to the Lawsons.

So Sarasota was great. No Stingray stings. Awesome Rum Runners. Good food. And great friends! Can't wait to go back! And don't forget to shuffle.

Good friends, good food, good wine!

P.S. If you're looking for some good fiction set in the area I suggest Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series and Tim Dorsey's Serge books. Two radically different authors who both love the area.

Happy anniversary baby...what's the password?

May 6th was our 24th year anniversary. Elizabeth loves doing what you are not supposed to do, breaking rules, opening doors marked "Do Not Enter". You get the idea. Well, I had struck up a conversation with a couple at a wine tasting at our local wine shop a few weeks ago ( yes, we belong to a wine club!) and they mentioned a restaurant and speakeasy. I knew that would be just the place for anniversary dinner. I made the reservation and just told her I had a surprise. Then I just tried not to spill the beans for two weeks. :-)

The restaurant is Muss and Turner's. Located in Vinings it's been open in it's present version since May of last year. When you first walk in it has an upscale deli feel to it. It was a rainy Monday night and we arrived at 7:15 so it wasn't crowded. As I had requested our table was a quieter one near the front. Elizabeth has hearing problems so I always request a quiet table. It's a good sign when they mention it as they seat us. Our server was great, attentive but not hovering. She helped us pick cocktails. I went with the SDK - Leopold's Gin, Cardamaro, Allspice Dram, Bittercube served in a martini glass. Orangey and slightly herby but refreshing. Elizabeth had the Cherry Bohemian - Blackwell Rum, Leopold Tart Cherry, turbinado, lemon also served in a martini glass. I had to have a taste. It was good but the cherry made it a little too sweet.

Cherry Bohemian and SDK

For an appetizer we went with the mussels. They were perfect with a delicious sauce and a couple of pieces of bread. So good in fact I forgot to take a food porn pic! Our server saw how much we were enjoying it and brought us more bread. I could have made a meal of those but we were just getting started.

Joey Lawrence of Arabia

For our main course I went with the griddled Carolina trout. Served with a side salad of greens, asparagus, and cannelini beans with a sumac vinaigrette the trout was cooked perfectly. I was torn between it and the scallops but that just leaves me something to look forward to next time! Elizabeth went with the steak frites, 8 oz of Kobe beef cooked medium rare with a side of frites. I may or may not have helped her out with it. Elizabeth had switched to a glass of Chardonnay while I went with the Joey Lawrence of Arabia. I love the cocktail names. The Joey is made with Rye, Allspice, Fernet Branca and mole bitters with a giant ice ball I thought it tasted like a souped up old fashioned. And it worked with the trout.

We took our time with the meal and as we wound down our server brought us the desert menu and told us to pick something because she was buying our desert for our anniversary! They were out of the parfait we picked so we went with the whatchamacallit bar. It was great. But you may not be able to try it or the trout or the steak. Why you ask? Because the menu changes every 4 weeks or so to take advantage of what's good locally. That's why. And that's why everything tastes so good.

The griddled Carolina trout was perfect

So was the Steak Frites

After the dessert and before the check I asked the server "How's Eleanor?". The name of the bar is Eleanor's and it has just about the coolest entrance I've ever seen. She escorted us back to what looks like a freezer door. Because it IS a freezer door. But behind it, down a corridor and around a corner is Eleanor's. A cozy bar with a few tables and a long wooden bar. It's so cool because you feel like you're in some secret club. I was waiting for an initiation ritual to take place. We sat at the bar and ordered 2 Here's Looking at You Hipster...'s. I also got the story behind the cocktails. There are 6 or 7 on the menu and they were each created by a bartender. Our bartender happened to be the creator of the Hipster. For those playing along, you remember Gautreau's in New Orleans and the French 75 cocktail Elizabeth loved? Well, the bartender based the Hipster on the French 75. French 75's are mentioned in Casablanca and since hipsters love Fernet Branca (who knew!?) she came up with the name. We toasted our marriage and talked a while. Then I moved on to a more manly Chekhov's Gun - Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Aperol, Averna and Sombra Mezcal on the rocks. Delicious. We spent the rest of the evening chatting with some regulars and sharing a shooter with the bar staff before making our way home. But we'll be back Eleanor!

Here's Looking at You Hipster...

Chekhov's Gun

Me and the hottest lady in the bar. Happy Anniversary baby!

To Absinthe friends - New Orleans June 2012

Ah, New Orleans. Hot, sweaty, sexy and spicy. It's one of my favorite cities in the US but it's very atypical of America, especially in the Quarter. America puts on a bright shiny facade and you go behind that and see all the gritty reality. In the Quarter the homes all have plain facades but inside they are filled with beautiful courtyards, cool fountains, high ceilings and charm out the wazoo. It's also a very walkable city, compact but with distinct areas. And how can you help but like the streetcars! I mean, come on! Tennessee Williams! And I wanted to try some absinthe. It's making a comeback now that it's not made with wormwood and I thought surely New Orleans would be the place to try it.

Elizabeth's family on her mother's side are an amazing brood of Greek stock. Artistic but with business acumen. All of them beautiful. I am in awe of them but I come from a small family. Our trip was planned around purchasing a painting by Elizabeth's cousin, Anastasia Pelias. Well that and just to go to New Orleans. Have I mentioned I love the place? So, we packed up and left the kids and the dog and off we went!

A note about packing here. For such ardent travelers we suck at packing. I overpack some things and under pack others. And then there's the shoes! So for 2 of us for 4 nights we had one checked bag and two carry-ons plus a backpack and another large carryon. We usually pack more for "vacations" versus "travel". This was definitely vacation. Someday we'll figure it out.

Soniat House main entrance side

Soniat House "our side"

The place Elizabeth found for us to stay was amazing. She loves research and had checked everything out. This was in the Quarter, just around the corner from Brad and Angelina's place. It was the Soniat House. Built in the 1830's, the hotel is actually three townhouses built by planter Joseph Soniat and his son. The hotel came into being 20 years ago and has been winning awards ever since. The houses are across the street from each other. Our room was across the street from registration and the self service bar. (More about that in a bit) You use a key to enter a short hallway that leads to the courtyard. We were on the second floor and our room was terrific. There was a bathroom, complete with French water faucets, a sitting room and then a step up to the bedroom with beautiful antique furnishings and high ceilings. 

The service is what really makes the place. The concierges are knowledgeable and get to know you if you take the time to talk to them. There's an honor bar in a nice room next to reception, well stocked and they'll get you anything you want if they don't have it. You just mix your cocktail, or grab your beer or wine, and fill out a little form. That first night we got to talking to Bill, the concierge on duty, and he was a wonderful conversationalist. For PC folks he reminded me a lot of Dr. Coker. Soft spoken, intelligent, with a love of the wicked history of the area. He told us that if there was something missing from the bar to let him know and they'd order it for us. They had Hendricks gin so I was all set. :-) 

We were looking for a good po boy within walking distance that first night and after sizing us up Bill suggested a place around the corner that locals use. The place was packed and we were clearly the only tourists in the place aside from one other couple but the food was awesome. 

Our breakfast remnants. The warming stone is marked "Soniat House".

The next day we had breakfast in our room. Fantastic coffee and biscuits in a basket with a warming stone impressed with "Soniat House". You just don't get that at the big chain hotels.


Staci (Anastasia) came and picked us up and we were off for a day of New Orleans awesomeness. We first went to her gallery. She does these amazingly beautiful large scale paintings filled with really deep colors. I'm probably describing that all wrong but I am with art like I am with wine. I may not know the technical details but I know what I like. And I like these paintings very much. We spent quite a bit of time going through the paintings and finally decided on one. It's one of her older pieces but it really spoke to us and it had been a favorite of her father. We completed our business and then headed off to lunch. 

Our new painting!

Another of Staci's works. This was our favorite I think.

Eating where the locals do is just so much better. We went to a local place called Crabby Jack's and had another amazing shrimp po boy. This was a favorite place of Staci's dad, Harry Pelias. He was a wonderful man I only met once at a family reunion years ago. He and I hit it off with our mutual love of history and genealogy and I remember he took me to his office, which is now Stacie's gallery, and gave me several books I still cherish today. Greek history and cookbooks. I could easily imagine him holding court at Crabby Jack's with a root beer and po boy.

Elizabeth, Stasi and her boyfriend

After lunch we got to do something most folks don't get to do. Staci took us to a warehouse where Mardi Gras floats are created, stored and repaired. It was an incredible place. Hot, with the heat of a New Orleans summer, and huge it was filled with these amazing creations. Many are decidedly politically incorrect but funny as hell. I think there's a common misconception that there is one Mardi Gras parade but in reality there are many. Some are more family friendly than others and it shows in the floats. Many of the bodies of the floats have been around for decades, some have been around so long they are made using Civil War era gun carriage wheels. The krewes hire firms like this one to create and maintain their floats. 

Me and Elvis

Next we headed to The Columns. This is a famous hotel and bar on St. Charles Avenue. Pretty Baby was filmed here. The bar is a beautiful Victorian looking thing. We met Natalia, Staci's sister, there for a few drinks. Being in New Orleans I had to have a Sazerac and it did not disappoint. I followed that up with a Pimm's Cup which is the perfect drink on a hot afternoon. 

Me and Elizabeth

Elizabeth made a friend

I made a friend too

The Columns

We had dinner reservations that night at Gautreau's. The Soniat House has a connection to Gautreau's and can get it's guests reservations. The restaurant is located in a neighborhood with little parking so it worked out well that we were taking a cab. It's a very nondescript building that used to be a pharmacy and doesn't even have a sign in an Uptown neighborhood and this was truly one of our most favorite meals/evenings ever. To start with they have incredible old school cocktails. I had another Sazerac and Elizabeth went with the French 75 made with brandy. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere was really cool. To our left were a couple of older ladies in beautiful suits. The server told us, when we inquired, that they were regulars. They had flowers on their table, no one else did. It turns out they always requested them and as regulars the restaurant always obliged though no one else gets them. To our right was a larger party that included Bryan Batt, the actor who plays Salvatore on Mad Men. He was there with his boyfriend and family and looked sharp in green pants and white shirt. I commented to the server, who said he preferred my outfit, thereby ensuring a bigger tip. We had fabulous food and just the right amount of attention and just to seal the deal the servers brought Elizabeth the flowers from the ladies' table. I can't recommend Gautreau's enough, but do make a reservation.

The next day we made the pilgrimage to Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets. That's always a highlight of a New Orleans trip. We walked there from the hotel, passing Central Grocery on the way. Central is the birthplace of the muffaletta. But back to Cafe du Monde, if you've never been it's just across the street from Jackson Square and you just find yourself a seat. It may take a few minutes and we always see newbies looking bewildered as they try to figure this out. Just keep your eyes open for someone about to leave and then grab their table. It'll be bussed quickly and a server will be over. Don't bother looking at the menu, just get a cafe au lait and and order of beignets. They come three to an order. Then just enjoy people watching until your order comes and your eyes roll back in your head. Keep in mind it's open 24 hours a day every day except Christmas and the occasional hurricane. 

For lunch we took a cab to Commander's Palace, the famous old (1880) restaurant. They have 25 cent martinis at lunch. Yes, that's right, 25 cents. So for a $1.50 we got smashed. Commander's is a lovely old place. If you go, I recommend going for lunch. It's cheaper, the food's just as good, and did I mention the 25 cent martinis? 

After our 3 martini lunch. Elizabeth got a chef's hat!

Afterwards we strolled through the Lafayette cemetery across the street. Another must do for any New Orleans trip. Because of the high water table all burials are in above ground crypts. You may be aware of that. But what you may not know is that the graveyards are free for you to walk through. The older ones are especially interesting. And if you do it after having 3 or 4 martinis it's all the better. 

Make sure to stroll through at least one cemetery on your visit.

We then went to visit Elizabeth's Aunt Magda. She lives in the old family home and is much the matriarch. She and Harry were quite the couple and she is still full of life. We were walking to her house and called to make sure she was home. She insisted on coming to pick us up. At her house there's only parking on the street and there's a hand lettered sign designating her parking place. It's always honored. She's that kind of lady and it's that kind of neighborhood. We had a lovely visit and then walked to the streetcar line. We took the streetcar back towards our hotel but hopped off and walked down

Magda's parking spot

Royal Street doing some antique window shopping along the way. It was a hot day so we stopped by Meltdown Popsicles for some gourmet popsicles. They make them daily out of fresh ingredients and they are perfect for a hot summer day.

For our last night we walked around the Quarter and just tried a local restaurant whose name escapes me. I just remember it was OK, nothing memorable. But then we walked down Bourbon Street. We popped in a few shops the funnest of which was a voodoo shop where we bought a crystal orb to capture bad spirits. It's New Orleans, you have to go in the voodoo shop! Our last stop was Pat O'Briens for a hurricane. Pat's is the home of the hurricane, invented during WW II.  It's a bit touristy but still fun. In fact, their motto is "Have Fun" and you will, especially after a hurricane or two! It's not exactly a finely crafted cocktail but it is strong and does the job intended.

We finally hit a liquor store looking for some absinthe. We hadn't found it served in any of the places we'd been. They had a decent selection but for some reason we just couldn't bring ourselves to buy any. Maybe we were just saving something for the next trip, because New Orleans, we will be back!