Tag Archives: music
Dynamic Districts of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, like most large urban areas, is actually a collection of varied communities, and as we explored many of them we found each offered unique backgrounds and qualities.Perhaps no two barrios of the city capture quintessential Buenos Aires better than… CONTINUE READING >>
Dreaming in a Tango Hotel in Buenos Aires
Late at night, when I’m in a particularly active R.E.M. cycle you can almost guarantee that you will find me dancing the tango in my soul, behind my eyelids. I must have a connection to the sultry dance from a past life. In these dreams I am as fluid as hot coffee and as alluring as the sweetest chocolate. Tango speaks to me.I’d also never attempted it in real life. David, who calls himself a “circus bear attempting to balance on a ball” when it comes to dancing, was surely not going to indulge me in my fantasy of learning to tango during our stay in Buenos Aires. At least not as my partner.
But my circus bear can be full of surprises. He not only… CONTINUE READING >>
Singin’ the Blues Trail in Mississippi
Travel with your GypsyNesters as we roll down the Mississippi Blues Trail! We discover the legend behind Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at the Crossroads, stay at the most unique inn we’ve ever seen – made of original sharecropper shacks, eat tamales – yup, there are tamales in The Delta – and BBQ, take on a Donut Tower, visit a REAL juke joint and the King Biscuit Radio Show and learn how The Blues influenced more modern music… CONTINUE READING >>Mardi Gras Chicken Chasing
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Chicken chasing, colorful costumes and dancing on horseback? It’s Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point! You’ve gotta watch the video to believe it…it’s, well, just watch… CONTINUE READING >>
Rockin’ Out in Castelletto d’Orba, Italy
We’re pretty sure that rock & roll concerts on the steps of a cathedral housing the relics of a martyred saint is a uniquely Italian experience. With the exception of a few old ladies exiting Mass, and us, everyone seemed to think it was… CONTINUE READING >>Festival Day in Small Town Italy!
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We came to Castelletto d’Orba for Rassegna Dei Vini e Dei Sapori Dell’Alto Monferrato, which is the “Review of wines and… CONTINUE READING >>
To Dylan or Not to Dylan?
What are the chances? Driving along and there you see a big sign flashing “BOB DYLAN IN CONCERT.” Since I have never seen him and I might not get another chance, I thought I’d be an idiot not to grab this opportunity. He is, after all, truly a living legend.
Veronica wasn’t overly thrilled since she had seen him several times before (her dad is the quintessential old hippy making the annual Dylan pilgrimage). I tried to think of some provocative ways to sell her on the idea of spending a hundred bucks and a couple hours of her life listening to unintelligible… CONTINUE READING >>
The Sound of Salzburg
Salzburg, Austria. Home of Mozart and The Sound of Music.Join your GypsyNesters as we sample the sight and sounds of this beautiful city, discover the Reckturm Torture Tower, Heart & Lung Stew and the street performers that keep Salzburg’s musical heart beating… CONTINUE READING >>
The Supernatural Power of the Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is extraordinary – for the history and the supernatural, which are entirely intertwined. We couldn’t wait to make a wish by rubbing the well-worn brass depiction of the ill-fated St. John – he was thrown to his untimely death on this bridge… CONTINUE READING >>Traveling in Italy: A GypsyNester Guide
Traveling as GypsyNesters — often and low to the ground — has given us a some insight into the most efficient (and the lightest) ways to smooth out the bumps in the road. We know that things tend to go awry from time to time, so we are more than willing to share some of our more stupid mistakes for the benefit of the greater good (and perhaps a laugh). Here’s what we’ve learned about Italy:Electronics in Italy:
The electrical system in Italy — and throughout… CONTINUE READING >>
That’s Entertainment – Cruise Live-Blog
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There’s something for everyone! The GypsyNesters give you a sampling of… CONTINUE READING >>
The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The town really decks out, dying the famous fountains of healing waters kelly green. Historic Bridge Street, the shortest street in America in daily use, is cordoned off. The entire route covers a mere ninety-eight feet.Each year a fabulous celebrity Grand Marshal is chosen. This year Bo Derek showed everyone… CONTINUE READING >>
Gales of Galveston
From the moment we crossed on to Galveston Island, Texas, Glen Campbell’s voice was stuck in our heads. We didn’t even know the words past “Galveston, Oh Galveston,” but that didn’t stop the tape loop in our craniums. Once we found our campground and parked BAMF, we got to Googling and found a copy of the song to relieve our brains. Thank you “The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour” YouTube page!Jimmy Webb wrote the song during a visit to the island, conjuring up the story – a Spanish-American War soldier dreaming of his girl back home in Galveston – while sitting… CONTINUE READING >>
Hog Jowls & Throwed Rolls
Crossing the muddy Mississippi into southeastern Missouri, we were getting mighty hungry. When we saw the sign proclaiming “The Only Home of Throwed Rolls,” we knew this was the place to strap on the feedbag.Lambert’s Cafe has been serving up home cooked meals to the fine folks of Sikeston since 1942. Legend has it that on an particularly busy day back in 1976, ole Norman Lambert couldn’t get rolls to his customers in his usual fashion, walkin’ ‘em around the restaurant. Fed up, an ornery customer yelled out
“Just throw the damn… CONTINUE READING >>
Music of The Ozarks
Join us in a magical musical journey through the Ozark Mountains, where the melody is pure and simple. View amazing videos of Christmas caroling in a cave (can’t beat THOSE acoustics!), traditional folk music and a guy that plays spoons. All while learning about the area, its people and how washboards and washtub basses are… CONTINUE READING >>A Real Cajun Fais do-do!
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“Fais do-do” is Cajun baby talk for “go to sleep” and once the kiddies are all tucked sweetly in bed, Mamma and Daddy have the chance to “pass a good time.” We kicked off the Friday before Mardi Gras at a… CONTINUE READING >>
Street Music of New Orleans
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I spotted Beuscherl and without the slightest idea what it might be, I ordered it. Our waitress asked, “You do understand that this is heart and lungs of baby… CONTINUE READING >>
Amazing Mariachi Band in Mexico
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Enter the strolling mariachi. Their timing could not have been better. We asked for a lively tune in the hopes… CONTINUE READING >>
Pleasing the Palate in Puerto Peñasco
A huge part of how we acquire knowledge about new locales is by exploring their culinary fare. On our expedition to Mexico’s Puerto Peñasco we continued in that tradition.As is often the case, we found that the typical food of an area is not what we Americans expect when we think of “ethnic” food. Italian pizza is not even remotely comparable to the Dominos version and real Mexican food ain’t no Taco Bell. In fact, “real” Mexican food varies drastically depending on the region in which the meal is prepared. In Puerto Peñasco real means … CONTINUE READING >>
Big Elvis in Vegas, Baby!
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We needed a good Elvis, the best Elvis, the biggest Elvis… that could only be Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon. 400 pounds of Elvis, 3 shows a day… CONTINUE READING >>
The San Francisco Treat
Growing up all we knew about San Francisco was that it was really cool. Eric Burden sang about it, Otis Redding sat on its dock of the bay and it required flowers in your hair if you were going there. Sure Tony Bennett left his heart there but Jimi Hendrix left his guitar, on fire! Well… it’s true, it’s true, it really IS cool.
We rode the subway under the Bay into town (comforting ourselves with the knowledge that the odds of an earthquake rolling through while we were underground were minimal)… CONTINUE READING >>
Keep Portland Weird
P-Town, Bridgetown, Little Beirut, Stumptown, Rip City, The City of Roses, Beervana or Beertown, what is this all about? Let’s see… it starts with the letter P, has a lot of bridges, protested the visits of the first President Bush so much that his staff compared it to Beirut, grew so fast that the cleared trees left stumps everywhere, had a play-by-play announcer named Bill Schonely who used odd phrases, has a lot of roses and a ton of micro breweries… must be Portland, Oregon.So with all of these informal handles, how did the official name come about? How about a flip of a… CONTINUE READING >>
French Canadian Kiss
It’s a six hour transatlantic flight from New York City to get a French fix in Paris or, if you’re more Chevrolet set than jet set, you can hop in the car and drive six hours to get your Franco fill right here in North America.Having seen much of the USA in a Chevrolet, we decided to swing by New York City to grab our daughters, The Piglet and Decibel, and head north for a whirlwind… CONTINUE READING >>
Big Game Hunting
Summer’s coming to an end but instead of lamenting, let’s look at the bright side. Fall is arguably the best season for doing a little GypsyNesting right in your own backyard. The cool crisp weather is perfect for hiking and biking along nearby trails and the colors are spectacular. State and County Fairs are going on all across the country and, as we learned in Hillsdale, can be a smashing good time.
For us sports fans, it’s football season. If there is a pro team nearby, the speed, the size and the… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting High in Toronto
Can a city with over 5 million residents seem open and uncrowded? It can if it’s Toronto. Canada’s largest metropolitan area is without a doubt urban, yet the feel is neither hectic nor claustrophobic. Toronto’s city planners were careful to include open and green spaces in the waterfront and surrounding business district, lending the city it’s unique feel.
In keeping with this unconfined spirit, Toronto is remarkably bicycle friendly. The city has about three hundred miles of bike paths… CONTINUE READING >>
Woodstock Turns the Big 4-0
Woodstock. The name instantly brings to mind a whole era to any of us who were old enough to listen to music when the concert happened. I didn’t go to Woodstock, I saw the movie — at a drive-in, no less – with my brother pretending to be my uncle / guardian because it was rated R for showing muddy hippy-chick boobs… oh, and maybe that part where Country Joe led the crowd in a chant. I may have been too young to get into an R movie forty years ago but I was old enough to know something big… CONTINUE READING >>
