NOLA & Mississippi

A mere one month (literally 4 weeks!) after my weekend in Amsterdam Laura and I reunited, this time in the American Deep South.

The funny thing is this trip was planned well before Amsterdam!  

I really wanted to see her this summer, but really, really wanted to avoid going to her current hometown of New York City.  You've heard me bitch and moan about heat here before (as recently as one month ago) but I've never moaned louder than my trip to NYC a decade ago.  No thank you ever again [in summer], please.

So when Laura suggested I visit her and her mother in Mississippi - a state where literally nobody I know has ever been - I was not about to turn down this wildly exotic once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!  And it turned out to truly be one of the most exotic places I've ever been.

The logical place to fly to such a far flung destination is none other than The Big Easy, New Orleans.

A quick and easy two hour drive away.

Or, if you're feeling adventurous American style, a three hour Amtrak train ride away.

More on that cultural experience later.  First, more on America's playground. 

My first sight in town was the Superdome, which really took my breath away because I remember it from the Hurricane Katrina news coverage and subsequent documentaries.

I wasn't in town long enough to get a feel for what ghosts remain from the disaster and bungled response 20+ years later, but I saw enough in my short time there to know that the spirit of the city is alive and well.

I have a friend from college who lives in New Orleans and works as a wedding planner.  I thought it would be impossible to catch her in the narrow sliver of time I had available before Laura's arrival, on a Friday night, in July, during peak wedding season.

Turns out in the South summer is actually low wedding season due to the heat!  This was the first of many realizations I had that this part of the country looks nothing like the part where I grew up.  It might as well be on the other side of the world!

I love having locals show me around new places.  There's no way I would've seen or done or eaten what I did on my own without Becky's guidance, like dining at the exquisite Columns Hotel.

We had gumbo and a delicious dish I'd never heard of before - red fish, which is a...white...fish found in the Gulf of Mexico.

Absolutely delicious and it was lovely to catch up and meet her husband for the first time.

She also took me to a local spot called Tipitina's, which is a live music venue that offers free Friday concerts during the summer (presumably because it's low season for all hospitality purveyors).

Those who know me know I am not one for live music, but when it is a live-like-a-local experience that gives me a dose of cultural immersion I will make an exception.

At 10 p.m., a time when I am normally cozy in bed, it was time to bid adieu to my local hosts and ramp up the drinking (which was already on medium-high heat) on one of America's booziest streets.  

Bourbon Street!

To be fair we spent maybe 5 minutes on this street, walking among the drunken hordes.  We spent the majority of our night nearby, namely in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood and at a dueling piano bar, which I sadly have only experienced once in my life before but should be enjoying annually.

I should have visited here a decade or two ago in the prime of my drinking years.  Or maybe my liver and kidneys are glad I did not.

Despite my general disdain for it, NOLA has got to be the most live music friendly place I have ever been in my entire life.  Every bar has a band playing!

Even the beignet cafe the next morning had a band rocking out at 9 in the morning!

These tasty little things, which somehow are but are not donuts, are the #1 must eat item in New Orleans.  They were good - hey, it's deep fried dough and I'm a fat ass - but they didn't knock my socks off entirely.  I'd definitely prefer the fresh stroopwaffel we had a month ago in Amsterdam.

After a whirlwind kick ass 18 hours in NOLA it was time to ride on.

I had never ridden the Amtrak before, or even been on a train in the USA ever in my life.  In fact, I had never been on a train before studying abroad in Norway.  So this was an event for me!  And let me tell you it was great.

In an anthropological, touristy kind of way.  Look at all this abundant leg room!  In an "I'm in a rush to get where I'm going" way, not so much.

The train we were on started in New Orleans and went all the way up to Philadelphia and New York!  We were going a mere 3 hours - only the second or third stop - which somehow got stretched into 3.5+ hours.  I can't imagine how many hours the long haul travelers were delayed on their 24+ hour journey.

This did allow us ample time to view the outskirts of New Orleans, namely the cemeteries.

I feel like I must have known this information but had forgotten it at some point, but I learned that in NOLA they bury their dead above ground.  I was shook by this information!  Until I remembered that I once knew that, because that makes sense when you're so far below sea level.

See what I mean when I call this an anthropological experience?

Finally we got to our intended destination.

Laurel, Mississippi "The City Beautiful". 

They're not blowing smoke with that [strangely worded] slogan, though.  It really is a scenic small town (or, by the standards of where I grew up, a raging metropolis). 

Their claim to fame is an HGTV home renovation show called Home Town, which takes comedically cheap real estate and spruces them up into lovely, charming, character-filled homes.

The town is riding high on that fame, going so far as to offer golf cart tours showcasing the myriad houses that have been renovated by Ben and Erin Napier, patron saints of Laurel.  They even have this bad boy at one of the quaint local shops owned by them:

I have never fully appreciated the term "hitch your wagon to someone else's star" until witnessing the juggernaut that are these TV personalities who - let the record state - are infinitely better and more talented than Chip and Joanna.

But reality television real estate was not the main purpose of my visit.  There were many cultural experiences to be had on my second ever lifetime trip to the Deep South. 

Catfish eating

And general eating of foods that aren't normally deep fried, like a pork chop.

Interestingly I learned that collard greens aren't "the" side item here like TV would have me believe.  Turnip greens - which I'd never even heard of - are.  And don't forget a gallon of sweet tea (painfully lacking in carbonation for my tastebuds) to wash it down!  

World Cup Viewing

And associated day drinking.  Americans can get into soccer twice a decade, it seems.

Authentic Mexican grocery shopping

Related: I somehow talked myself out of buying this absolute banger of a hat, which I've come to regret.

Backyard swimming

Hard to avoid when it's 100+ degrees all of the damn time.  But you won't catch me bitching about it for once, because this is the South.  What do you expect?!  Precisely this.

Dancing at the American Legion

The Legion where I come from hosts wedding dances, but that's it.  This is a weekly public event that is so serious it has rules posted on the front door, my favorite of which I will share here:

• No cursing or vulgar language
• No vulgar or indecent dancing
• No weapons of any kind allowed on premises
• No fighting or altercations allowed
• No short shorts or tube tops

And my personal favorite:

This one hits home because the only time I've ever wound up in the emergency room was from a dancing related injury in 7th grade (LOL).   

Patriotism 

'merica

Church

Not my usual spot but it's the done thing in Mississippi on a Sunday morning, is a deep anthropological dive into the South and I am a sucker for a stained glass window.

Waffle House (!!!)

I might be the last American alive not to have eaten at Waffle House, and I'm proud to say I've finally met my destiny.

I wasn't nearly drunk or hungover or high or impoverished enough to fully grasp the essence of it, but it was cheap and cheerful and I respect an icon.  Like any red blooded American I would trust my life and the life of my children to the employees of this, or any, Waffle House. 

Finally I have witnessed American exceptionalism at work.

After a long weekend of seeing how the other half of the country lives t was time to get my Yankee ass back up north to return to my kids and extended family, who I'd traveled half the globe less than a week ago to see.

I'm skeptical the south will "rise again" but it is a fun look into a totally foreign, yet somehow entirely domestic, world.

Two Sheilas in Amsterdam

When a friend who lives in the USA says they will be in Europe for work, and asks if you want to meet them in Amsterdam for the weekend, the only acceptable answer is hell yes.

Even when it is literally 95 degrees out and you are drenched in sweat from head to toe.

Laura, who was last seen here for Staycation 2023 in Norway, was last in Amsterdam literally the day before she came to visit us.  She had a 2-year-old with her, so couldn't go on a canal boat tour like she wanted to, so that was a must do for her.

No complaints from me (except for the heat, naturally).  It was lovely and scenic, with booze and cheese included, which are two foundations of happiness for me.  This wasn't the hottest I've ever been in Europe before, but it was close.  Damn close.

It was an Australia-themed day, the day of our arrival being the day that Australia and the USA faced off in soccer at the World Cup.  Our canal boat tour guide was Dutch-Australian and we sought out Australian coffee and brunch for sustenance.

All the cheering in the world didn't prevent our beloved Australia from getting their ass whooped, sadly.  Though we are both native born Yanks we were all in for Aus in the World Cup, to no avail.  It seemed like we were the only Australian supporters in the whole city!

For dinner we ate an Indonesian meal, complete with Bintang beer, like the true blue Aussies we are.  I love Indonesian food but so rarely see it in my travels.

I would be remiss not to mention our accommodation, something I don't normally think too much about.  When we were deciding where to stay it came down to two choices: a run-of-the-mill corporate hotel, or a bed & breakfast run by a world famous prostitute and author who has her own Wikipedia page.  Which would you choose?

We made our choice based on which of the two we will still be talking about 20 years from now.  So...not the Marriott (or whatever it was).

Xaviera decorates her eclectic, huge house almost exclusively with photos and paintings of herself throughout her life in varying states of (un)dress.

It was a sight to see!  Sights everywhere you looked, actually.  And the air conditioning unit in our bedroom absolutely saved our lives.  It was a marvelous choice!  

It rained - nay, it poured - during the soccer match Friday night, but being temporarily soaked resulted in a much MUCH cooler rest of the weekend, so it was one million percent worth it.

We spent all of Saturday morning hopping between different outdoor markets.  We both only had carry-on luggage so weren't looking to buy much, but we were seeking one single thing that was surprisingly difficult to find.

Stroopwafel!  The sweet delicious.  A closer view:

Quite possibly my favorite dessert item, though I've never once had one hot and fresh before.  It was glorious and worth hauling ass around town to three different markets to find.  Seriously, why is something so famous so hard to find?!

After a caffeine injection at a local coffee shop, we had tickets to the Van Gogh Museum for a heavy dose of culture.

It was just the hit we needed to fly high into the evening.  When in Rome!

Only when we were inside the building did we learn that his two most famous paintings, Starry Night and Terrace of a Cafe at Night, are not housed at this museum.  But there was still plenty of recognizable stuff to see.

Pro tip for future Amsterdam visits: get yourself feeling nice and...relaxed...before visiting a museum.  It will enhance your experience and enjoyment of the art.

That evening was another World Cup game, Netherlands versus I don't remember and really don't care who, as it meant that every eye in the country was facing a TV, thus vacating canal-facing restaurant seats for us.

We got to eat my favorite bitterballen, which to me tastes like deep fried balls of cream of mushroom soup, with a primo view that we would never get so easily if the whole city wasn't distracted.

We took a lovely stroll through town in the blissfully cool 80 degrees on our way home, with a brief glimpse at the Anne Frank house.

It is surprisingly close to the Red Light District, which we took a stroll through along with the insanely large crowds.  I don't have any photos of the goods for sale, which you're not supposed to do.  Respect those working gals! 

We learned that our B&B host, who is Dutch, never actually worked in her home country, where prostitution was actually legal.  She only worked where it was illegal and could get you thrown in prison.

On Sunday we took a stroll through Vondelpark, which is a lovely green space full of families and had one last canal-side dining experience.

It's such a scenic city!

I previously visited Amsterdam approximately 1,000 years ago (Thanksgiving 2009 - 17 years ago) with friends from Minnesota.  I really wish I did a better job of blogging my travels back then.  My modern day blog is a diary of experiences and stories, but back then - ironically when I had all the time in the damn world to blog - I only posted one favorite picture from each trip.

Had I done a more thorough job back then I would remember details like this tasty tidbit: when meeting our B&B host for the first time, upon hearing that we met in Australia her response was, "Australians are lovely people, but they're such prudes about sex!"

We will definitely be talking about this trip for decades to come!

  

Brussels, Belgium

Martin has been on no less than five dudes trips since we arrived in Europe 4.5 years ago.  Possibly more - I have the memory of a goldfish - so it was high time that the ladies from the same friend group finally do the same.

This was my first new country in over six years!  I haven't stepped foot on new land since our whirlwind trip to Tanzania, Turkey and Bulgaria in 2019, pre-kids.  I would say this fact is semi-shameful, but we really did go out with a bang.  

In my defense I've been back to repeat countries multiple times since being back in Europe (almost half a decade now), but I have been itching to tick a new country off the list.

When it came time to pick a ladies trip destination my suggestion immediately was Brussels.  Martin lived there for a few years in middle school, plus the reputation for delicious French-adjacent food and central location had Belgium firmly at the top of my bucket list.

I arrived a few hours before everybody else, so I had a short period of time to do what I do best.

For the uninitiated, Primark is a super cheap yet surprisingly good quality clothing stores that exists throughout Europe.  Not Norway, though, so every time I find myself in a city that has one I run, not walk, in.  While it's always a pleasure to shop at Primark it was far and away the worst stocked Primark I've ever been to.  Boo.

Another thing I haven't done in over six years is order myself an Uber.  It's only recently come to Norway and does not operate in my little corner of the country, so I have been lacking cheap and easy illegal taxis.  I got right back in the saddle and took three Ubers within two hours of arriving and they cost me just over 30 Euros.  The beauty of living in overpriced Norway is that everywhere you go feels like a bargain!

When the other ladies started to arrive we got right down to business.

Belgium is known for their beer, but when ladies reunite the only answer is Aperol Spritz.  Preferably on a rooftop!  Which I was pleasantly surprised to learn was right on top of our hotel.

We spent hours Friday night catching up on life since we were last all together in Edinburgh fifteen years ago.  One of the four girls I hadn't seen since then, but the others range from over a decade ago to less than 6 months ago.

We drank many an Aperol until we were famished, and purposely hadn't picked a restaurant so we could "wing it".  I think this is a profoundly bad idea, as I knew we would be getting subpar food in a destination that is known for top notch food.

While edible, my socks were not forcibly removed from my feet by this carbonnade (beer and beef stew) like I had hoped they would be.  Suffice it to say our first night was focused on the drink, rather than the food.

After sleeping in until the delightful hour of 8:30 we hit the town in search of sights and culture.

Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert

This is a picturesque shopping arcade with an incredible lack of diversity of goods - mainly designer handbags and chocolates.  Not very practical, but a busy and must-see thoroughfare.  Not an H&M or Build-a-Bear in sight.

Grand Place

The architecture is next level in Brussels, especially at this public square.  The buildings are edged in gold paint, making them look nothing short of exquisite.

There were a few things on my Must Eat list, numero uno being:

There are two types of waffles available, Brussels and Liege.  Brussels are perfectly square like the American version, and typically are covered in toppings like chocolate and whipped cream so require a knife, fork and table to eat. 

With Liege, which this is, the goodness is on the inside.  The dough is filled with big, fat sugar crystals that turn crunchy, and are perfectly transportable for the fat ass on the go.  Perfect for me!

Mannekin Pis

Is your idea of art a child urinating in public?  Then you're in luck!

For whatever reason the ultimate symbol of Brussels is this tiny (less than two feet tall) statue of a little boy with a functioning wiener peeing into a fountain.  It is hugely popular and there's always a crowd during daylight hours.  

I don't know who is in charge of this but they sometimes dress him up in costumes and put a mask over his face.

It is so bizarre!  I'm glad we got to see him au natural because this little vampire boy is not what is plastered all over the marketing material and souvenir shops.  Lesser known and far less popular is the Girl Power version with the same theme:

Jeanneke Pis

To be honest we stumbled upon this squatting girl by accident when trying to find a bar, but I am all about gender equality.

Straying from our beloved Aperol Spritz we moved to local Belgian beers.

We visited numerous bars, which was necessitated by the fact that the weather got really crappy and rainy on Saturday so, really, we had no choice.

Our eternal search for more booze again led us to another grand sight, which nobody but me seemed interested in seeking out during daylight hours.

Mont des Arts

This place houses the National Archives and other buildings of import, but what it's really known for is its amazing gardens, seen here only in shadow.  All the travel advice I read said to go at sundown for some stunning views, but as you can see it was pretty dark when we walked through. 

My second and final required culinary experience:

Mussels!  In Brussels!  Moules-frites, to be precise, when they are served with French fries.  A delicacy that is the national dish of Belgium.

Here's something I never, ever thought I would see in my life:

A taxidermy'd giraffe!  Isn't that wild?!  I saw a camel in Canberra one time, which I thought was the apex of taxidermy that I would experience in my life.  Clearly I was mistaken.

I didn't catch the name of this bar, but it's safe to say it was the funkiest bar I've ever been to in my life.  Look at this decor!

It was relaxed and hip and had a great speakeasy vibe to it.  And lots and lots of taxidermy'd animals!

The next day after a leisurely brunch we wandered around town a bit, near our hotel which wasn't in the city center to get a feeling for how the real people live.  It was very floral and pretty!

My #1 favorite thing to do in any country is to wander around a grocery store.

I could do this for hours!  And frugal moi bought my souvenir chocolate here, for a couple of Euros, instead of at the super expensive designer places in the fancy mall.  Smart!

 

At this point people started to drop away to catch trains and planes, and one of the remaining ones was really interested in visiting the Horta Museum, former residence and studio of an Art Nouveau artist named Victor Horta, who I'd never heard of before.  We had all the time in the world so, sure, why not?

Whyyyyy do these architecturally fabulous artist residences take themselves so seriously?!  For real. It 100% gave me vibes of the Gaudi house we visited in Barcelona circa 2018, the douchebaggery of which Martin and I make fun of to this very day.  

The highlights for me were these spiky little fossil looking things to keep people from sitting on the antique furniture:

And taking clandestine photos in places where photography was prohibited, for absolutely no reason.

Photography was not forbidden in the whole house, mind you, just certain random areas.  Fuck the police.  It was a strange visit, but it kept the giggles flowing and the architecture was a sight to see.

My only regret about this trip is that I didn't get to do any WWII sightseeing.  The Band of Brothers episode about Battle of the Bulge is one of the most painful things I've ever watched on screen, so there is some real history here to experience.  Your ladies trip can have infinite Aperol Spritzes or it can have historical tourism.  It cannot have both!

  

I'm also sad to not have experienced it for the first time with Martin but that's a perfect excuse to return in the future.