Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #8 “Oslo, I Will Miss You”

by reissmd, posted in Oslo

We were up early this morning and after an amazing breakfast at the Grand Cafe (part of the Grand Hotel) we headed for the bus.  Excuse me, we headed for the coach (Tauck doesn’t call it a bus).  It was not raining when we left but it was, soon after, when we arrived at our first destination.  This would have been a great time to explore a museum but unfortunately, no such luck this morning.  Our first stop was the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Garden (aka Frogner Park).  Yes, outdoors of course.  Tauck can’t control the weather?

Visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Garden was a beautiful and wonderful experience in spite of the rain.  The park is full of works of art created by the Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland (1869-1941).  The park claims to have 1 million visitors per year.  There were a number of visitors today in spite of the inclement weather.

The first piece we saw was “Lischjulet” (The Wheel of Life). It is a wreath of men, women, and children.

Livshjulet (Wheel of Life)

I love seeing statues in parks. One of my favorite things is seeing birds perched on the head of someone or something famous.

Doesn’t the bird really add to this piece?

After the sculpture park we went to another boat museum (remember the Vasa boat museum honoring a boat that sunk 23 minutes into its maiden voyage). This was the Fram Museum which is dedicated to Norwegian Polar explorers and it documents how crazy these guys were. Patrice and I have considered going to Antartica on a trip but it seems a bit too challenging. That is with tour guides and all the luxury conveniences typical of a travel vacation. Can you imagine the same trip going to an uncharted location with the technology available at the turn of the century (and I am talking 1900 not 2000). These guys were crazy and many of them paid the ultimate price.

We then had another wonderful lunch (I think Tauck means food in some foreign language). Following lunch we left the group to do our own thing. Patrice and I opted to go to the National Museum and see Edvard Munch’s famous painting, “The Scream”. I am sure you all know it, but see below to jog your memory.

Wait! That’s not it, that is a magnet we saw in a store.
The Scream by Edvard Munch painted in 1893.

The museum was a real treat and I would recommend it to all. We then set out to find a “kokospollen”. This is a pastry that our friend, Linda, said we had to try. We went to a nearby coffee shop and they didn’t have it but a customer overheard our request and sent us to a nearby bakery. The bakery didn’t have it either but while waiting for Patrice I started to chat with another customer. When the bakery couldn’t help us my new Norwegian friend sent us to another location which also didn’t have the heralded treat. At this location we met a woman who spoke perfect English. She knew exactly what we were looking for and not only told us where to find it but helped us find the store. On our way, we found out why her English was so good, she is from Arizona. She is here because of her Norwegian husband. I bet we would have found out that there are some sad Arizona parents if we had talked to her further. Unfortunately her recommendation did not have the pastry. But we were sent to a local market but they too did not have what we were looking for. We then saw it was getting late and we wanted to visit the Nobel Center. We gave up our quest and headed over to the Center and found out it was closed for the day! Tauck failed us here. The handout we received from Tauck said the the Center was open until 6 pm but when we arrived at 5 pm they were closed for the day. Oh well, a reason to return to Oslo.

We went back to the hotel to rest and then had what I think was the best meal of the trip. The Grand Hotel Concierge recommended that we eat dinner at Brasserie Hansken (Christiania Torv 4, 0158 Oslo). In an attempt to experience the local culture we had herring for an appetizer followed by Veal (Patrice) and Cod (Robert) for our main courses. Our apologies to Eric, no dessert.

Crispy bread covering the herring.
Herring, potatoes, and a poached egg. Just looking at the herring is making my mouth water.
Patrice’s veal. I didn’t ask to try it because…………………
I didn’t want her to ask for any of my cod. I did offer her some and unfortunately she said yes.

We leave Oslo tomorrow. I have really enjoyed this city and would like to stay longer but I am really looking forward to seeing the fjords which is next on our itinerary.

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #7 “Happy Birthday King Frederik X, Good Bye Copenhagen and Hello Oslo”

by reissmd, posted in Uncategorized

Today is May 26, 2025 and it’s the birthday of King Frederik X, the King of Denmark.  Prior to this trip I didn’t know we would be in Copenhagen on his birthday.  Actually before this trip I didn’t know that Denmark had a king let alone, who he was or that today is his birthday.  Apparently he is a very emotional guy.  We saw a video of when he was being introduced as the King following the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II. In the video you can see he gets teary eyed.  Obviously my kind of guy. 

Patrice here: For those of you who don’t know Robert, he cries at Disney movies. All you have to do is have him watch Kevin Costner’s character in Field of Dreams playing catch with his dad, and Robert will lose  it.  You don’t even need to include the dialogue.  

Enough about the King.  After breakfast this morning we had some free time to do some more sightseeing then it was off to the airport for our flight to Oslo.  Everything went smoothly at the airport once I realized that I was trying to use my boarding pass for my flight to Stockholm rather than the one for today’s flight.  How embarrassing.  But at least I gave the security guard a good story to share with his wife when he gets home.  

We had a quick bite to eat at the airport.  It was surprisingly good and looked very appealing.  See what you think?  See below. 

Airport food? Really? Shrimp and eggs on the left and Plaice on the right

The flight to Oslo was short and sweet.  Our bags were driven to Oslo early this morning so we didn’t need to wait for them at the airport and they were in our room when we arrived.  Nice going Tauck 

The hotel looks fantastic.  Well if you think Murano Glass chandeliers are nice (I DO!).  Check it out.

Murano glass chandelier in the dining room.

We then had a brief walking tour of the downtown area.  For some reason I really liked this tour.  Our guide told us some very interesting information rather than filling us with details that I didn’t care about.  One thing she told us that was both interesting and sad was they have these very large planters on the city’s main walkway.  The reason for the planters is only partly for decoration.  The main reason they are there is to prevent some nut driving into the many people who walk there. 

This planters are placed so as to impede a car driven by someone attempting to do harm.

We saw a bunch of other things of interest. Here are some.

Statue honoring women who have had breast cancer and telling them they still look beautiful with only one or no breasts.
The Nobel Peace Center. This is the site of the offices of the Nobel Peace prize. It houses lots of information about the various past winners. The prize ceremony is at city hall in Oslo and the prize laureate stays at the Grand Hotel while awaiting festivities.
Pay toilets given by France in 2005 to honor Norway’s 100th anniversary of independence from Sweden.

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been in on that discussion? “So what should we give Norway to honor their 100th anniversary of independence?” “Well we gave the USA the Statue of Liberty.” “Yes, but we were a little late on that (given 1886) so had to make it special, we don’t have to go that big.” “What do you say about giving them some Red, White, and Blue toilets? And let’s make them pay toilets so they can make a few bucks.” “Great idea, let’s make sure we are on time with this one”

Sorry, but can I add just one more photo?

I have no idea who either of these people are but I just love seeing a bird atop a statue’s head.

After the tour, we then went to dinner at the hotel restaurant.  They were not very busy but they took forever to get us our food. Our meal was spectacular but I think their strategy was to take so long to bring us the food we would think a Big Mac was fine dining.  It took about 90 minutes to bring out the main course.  Is that acceptable?  Our 7 pm meal didn’t finish until 10 pm.  Don’t these people realize I have a blog to write?

Tomorrow is our main day of touring Oslo.  Good news, they were wrong when they predicted 100% chance of rain tomorrow.  The most recent forecast states the chance for rain tomorrow is only 95%.  

Hopefully we will have good news for you tomorrow.  

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #6 “Don’t Come Here (Copenhagen in May) For the Weather”

by reissmd, posted in Copenhagen

Today was billed as a day with a lot packed into it “Don’t be late, we have lots to do”. And we were not deceived. We did have a very full day but got a great start by having a wonderful night’s sleep. After breakfast we met our local guide for the day and headed onto the bus. We were told that we would be doing a lot of street walking. The tour guide warned us when crossing the street be careful of the “Psychopaths”. We asked him to repeat himself and without hesitation he again warned, “When crossing the streets be careful of the psychopaths”. We remained bewildered and our expressions must have revealed our confusion so he further explained, “Yes, the bicyclists have the right of way so you will need to be aware of their location on the CYCLE PATH”. Okay, got it.

The morning tour was complicated by rain and cold weather. We did a short walk before getting on the bus. During the drive we passed a number of historical sights and then found this one:

The Little Mermaid.

Our guide said that the statue has been the victim of multiple cases of vandalism including twice having her head cut off and once being completely demolished with explosives. Why would anyone want to hurt this sweet thing?

We did some more touring from there but I have to tell you being on a boat or bus hearing a tour guide go on and on about fact after fact just doesn’t do it for me. Patrice said she disagrees and likes that aspect. Hmmmm, see below.

Robert and Patrice taking in every word the tour guide is saying on the boat portion of the activities.

We were given a midday break to have some lunch and get some rest. We found a nice place where we could get some authetic Danish cuisine.

Can you get any more authentic Danish food than some good old Italian pasta with burrata cheese?

Then we were back on the road with our guide making sure to avoid the psychopaths. Our next stop was a bit out of the city. We passed some gorgeous homes on our way to Frederiksborg Castle. This place was beautiful inside and out. Here is a picture approaching from a distance.

Frederiksborg Castle (Frederiksborg Slot 10, 3400 Hillerød). The picture doesn’t adequately show its beauty.

After the castle we headed to dinner for an authentic Danish meal (unlike the Italian food we had for lunch) at Gamle Humlebæk Kro (are you impressed I could type the Danish letter æ?). The dinner was great but the highlight for me was a mindreading/card trick I performed for the group. People laughed at the jokes and were blown away when I picked the correct card. I promised to do my calculator trick the night before the trip ends and people were very excited. My magic ego got a major boost today.

The master magician and his assistant.

Tomorrow we fly to Norway.

Til i morgen.

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #5 “How About a Little Danish?”

by reissmd, posted in Copenhagen, Denmark, Stockholm, Sweden

Last night we had a lovely dinner in Toftaholm preceded by some “entertainment” at the hotel.  Frequently on tours we are subjected to, I mean entertained by locals dressing up as people from the past.  It’s like seeing a history lesson on “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”.   I suppose people like this type of diversion because we commonly see it.  Personally. I would take a pass.  Last night they had some woman pretending to be a queen from the past.  As I mentioned this is not my cup of tea so I really can’t tell you much because I zoned out.    

The Toftaholm Herrgard hotel was more like a bed and breakfast.  Our room was small but adequate.  The bathroom was tiny with a shower that was small even by European standards.  Check it out.

Notice the doors are folded into the shower. This is necessary because the bathroom is too small for them to open out.
This is what the shower looks like when it is ready for use.

This morning we were taken by bus south to the Sofiero gardens in Helsingborg, Sweden.  The gardens were gorgeous but the rainy weather was not optimal for viewing.  We had a very sweet guide who kept giggling during her presentation.  I am not sure if she thought what she was saying was funny or was it that she had this group of stupid Americans willing to pay a lot of money to stand in the rain.   Yes, it rained a lot while we were traversing the gardens.  So a beautiful stroll through a gorgeous garden turned into  a “When will this thing end?” event.  Of course it stopped raining as soon as we went indoors to have lunch.  After lunch we were driven through the beach community of  Helsingborg.  I am not quite sure how popular a beach resort would be if the average summer high temperatures are in the low 60s.  

Just a fraction of the gorgeous Rhododendrons at the Sofiero gardens. There were a lot of beautiful plants but I chose this so I could show off that I knew how to spell Rhododendron.
This was an area we were standing while listening to our guide in the rain. Would a grove of trees been better?

The park had a classy bathroom. See below.

Could you imagine seeing real towels in a USA bathroom?

After Sofiero we headed further south across the Øresund Bridge which connects Sweden and Denmark.   I am sure you are thinking why does he bore us with that small bit of info?  I have to confess, the real reason is that I thought it was real cool that I figured out how to type, “Ø”.    Just don’t ask me what it is called.

We entered Denmark at the capital city of Copenhagen.  After a brief stop at the Phoenix Hotel to drop off our things we headed to the famous Tivoli Gardens.  This was much anticipated by me especially since I always thought they were in Italy.  As it turns out I am not a total dufus.  The gardens were opened by Georg Carstensen in 1843 and he named it Tivoli after the town in Italy.  

The Tivoli Gardens was actually more of an amusement park with rides, games, and lots of places to eat.  Most importantly the weather cooperated and let us enjoy the beauty without getting wet.  It is said that Walt Disney got his idea for Disneyland after visiting this lovely park.  

We had dinner at a restaurant in the park where we ran into two couples from our tour. They invited us to join them. It was a great time for sure. After dinner we walked back to the hotel. I wanted to use the hotel stairs to work off some extra calories and saw this in the stairwell.

That is not an illusion. The stairs and much of our room is on a slant.

We spoke with others on the trip and they too have uneven floors in their rooms. I spoke to the people at the front desk and asked about the hotel history. The clerk wasn’t able to tell me much except that the hotel was designed by a very famous architect from the Italian city of Pisa.

That is more than enough for tonight. I need to get in some magic practice. I promised the group I would do a magic trick during dinner tomorrow. I need to figure something out quick.

Godnat

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #4 “Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia!)

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden, Toftaholm

Yesterday we finished the group tour in the morning and had the afternoon to ourselves.  We opted to go to the ABBA museum.  I was not crazy about the idea but numerous people had said it was a must see attraction.  I thought it was okay but not spectacular.  I think Patrice liked it more than I did since she got the opportunity to audition to be the 5th member of the group.  See below. 

Clever effect but Björn Ulvaeus (far left) is 5’7″. If the body images were accurate it would mean Patrice is about 4’2″ (by the way, she isn’t).

I’m sure many of you know (I didn’t) that ABBA is named using the first letters of the first names of the 4 group members (Agnetha, Björn, Benny, Anni-frid).  All I can say is that it’s a good thing that the female members joining Benny and Björn weren’t named Olivia and Olga.  Can you figure out the rest?

We then had a lovely dinner at Bistro Bestick just footsteps from our hotel (Bryggargatan 8, 11121 Stockholm).  The food and service were excellent.  We shared an appetizer of “Mushroom Toast” and it was great. For the main course Patrice had the Char and I had the Cod.  She made the better choice. 

Typically when we share things Patrice will take a bite or two leaving me the rest.  This can be dangerous because if I am not careful I will find myself eating 2 meals instead of one.  Last night Patrice definitely had her share of the appetizer and did a great job on her main course as well. 

“Mushroom Toast”. Not really toast but it was delicious.
Char ordered by Patrice. Spectacular.
The Cod. Very good but didn’t measure up when compared to the Char.

This morning was a travel day and we were driven to the town of Toftaholm which is about 250 miles from Stockholm and we made a variety of stops on the way so driving time was a little over 8 hours.  We are in a nice hotel that is more like a bed and breakfast.  The room is fine and tonight’s dinner was very good.  

Tomorrow we get an early start so see you then, when, after a morning tour of Toftaholm we leave for  …….. Wait one second, let me ask Patrice where we are going tomorrow. 

Patrice WHAT ARE WE DOING TOMORROW?   She doesn’t seem to be available. I will get back to you on that…………… tomorrow. 

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #3 “Cold? Are You Kidding Me?”

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden

Today was our first real day of touring.  We met our group promptly at 8:30 AM and were on our way to take a bus/walking tour of the city.  Walking from the hotel to the bus was only a distance of about 100 feet, but it was one of the longest walks of my life.  I couldn’t believe how cold it was.  The thermometer registered 6° C which converts to 43° F.  Plus it was windy which made it feel much colder.  Just to add a little spice there was a slight drizzle.  I admit it, I am from Southern California and they build us weak there, but this was even difficult for the sturdy.  Well maybe not.  We have a couple of ringers here.  Matt and his wife, Jayme, are from Iowa (via Wisconsin and Minnesota respectfully) so they don’t count.  Here is a picture of Matt and me.  

Can you tell which one of these men is from California?

The city tour was okay.  But traveling around a town in a bus hearing a bunch of facts is not really my thing.  We did make some stops that were of interest.  We visited the City Hall which was very impressive.  Inside, the building demonstrated real warmth.  No not the architecture, the temperature.  it was very warm and I didn’t want to leave.  Our guide, Monica, showed us the Blue Room which for some reason is not blue but actually red. 

Patrice and me in the “Blue Room” in the Stockholm City Hall. Hey, if you had to live in this weather things would look and feel blue to you too.

Above the Blue Room is the Golden Hall.  This was very beautiful and supposedly composed of 18 million pieces of gold mosaics.  I was counting to confirm but our guide said we didn’t have time for me to finish my count.  Really?  What was all that verbiage about tailoring the trip to meet the client’s needs?  

I got to about 150 on my count to confirm there were 18,000,000 golden pieces and I was stopped. Can you believe that?

Use the link below to see a panoramic view of the Golden Hall. Just ignore the narrator who at first calls it the City Council then corrects himself.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ubtwB24rEqk

Here is one more picture of the wall. Notice the depiction of the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.

I can’t confirm this but I was told that Trump has asked that the Swedish government arrange that the Statue of Liberty (93 meters tall) appear bigger than the Eiffel Tower (303 meters tall). I was also told that if this does not happen a tariff on Swedish meatballs will follow.

After our visit to the City Hall was completed we did some more walking around the town. And then I saw an unbelievable sight.

Yes, Matt put on a jacket!  And his wife was wearing gloves!

What I didn’t tell you about the above picture is that I took it while I was standing in a shop.  I have no idea what they were selling. I only know it was incredibly warm. 

Now we are off to dinner and a museum visit.  I will tell you about that tomorrow. 

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day 2. “I Need Some Sleep”

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden

Today was a disaster but I only have myself to blame. Much of yesterday we had a lot of snacks throughout the day….. I mean throughout the night. When we were in Copenhagen waiting for our flight I should have eaten something but I didn’t. When we arrived in Stockholm all I wanted to do was get some sleep. Since my body is still on LA time I awoke at about 2 AM extremely hungry. My body was craving lunch or an early dinner but my surroundings said everyone is in bed and you should be too. I remember reading that the hotel restaurant (yes, Restaurant Reiss) opened at 6 AM so I toughed it out until then. Patrice was asleep so I quietly exited the room and headed downstairs only be told that the buffet opened at 6:30. It was difficult but worth the wait. I was well satiated and returned to our room. Sorry, I was too hungry to think about pictures.

Except for this picture. How could I pass up Restaurant Reiss?

After letting my food partly traverse my digestive track I then returned to bed. Less hungry I was able to get some sleep. Patrice being a much better sleeper than me headed to the Royal Palace. She sent me this picture from outside the hotel.

Sorry, I can’t tell you anymore than they are men on horses who look like they might be police.

Feeling more rested I joined our group for a chance to meet the other travelers on the tour. There are a total of 24 people on the tour, 8 men and 16 women. That is a ratio I liked when I was in my 20s. At 75, who cares!

The tour took us to the Vasa Museet (museum). This is a structure built to house a 64 gun war ship that took its maiden voyage in 1628. The Swedish ship sailed for 25 minutes. Yes, the ship was unstable, too heavy, and sank shortly after it left port. Actually it never got out of port. I am used to seeing displays honoring great accomplishments. Maybe you have gone to the Smithsonian and seen Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis” or Chuck Yeagar’s “Glamorous Glennis” (in which he broke the sound barrier). But a museum to honor a ship that was a total failure? The ship might not have been seaworthy but it was and still is quite beautiful.

Ornate sculpture on the side of the ship. Not bad for something that is about 400 years old and spent about 340 years underwater.
Rear of the ship is also a true work of art.

We then headed to dinner at Villa Godthem (Rosendalsvägen 9, 115 21 Stockholm). The food was very good. Lobster soup followed by Swedish Meatballs, and Chocolate Mousse cake.

Apparently they forgot the soup part of my serving.
Swedish Meatballs. The red glob was a portion of lingonberries (in the same family as blueberries and cranberries). I was told Swedes love them. Maybe I am part Swedish?

I am now in a place I have been looking forward to visiting all day. Yes, I am in bed.

Goodnight all. Or good afternoon to you.

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day 1. “That Was a Long Day!”

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden

Well seems like it was just last month that I was blogging about our trip to New Orleans for the ACP meeting.  Actually it was last month.  Today, actually last night, we left for a trip to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.  Neither of us have ever been to these countries so it should be an interesting adventure.  We are once again using Tauck tours.  I remembered my mother talking about enjoying the Tauck vacations so we gave them a try last year when we travelled to Croatia.  That was a fun trip so we are giving them another chance.  I know some of my friends prefer to set up their own vacations so they can dictate the itinerary but that can be so much work and sometimes quite expensive.  Last year we investigated a private tour of Scandinavia and a two week trip was going to cost us an unspeakable amount of money.  I didn’t even bother to reply to the agent.  When the travel company followed up I told them they misunderstood my request, I wanted to visit Scandinavia, I didn’t want to buy it.  They offered to alter the tour to make it more affordable but we thought going to Croatia with Tauck was a better decision. 

The flight from LAX last night took us first to Copenhagen.  Our friend, Mike, was kind enough to give us a ride to LAX.  It was very fortuitous because he is quite strong and I don’t think I could have lifted our luggage into a cab.  The flight to Copenhagen was uneventful except for a brief period of severe turbulence.  Of course I was in the bathroom when it started making for an interesting excursion.  That being said the flight and service was quite good.  I guess these days if a door or window from the plane doesn’t come off and you don’t hit a helicopter when coming in for a landing it has been a good trip.  The crew of the SAS flight were very good.  I found out that SAS (Scandinavia Airline System) hires attendants from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.  The crew members all speak English but talk to each other in their native tongue.  The languages are similar enough for our Swedish flight attendant to understand her Danish co-worker even though they are speaking 2 different languages.  Apparently not that different.  

In Copenhagen we had a 3 hour layover until departing for Stockholm. Patrice occupied herself by reading her book, checking emails and Facebook, and ignoring my whining.  

The flight from Copenhagen to Stockholm was also uneventful (I am very happy to report) and we were met at Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) by our driver Sven (I made that up since I didn’t hear him say his name).  He quickly took Patrice’s luggage and carrier, leaving me to fend for myself.  

Sven or Bjorn, or whatever his name, putting Patrice’s luggage in the car while good old what’s his name brings up the rear.

We made it to the hotel and I am now chilling in our room. I need some sleep.  Our trip starts tomorrow. Something about his hotel makes me feel at home. See below.

Bar and Restaurant Reiss. How perfect of a start.

See you tomorrow, if I wake up.

ACP in NOLA Day#7 “Going Home: Travel Tips, Funny Photos, and One More Dessert for Eric”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA), Uncategorized

We head home today but our flight scheduled for 6:40 pm has been delayed twice (current departure time is 8:53 pm) so we have time to do some more sightseeing. Last night we had an incredible dinner at the Pelican Club (312 Exchange Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130). It was recommended by her friend, Ellen. Patrice had the Cioppino and I had the Red Fish. This trip I learned that I love Red Fish (aka Drum).

This morning we trekked to the French Quarter to have Beignets and Cafe Au Lait at Cafe Du Monde, a New Orleans tradition. We could have gone to their satelite outlet at a nearby mall but that would not have been the same.

How can you go to a recent add-on when there is so much tradition with this place.

After that we walked back to the hotel during a light mist of rain. Before I forget here are some travel tips for NOLA that might help you in other areas.

As previously stated don’t trust the taxi drivers in NOLA except for trips to and from the airport. Walking is a great option but bring an umbrella and jacket no matter how warm it is. It can get very cold very quick here. Next is a great tip from my son, David. Pack this incredible backpack. It has tons of pockets for all sorts of goodies (I used it in the conference to bring my laptop, phone charger, ear phones, glasses, etc.) Also as you can see it folds up to a very. tiny size that is very easy to stuff in your luggage.

Backpack ready to be filled.
This is what it looked like when I slipped it into my luggage.

Also, don’t look like a tourist. See below.

What? Does wearing a hat that says Portofino, holding a city map, and a cup from Cafe Du Monde look suspicious?

Now for some photos that I found interesting. Some need no explanation, some need a few words, and some are beyond my comprehension.

Southwest now has these huge overhead compartments which are very convenient for storage but very hard on the head. I banged mine getting into my seat and on my way out. Hopefully I will remember and not do it on the return flight.
I saw this sign upon arriving in New Orleans. I had to investigate the Pet Relief area.
I found this room, equipped with fire hydrant. It also had a sink in case your pet wanted to wash its hands. I mean paws.
This speaks for itself.
Love this slide of a doctor counseling a patient about colon cancer screening. Check out the doctor’s left hand.
Patrice and me posing at the ACP sign.
For those of you who didn’t believe my story of the song “Father and Daughter” here is a list of the final songs slated to be played. By the way, I am not crying now. [Patrice here: Yes he is.]
Even the police sell souvenirs.
Of course I had to buy Patrice something as a souvenir of the trip.

But she opted for this instead.

And finally in honor of Eric.

Carrot Sticky Toffee Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream from Peche (where we had lunch today).

That’s all for this trip. Speak to you in May when we go to ………………

ACP in NOLA Day #6 “Paul Simon, etc.”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA)

Last night was very special.  We took an Uber to the Saenger Theater.  By the way don’t take a cab here unless it’s from the airport where the fee to and from the city is a fixed rate.  We’ve taken 3 cab rides here and not one taxi had a meter.  It’s as if they make up the charge on arrival (With the exception of the airport rides).  For instance last night we took an Uber to the theater and paid $10.  Yesterday we took a cab to the same place to buy the tickets and the charge was $20. 

Oh well, let’s concentrate on the happy thoughts.  The show was at the Saenger theatre which was built in 1927.  It has housed performances by Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Seinfeld and many others.  Broadway shows have also been featured including Chicago, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, and next week Hamilton.  The theater is gorgeous. Before the show we had a chance to tour around this beautiful theater.  We met an usher who had been on the job for only 2 days but was born and raised in New Orleans and it was obvious that the theater had been a big part of his life. He filled us in on the history of the theatre and gave us a list of the songs and the order in which they were going to be played.

Look like we are having fun?
A variety of statues adorn the walls. There is a night sky decoration on the ceiling.

Simon came onstage at 8:15 for a show that was scheduled to start at 8.  I was disappointed looking at the song list because “Father and Daughter” was not included.   Although not his most famous song it has been special to me since I made two music videos using the song. Each honored one of my daughters Lindsay and Erica (I also made one for David using “Let’s Hear It For the Boy”. A better choice for obvious reasons).  Simon finished the show and then came back for his encore with the songs listed as “The Boxer” and “The Sounds of Silence”.  He started to talk about his daughter Lulu and then much to my surprise he started playing “Father and Daughter”.  By the time he got to the last line (“There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you”) I was in tears. [Patrice here: The big baby was in tears just writing this sentence.]

It was a special night but the 83 year old soon to be 84 didn’t quite sound the same as years ago.

This morning I started off thinking it was time to hit the gym and get on the treadmill. I kept procrastinating until Patrice woke up and said “Let’s go to breakfast”. We took an Uber to Who Dat Coffee Cafe (2401 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA 70117) which was recommended by our friends Alan and Becky. We shared the special of the day Oysters Benedict.  I said to the server that it sounded very healthy to which he replied “They don’t call us the heart attack capital of the world for nothing.”  

Oysters Benedict with Grits instead of fruit (Why try to be healthy?).
Your happy travelers in front of Who Dat Coffee Cafe.

After breakfast we took a short walk to the nearby Jamnola museum. Jamnola stands for Joy Art Music New Orleans Louisiana.  It was a small but fun museum with lots of creative exhibits. 

I thought we were in an M.C.Escher painting.
We offered an alligator some tasty Californians.

We thought we would then cruise the neighborhood but heavy rain with thunder and lightning convinced us to just chill in the museum a little longer.  

Crawfish (also spelled Crayfish) making Robert Etouffee
He changed his mind and we played a duet instead.
Patrice showing off her muscles.

They had a number of costumes and accessories that people have worn at Mardi Gras celebrations including the outfit below.

A guide was asked if it weighed about 100 lbs to which she say, “No, somewhere between 95 and 105”.

Then it was off to lunch. It was still raining quite hard so a walk to burn off some calories was not going to work so another Uber ride was upon us. We decided to return to Muriel’s for another amazing meal.

Crawfish and goat cheese crepes.
Blackened Redfish with some broccolini (added to make you think you are eating healthy).

I think Muriel’s might be our NOLA favorite. 

Sorry, I need to stop for now. My book group meeting is about to start. Dinner will be late so I will leave you until tomorrow.

Ciao