Tuesday 27 October 2015

Philadelphia

One of my favorite ways to see a city is to walk.
Even if it's the same streets I'm walking I always seem to be noticing something new each time.

Please enjoy more glimpses of Philadelphia below!








Come back soon for more cities and adventures!

Friday 23 October 2015

#48: Learn to Ski

Here's a short and sweet little post... learning to ski!
Bucketlist tick: CHECK





Thinking this year is the time to hone my skills of what I learned last year so I can manage to get down a Blue/Black without wanting to fall on purpose so I could walk to the bottom because I'm scared I'm going too fast...

Sunday 18 October 2015

#137: New Orleans, Louisiana

Last Christmas I got to spend down in New Orleans..
It was absolutely on my top 5 cities in the US to see and I'm so glad I did!


This is a pretty long post so you may want to pace yourself...

The whole place is pretty magical during Christmas time.. especially the Ritz Carlton.
Not many people know this, but you can hear some of the best jazz in all of New Orleans at the Davenport Lounge right at this hotel. 


Now I did spend a good week here so this post is an all encompassing description of that trip; if at times it seem sporadic, I apologize in advance.

One of THE best things about this city is that every bar you go in to and order a drink, the first question is "Is it for here or to go?"...!!
There's no law against public drinking so let's just say my days were filled with an abundance of Bloody Mary's throughout this trip.


Another great thing is the architecture and culture. The modern blends in with old. The Caribbean culture with the French. Creole and Cajun. The people. The voodoo.
It's got a vibe of its own that I've never seen before.
And it's addictive. 



The music is something else too!
It pours out of the cafes and bars and fills the streets.
There's an epic dueling piano bar called Pat O'Briens on Burbon St. that's absolutely worth a visit.
And while you're there, order up a Hurricane or two.


Almost anywhere you pop into you're bound to find mystery and allure. 



With a little holiday spirit thrown in!




Another must see is the sunset from the river. 
Grab a drink from the nearest bar and wander over to enjoy the view.


Having explored the majority of the city, I had the pleasure to pop in and have dinner at the Houmas House plantation.
The plantation hosts a majestic 38 acre garden and an almost 250 year old house, among other treasures.





The actual house is decorated with silver, marble, crystal and wood. All either the original artifacts or ones that would have been originally found at the house 200 years ago. 
And it's all incredible.
The opulence is almost unimaginable.





So we've covered the city, the culture, the music... but what about the food?!
Crawfish galore! 
Though it wasn't crawfish season yet so the locals weren't too impressed.
Instead of spring and summer New Orleans goes by food seasons.. crawfish, alligator...


Talking about food I can't ignore Jacques-Imo's ...a staple in the heart of New Orleans for those craving the real Nawlin's food.



Be ready to wait though, this place is packed every night!



My suggestions on not to miss attractions in New Orleans are as follows:

FOOD! - try everything! I think I tried a different native food for every single meal for a week straight and I'm pretty sure I've yet to try it all.

Culture - get into the drinking scene... especially when LSU or the Saints are playing. This city seems like it could even out drink even the mightiest of self proclaimed heavy-weight drinkers.

Plantations - these are a big, big part of US and Southern history and it's something you won't see anywhere else.


Friday 16 October 2015

My First Time in Philly

Over the last almost year I've been living in Philadelphia and posting very little about my adventures here...
Now if you know me at all, you'll know that I can't live without adventure!
My phone started acting up and I was [this] close to losing all my memories from the last year so I decided it was time I caught this little guy up on everything that's been happening.

So where to begin?
I thought my very first trip to Philadelphia would be a good place...

My first trip to Philadelphia was just for a weekend visit. Even though I've lived an hour away from here for a good 10 years of my life I never thought to drive down and see it.

The first morning waking up in this brand new city was filled with clear skies: perfect for walking about and getting to know the place!

The first time I saw City Hall I fell in love! 
This is by far one of my favorite buildings I've ever seen.



The inside houses a courtyard with little tables.
Great for sitting and chatting, and listening to the street performers that you're bound to find inside these walls.





The Liberty Bell was also on the list of things to see.
Because who goes to the nation's capital, and skips to see the symbol of freedom for the last 200 years in person?



The rest of the day was spent in meetings and planning what the rest of the weekend should look like... at least the view from the balcony of the hotel wasn't half bad.



The city always looks so different by day than it does by night... I've found that for me, by night, a city is full of mystery, giving a false sense of security to abandon all reason, and by day so much more proper, intimidating almost.



Much of Philadelphia's history is owed to Benjamin Franklin, signs for which you can see all over the city.


Not too far from City Hall is the Reading Terminal.
A foodie's dream, and a must-see for everyone visiting.



Walking a bit further out from City Hall (the center of town), one will find fountains and statues and buildings of all sorts that decorate your walk.









All leading to this grand view of the city skyline (see below)... And to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.







My favorite part of the museum is the view of Philly at dusk...



There's just something about this time of night that makes any city look magical.



After a whirlwind two days Philadelphia had shown me its' colors, and I could say that I very much wanted to come back and see it again.


Little did I know, I'd be moving here a few weeks later...