Travels – tamingthemilemonster

New Orleans 2016

Last week I was completely charmed by the city of New Orleans. To begin with my husband and I decided to use the trip as a test on the feasibility of traveling with our long boards. I was apprehensive over carrying it around in airports and trying to get them in the overhead compartment, especially on our smaller regional flights. There was no reason to worry, it worked like a charm. We strapped them to our backpacks and even coming in around the 40in in length mark, they still fit easily in the overhead compartment; and since they are flat backpacks could still squish into the compartment in front of them. I was particularly relieved when there weren’t even any sideways glances or scowls from the flight attendants. I suppose they have seen stranger things. I did gate check it on one leg just to see how that worked and it was also easy breezy.

As soon as we had dumped our gear in the room we had two goals: food and skate. Our hotel situated us very close to the convention center which is pretty close to the French Quarter. There are a ton of restaurants beckoning you to stop with cool names and enticing signs. Coming down to a 70 degree day out of the frozen tundra, ever place that had outdoor seating seems like a perfect spot. So we rolled a few blocks getting a feel for the brick sidewalks, one way traffic flows and just general coolness of the vibe the whole place exudes before settling down for a little fried green tomato appetizer and a first taste of Abita. The dinner menu looked appealing but I was itching to move on and see more of the city.

We made our way down to the river and I had my happiest skating to-date along the Riverwalk. We burned all the daylight we had along the water; passing the aquarium which has a noisy aviary that was so sweet sounding after a silent winter, a huge fountain, restaurants and parks. The paver stones were so pretty and smooth, all of the curbs I encountered were sloped so I never ate it, and the terrain had enough ramps and wide open spaces that you could just relax and go. We finally called it when it was starting to get chilly and settled in at Jax for dinner. Delicious seafood with a sweet lady who served us, she mixed up the order but we weren’t in a hurry and the taste was worth a wait.

The next day had similar goals as the first day: good food and skating. Fortunately for us Cochon Butcher was just around the corner from where we were staying. The sandwiches and pitcher of beer were just delicious. The care they showed with the food was evident in every bite, right down to the sides. I have never had a more delicious bowl of Brussel sprouts and they left you tasting and questioning trying to figure out how you could recreate the taste. Happy taste memories galore, I would make this a staple of any trip to NOLA.

We decided to uber out to the city park to skate. It is a huge city park offering all sorts of great opportunities from art museum to strolling along scenic ponds to fields for any game; however in trying to get to a big winding paved trail we had to spend some time down by where the freeway overpasses the park, a bit more stress-noise than I like to have while in a park, but we made it to the trail and it was fun. All of the pavement we experienced in the park was a technical challenge since the tree roots and other earth movements has left it pretty cracked and upheaved. It helped me gain confidence in what I can tackle on my board but also led to some pretty graceless falls. While it was a pretty park, the skating was actually more fun the first day along the waterfront.

The French Quarter was enjoyable. I hopped on for a one-way ride on the trolley from the Riverwalk on down (trip was $1.25 and you need exact change since you feed it into a machine when you get on). There is plenty of shopping and you can bargain a bit or just chat up some locals in the open air market. After a bit of strolling the shops get repetitive and then you have the hard call of picking from a whole host of good eats. It was too late in the day for me to try but I have it on the best of authority that the place to go for a muffaletta is a little Italian grocery (Central Grocery) which I have put on my list for my next visit. We settled on a place that called us in with the live music, just a few blocks off of Bourbon Street as was suggested by a music friend. Good music but bad food- ah well, you can’t have it all in life. I tried to avoid Bourbon Street but did take a moment to photo bomb someone while there, I couldn’t resist. Hello out there somewhere, wherever you are!

Now I was lucky enough to be in New Orleans for Mardis Gras season, during the week leading up the Fat Tuesday when the parades begin but the craziness has not yet reached its frenzied peak. The entire experience was completely enchanting. The first night we made two rookie mistakes. 1. We set up to watch toward the end of the parade route, not a bad thing except that we got there at the parade start time and it took about two hours of waiting before the parade made it to that point. We could have totally sat down and had a great meal beforehand, instead of standing around getting colder and colder. 2. We stood against the railing. This makes it impossible to get good goodies from the floats since you can’t walk up close enough to ask for trinkets directly. The second night we found a spot right next to one of the pay-to-sit stands which was awesome. The buildings worked to block the wind, we met some super nice locals standing nearby who told us some interesting facts (like that the people who carry the gas lights are homeless folks who they round up to parade and that historically you would try to bounce coins off of the lantern back board, but now you can just hand them spare change, since it is a way for them to make a few bucks) and we were handed a pass so we could go in and use the port-a-potty in the seating area- score! The first night we were at the parade known for handing out elaborately decorated purses, we were disappointed to not just not get a purse but not even see one. We did talk to a lady who said she got several purses and that the key was to go up and ask the people on the float for them. So the second night we knew to at least try to ask for the elaborate shoes they were giving out.

I spoke with several locals who ride in the different parades and asked what it was like. The answer was always similar- that it makes you feel like a rock star. I was blown away by the different men and women participating in the parade who were dancing or strutting along with such sheer joy on their faces that no matter what they looked like- they just glowed with beauty. Being part of a huge crowd was a bit scary, except that we quickly bonded with the people within arm’s length who you had to show civility towards when jostling for beads, and there was no greater moment than when one person on the float made eye contact with me, pointed my way and handed me a prize. How in the huge sea of humanity that we are; it is those moments when you lock eyes and acknowledge each individually that is made more profound by the chaos. Oh yes, Mardis Gras is addictive.

New Orleans charmed me to no end. It was filled with natives who were proud of their home and their culture. I learned so much because everyone was eager to share. It just seems to be an open friendly city. I had no issues trying to drive around even in the heart of the city, and there are plenty of taxis and ubers, but the best is just to walk so you don’t miss much. The buildings are covered with gorgeous murals and everywhere I looked was another sculpture. Here is a place in America that you can feel a pulse of unmistakable Americana that runs deeper than burgers and fries and pies instead it has jambalaya, etouffee and king cakes. I can’t wait to come back.

Impressions of Prague, Fall 2015

I cannot accurately describe Prague for you. Sure I can give you some helpful facts such as the Czech Republic maintains its own currency while still being an EU member so your Euros won’t do you much good. Vendors will often take Euros from you but at a dismal rate of exchange. I can tell you the public transport is good with the subway running near anywhere you want to be, and there is a regular bus schedule from the airport into the city; just buy at ticket at the bus ticket booth in the airport. There are sights and activities for just about every mood and taste from fantastic clocks, to crystal shops, to war monuments to bridges and royal complexes complete with fanfared guard changes. There are museums to beer and sex as well as cathedrals and gardens. You can take night walking tours for ghosts and river dinner cruises. Prague will provide you with any form of entertainment you would want in a European city and by having a separate currency it is very affordable. Our first dinner at a very comfortable traditional Czech food establishment came to about $10 a plate including the beer and a dessert. As such, it seems to be a popular shopping destination and you can stroll for an entire day and never find yourself wanting of a shop to pop in to.

For me, I came to Prague at a difficult time. My grandfather, the patriarch of my family, passed away the week beforehand and we pulled off the daunting fete of getting my entire family back to Indiana to attend the funeral ceremonies and back home again in time for my husband and me to leave the next day on our flight to Prague. The timing was so tight that when I walked in for the flight out in the morning, I actually picked up a suitcase of ours that hadn’t made it onto our flight the night before. This was handy since a few of my essential travel items were tucked inside. I was able to bag up all the kids’ dirty clothes that were mixed in and take my suitcase with my goods along with me.

To be sure, I was exhausted. And emotionally raw. My hands were shaking as I drove the rental car from the funeral home out to the cemetery behind the flashing lights of my great uncles Cadillac just a few days before and I had not completely stopped shaking in my heart. With my grandfather’s passing an entire chapter of my family’s story ended. That’s it, done. Finale. A hard reality to wrap the mind around.

The flight is never fun as you are cramped and trying to balance getting a bit of sleep with getting up regularly enough to ensure your blood doesn’t clot in your legs. Once you land , you follow the signs and can pretty easily get on the bus, that leads you to the metro, which then gets you near enough your destination to hoof it the rest of the way. The bus is crowded, the metro is deep and dreary (though splashed with dazzle when you pass the stations with sparkling murals on the walls) and the streets are happily pedestrian. Though do watch when you are crossing the trolley car rails as those suckers can sneak up on you.

Municipal House — Art Nouveau down to the plumbing.

The city is charming with some great architecture. Once you wander a bit you see a whole host of various periods represented and in blocks so that you are sure to not miss it. The art nouveau area is truly stunning. And the Dancing House catches you by surprise as you walk along the river. You can’t help but just stop and admire it, it captures your imagination and you are hard pressed to leave it.

Now one bit of European travel advice I always throw out the window is to try to acclimate to the time right away. The advice is always to suffer through the first day and not sleep until dark to reset your clock. But I am never on a tight deadline when I travel, generally taking a week or longer in a location, so I get to my hotel, draw the curtains and pass out to the world for as long a I like. This seems like sheer indulgence when I know there are no kids or dogs who will wake me up in the middle of the night.

Between catching up with friends and my own wandering plans, I made several trips to the old town area of the city that boasts the castle grounds and the cathedral. We took the mandatory route over the iconic Charles Bridge. Very pretty. There are little shops, museums and restaurants to help you fritter away your day. The palace to me was a bit disappointing. It is really more of a large compound of legislative buildings, it has an impressive gate where you can watch a changing of the guard, but I found it crowded and just a bit lackluster. The St. Vitus Cathedral was my favorite bit of the area. Even though it is a relatively new construction it has all the elements of a gothic cathedral, and some of the new stained glass depicting a modern sense were neat to see.

Take the time to stroll down to the Old Town Square and watch the astronomical clock. It is quickly over as the main attraction of it is when it chimes, then you are perfectly situated to enjoy some nice shopping, outdoor seating for a beer and watching the typical street entertainments of the square. I was completely dazzled by the crystal shop located directly across the way from the clock, it is huge and so sparkly you are nothing short of dazzled. The old architecture will draw you out of the square and onto delightful side streets full of vendors and goods.

The New Town region has anything you are wishing to find in the way of modern shopping and restaurants. I took in a local open air market here and found my little trinkets to take home to the kids here.

Prague had a lot of construction/restoration style work going on at the time in and around the city. Work required trips over a huge expanse of bridge with daily commuting traffic grinding across. In the middle of the bridge was a great view of the possibilities the city had to offer. The convention center is easy to reach by foot or by metro and was very impressive. But above all, what kept drawing my eye and my imagination while in Prague amongst the huge city, with its hustle and charming history and architecture, was the local people I saw all around on the streets, in the restaurants, on the train. They struck me as a bit stoic and very seriously polite. In fact, the only people I found who appeared happy were the few young families pushing babies in strollers. Otherwise, there seemed to be a weariness to the way most people carried themselves. Prague served up many lessons to me; both about my own emotional resilience, about how time and place can shape a character, and that just going to a place doesn’t mean you’ve really been there. I saw some sights and had some good times with friends, but I wouldn’t dare say I understand Prague.

Helpful Facts for Prague City

A Day in Hallein, Austria

If you have an itch to head out of Salzburg and see more touristy sights, the city of Hallein is perfect. It is a short journey by train out of Salzburg, at the train station you pick up the bus that heads up the mountain, I believe it was the number 41. (The city has kindly placed a map of the local attractions on a board across the street from the train station that also has fliers to help guide you.) The bus ride only takes a few minutes, I think it was 3 miles, and we got off at the stop with the Salt Mine sign- pretty easy. Now to enjoy the Salt Mines I had to take a deep breath, put on my “I’m a tourist and am ok with that” button and head to stand in line for a ticket. If you are traveling with your family there is a discount ticket so weigh the price options. You get your ticket, and then follow the trail into the visitor center style building to wait for your time. Then you are ushered downstairs to surrender your bags to the coat check and to get dressed in white coveralls. You then board a mini train that is just a long beam that you sit on to be ridden down into the mine.
The tour is nicely done with video stops, points of interest and a tour guide who will provide details in multiple languages. The tunnels have all been widened for tourists but it still feels tight in places and the air is a bit hard to breath. It was two hours of enjoyable touristing as we had to slide down slides in two portions (never fear- they have cameras set up to snap your photo much like the rides in Disneyland) but it was a pretty cool and memorable experience.

With your mine ticket you also get entrance to the Celtic Village that is just across from the mine. This was a fun stroll- many buildings have interactive materials which made it very enjoyable for my son. You can practice a little leather working, grind some grains on an old grinding wheel, and even play a little dress up. It is a well thought out exhibit with staff who are knowledgeable and friendly. It isn’t very big but I imagine villages weren’t very big.

If you get back on the bus still heading up the mountain from the Salt Mines- you can go one more stop and find yourself at the summer tobogganing (ski lodge) location. There were no lines so we could quickly grab a ticket and be on the chair lift heading to the top. Now again, this is a touristy day and you just have to suck it up as the ticket seems a big expensive. It cost right around 50E for the three of us to take the ride (and of course we all decided to go a second time). At the top of the lift is a restaurant with great views if you are ready to stop and have a snack. The toboggan ride is straightforward and fun. Push forward to go and pull back on the handle to stop. There are some curves that you need to slow down at but the track is well marked. It was really fun as you could get going good and fast. While it is one of the longest tracks in the region, it is so much fun that it feels like it goes quickly and you will probably want to give it a go a second time. They did give us a slight price break on the second ride.

We arrived too late to have time to use our ticket to also gain free admittance to the Celtic Museum which is housed back down in town, but it would have been great to go take a peek if we could have.

I suggest planning to spend a full day that can easily be filled with: Salt Mine tour, Celtic Village stroll, summer tobogganing and the Celtic museum. Hallein is a nice city on the river. We strolled the streets looking in shop windows and settled on a charming café for breakfast that overlooked a stream. We had to visit over the course of two days as we came the first time on a rainy day- which was perfect to go down a mine tour, but made the summer tobogganing a no-go as the sleds can’t run on a slick track. My son had seen the Rick Steve’s tour of Austria when prepping for the trip and he had put summer bobsledding as his number one pick of things to do- so we happily returned on a sunny day to throwourselves down the mountain. Hallein didn’t disappoint on either occasion.

A Bit of Lake to go with That Mountain- St. Gilgen, Austria

Location: St Gilgen, Lake Region- Near Salzburg, AustriaGetting there from Salzburg: Postbus 150 (about a 45 minute ride) Bus stop is on Schallmooser Hauptstraße close to the intersection with Franz-Josef-Straße.

Many of the lakes near Salzburg are accessible by bus. The Postbus are clean, modern and comfortable to travel aboard. You pay the driver as you board and can select a round trip ticket for ease on the return. The bus ride doubled as a great tour bus with gorgeous views along the way. We saw countryside, small towns, mountains and lakes. Also, keep an eye out for a building on your right with giant bug-like statues racing out of it. (They are actually bulls because it is the Red Bull headquarters.) After about 45 minutes, and not too many stops, we arrived in St. Gilgen. For some reason I expected the “lake region” to seem like a distinctly different region, where the land opens up and becomes dotted with lakes; but instead it held more layers of mountains, stacked like bowling pins, with the lake firmly filled within the basin.

Conveniently, the bus leaves you at the base of the gondola and so we were immediately riding up the mountain, craning to take in all of the vista views of the lake and the city hugging its shores as we slowly ascended. Now rain was assured in the weather forecast so we were prepared with raincoats but it was unnerving that there were several warning signs posted to take shelter immediately in case of storms and that the gondola will not run if the weather turns bad. Our worst case scenario would have included at stay in the hotel rooms above the restaurant found at the top. (Not a bad option even in good weather.)

Lunch was delicious and ended with yummy pancakes for dessert. The place was pretty full with people and many of them sported bicycling gear. Investigating outside it looks like there is a road that winds up the mountain that the bikers take. It would be a fun hike up if you had more time and wanted to avoid the gondola. We spent several hours just exploring the various trails and taking in the views. The kids got interested in the bugs and puddle jumping in the drizzle. Then it was time to head back down and find the lake.

St. Gilgen is a great little town to wander around in. Adorable shops and restaurants line the streets. We were even treated to a wedding party parading from the church with a great band heralding the way. (I loved that the beautiful, smiling bride was holding a baby in her arms.) There was a fire department sponsored street fair, but I was determined to see the lake by that point and kept going.

Down by the water you find ice cream stands, lake fish in a big fish tank, a water fountain, a playground and park and ducks. With great satisfaction and contentment I sat by the lake and looked at the sky.

Category: Travels