"Nawlins" (New Orleans)

This was the first time during our trip where we got to stay with someone local thanks to a friend made along the way (Rick - famous for creating Ricky-O-Ritas). After a few days in the laid-back hills of Texas we were ready for some fun. Here are some highs and not-so-highs:

- being welcomed to Nawlins by Chip and Brandon who were 5 star hosts and tour guides

- going out 3 nights in a row until after 2am each time

- pulling an all-nighter on the last night

- listening to some great live music (including the likes of Richard Scott and Kevin Smith)

- drinking a Hurricane

- walking around the beautiful French Quarter with its amazing plant and flower littered patios

- walking along a stinky Bourbon street

- having a drink in one of the original bars, which used to be a blacksmith so no electricity, only candle light

- going to the New Orleans Museum of Art

- eating crawfish (miniture lobsters - less meat than a prawn)

- wondering who to put a hex on

- meeting interesting new people

- making good new friends

- getting happy birthday sung to me by a brass band (we milked this birthday angle)

- getting a birthday hug from Seth Rogan (ok, so maybe he was just saying happy birthday and I went in for the hug)

- learning more american, wait until we are back and you can hear us say classics like: "let's saddle up to the bar and get ourselves liquored up y'all"

- riding the electric car "tram"

- having a delicious lunch (which included Catfish and fried chicken) at "Dooky Chase's", around since 1941 and the place Obama goes when in town

- getting the flu

- dancing

- enjoying a delicious plate of biscuits and grits for breakfast at a place where you had to give in a famous persons name which would get shouted out when your table was ready

- leaving for New York

- saying goodbye to Red Rocket (our faithful and amazing car) and Round-about Robin (our sometimes annoying but most useful GPS)