All Hallow's Eve.....

New Orleans: Thursday 31 October, 2013

 

Halloween in Nawlins!! Today has been the best possible day for people watching. Americans certainly celebrate this day in style!!

It doesn't matter which street you walk down, the houses are just unbelievably beautiful. It's hard to decide which house NOT to take photos of!!

 

We started our day with chicory coffee and beignets at the iconic Café du Monde. The coffee was pretty good and the beignets were sugary fatty goodness! The service, however, was shite!

 

And then begun our walking of the city. NOLA is a great city for walking, although the unevenness of the footpaths can make things challenging. So far no mishaps, but give it time! Jackson Square is located across from Café du Monde and is a great place to watch the world go by. It also has a great view with the church in the background.

We jumped on a tram and headed to the Garden District. Along the tram lines and on trees are Mardi Gras beads....

 

I love cemeteries as they have so much information about what was going on at different times in history....yep, history nerd!! Lafayette Cemetary is located in the Garden District and has lots of great tombs. Some are really sad, such as one with a 7 day year old interred.

 

 

Similar to the French Quarter, it was hard to decide which house not to photograph in the Garden District. Such a beautiful area!!!!

 

The perfect haunted house??

 

How about trick or treating at Anne Rice's house??

 

Lunch was gumbo and a shrimp po' boy....

 

A walk along the river and to Washingron Square which overlooks Jackson Square...

 

After a lap around the French Quarter, we found out about the Halloween Parade that would go down Decatur Street past Jackson Square. Sitting watching the world go by, we saw lots of Waldos, ghouls, zombies, ninjas, the Flintstones, the Scooby Doo Gang and just about every permutation of costume possible. The parade was accompanied by a jazz band and a fire truck and was just brilliant!!

 

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The mother of all coincidences....

Orlando/New Orleans: Wednesday 30 October, 2013

 

My enduring memory of Orlando will be the vastness of the city and the shittiness of the driving. From Orlando to Miami to New Orleans. Welcome to the Big Easy!!!!

 

Great shuttle driver gave me lots of tips on places to eat....I can see this will be like NYC: heaps of places to eat and not enough time to go everywhere!! My first taste of Nawlins was shrimp creole and crawfish ettouffee....I'm in love and may never leave....

 

A quiet night tonite and we had a few drinks in the hotel bar. Great local beer that went down a treat. On my way for a pit stop, a woman stopped me and asked if I had won a karaoke contest recently. Two Swedes were in our hotel bar who had also been in the bar on the Allure and had seen me win the Kamikaze Karaoke Kontest! If that is not the biggest coincidence or evidence of what a small world it is, then I don't know what is!!! Awwww shit...."it's a small world after all"....goddamn you Disney!!!!!

 

Congrats to the Boston Red Sox who won the World Series at Fenway Park for the first time in 95 years!! 1918 was the last time they won at FP. I've very much enjoyed watching the World Series over the last week and great to see a team from a town that's been through so much win at home. And one of Amber's teams has finally won....

 

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The happiest place on Earth....until you go to It's a Small World....

Orlando: Tuesday 29 October, 2013

 

Disney World! The Magic Kingdom!! Bring it!!!

 

Rather than give a blow by blow....enjoy the following photos.....

 

At the main entrance.....

 

It's Halloween time at TMK....

 

Everyone loves a parade....

 

Mickey and Walt.....not Lenin as Ben insisted....

 

Out first ride...the magic carpets from Alladin....

 

Splash Mountain.....

 

This sign wasn't lying.....

 

As is evident from this photo.....

 

The Haunted House.....

 

My new friend whose name I can't remember.....we're not close friends.....

 

Alice's tea cups.....

Amber and Katie.....

 

The Dumbo ride....with Amber in the background......

 

Ariel's under the sea thingy.....

 

In front of Gaston's Tavern.....

 

On Prince Charming's Carousel.....

 

Apparently no trip to Fantasyland is complete without a trip to It's a Small World....I maaged about 5 trips to Tokyo Disneyland without this going on this excruciating ride.....and I now know why!! Stereotypes aplenty. And my favourite was the Chinese (Japanese?) characters with the slanted eyes. Political incorrectness at its finest. Australia was represented with a kangaroo that looked more like a dinosaur and a couple of koalas. Our NZ brethren were represented by a kiwi and a Maori girl. All of the "singers" mouthed the words to the song, which I won't repeat here, and will possibly feature in some of my future nightmares!!

 

A trip to Space Mountain and then a bit of a restrained shop to round out the day.

Tonight the park closed early at 7 for a Halloween. Party that you apparently needed to book tickets for....no doubt well in advance!! One thing the Americans do VERY well is dressing up for Halloween. It was great fun just to people watch!!!

We found Wally(s) or I guess it is Waldo here.....

 

Narelle Haines put in an appearance...

 

We certainly spent the day well and had a great time!!

 

Tomorrow, New Orleans beckons.....

 

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