laissez les bon temps rouler

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there is a house in new orleans, they call the rising sun

Well now that the Super Bowl has been won by Kansas City (GO CHIEFS), we can all move on with our lives, and move onto the next party. This is Mardi Gras of course!

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday is February 25 this year.  This is the Carnival celebration that starts after Three Kings Day and ends the day before Ash Wednesday.  For us non-Christians, this day refers to eating rich, fatty foods before Lent fasting begins.  No one throws a party like the Crescent City, and this bonanza of a holiday is the grandest boum of them all.  No one throws a soiree like New Orleans.

Laissez les bon temps rouler…

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wanderlust, the best Valentine’s lust of all

Hopefully love is in the air (or the sea or the train) or wherever you may be this St. Valentine’s.  And if not, well then you can always continue your wanderlust for travel and adventure, the best kind of lust in my opinion.

V-Day is right smack dab in the middle of the week this year, but it’s never too early to start planning a long, romantic weekend getaway for next year…maybe choose one of these sweet spots:

New Orleans. This magical city is teeming with dark mystery and romance.  How better to cuddle up on a winter’s night than to snuggle arm in arm along the gas lantern-lit cobblestone alleys whilst boozing it up and eating the most decadent food?  And extra points for it being Mardi Gras this time of year, so there’s a ton of stuff for singletons, too.

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Bali.  This is a top honeymoon destination for a reason.  Secluded and sexy, there’s lush landscapes and privacy abound.  Everyone loves an island rendezvous.

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New York.  If only to meet your love at the top of the Empire State Building.  Watch for traffic before you cross the street though.  (Please tell me at least someone understands this reference, the original movie, not Sleepless in Seattle–also a classic rom com).

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Tokyo/Kyoto.  Lovers in Japan, indeed.  The best way to get to really know someone is to explore a foreign country with them, specifically a place where you can’t read or speak the language.  If you can get through it unscathed, then you should probably hold on to this person forever.

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Cape Town.  Overwhelming views from the top of Table Mountain and V&A Waterfront will fill your heart.  The city offers couples everything they could want, luxurious digs, celebrated wineries, horseback riding/outdoor activities, and popular open air cinemas (especially crowded on Valentine’s).

Paris.  The City of Love may be cliche, but it is that way for a reason.  It’s a city of creatives and dreamers and there’s inspiration on every block.  Everything from the food and wine, the music, the scenery and the history is seductive.  If you’re not in love, you’ll definitely feel it here.

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And of course, probably the most romantic city, or rather, country is Italy.  Venice, Florence, Rome, Tuscany?  There could be nothing more charming, nothing that sets ones heart afire like an Italian escape.

And you may ask, why no pictures?  Well that’s because I’m headed back to Italy in about a week so there will be pictures to come.  Ciao bellas, that’s amore!

3 days in New Orleans

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there is a house in new orleans, they call the rising sun

New Orleans has a certain je ne sais quoi about it.  It’s dark, seedy, mysterious, and a little bit dangerous.  And that’s the appeal, like someone you know you shouldn’t be attracted to, because with them, you might will make questionable choices.  In short, New Orleans is most relationships in your twenties, with the notable exception that you actually should keep going back.

The Crescent City has done an incredible job rebuilding after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, demonstrating the irrepressible spirit of its people.  There is so much pride in the preservation of their city, their traditions, their culture and as a visitor it is so easy to be seduced by the magic that envelopes you when you arrive.

I recently had the chance to spend three days there, but that’s never enough.  The air is just different, there’s some mystical voodoo that grabs a hold of your soul and doesn’t let go.  The Big Easy, she stays with you, long after you’ve left her.  For she knows, it’s just a matter of time until the next rendezvous.

Laissez les bon temps rouler…

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