At last....

At 8:30am, it's 41 degrees in our screened porch, and I sit with hot water bottle on my lap, baby blue angora hat atop my head, and a steaming cup of jasmine tea close at hand. It's a good life, really it is.

Have you heard about our Porch? My husband built it. It's amazing and a perfect nest after a year of travel.

When we first returned to New Orleans, I had ambitious plans to weatherize our little home, but a multitude of rental property projects, family gatherings, and general busyness quickly allowed my porch project to fall by the wayside. But we have a lofted bed that is walled on three sides, the fourth side I have insulated with an old sleeping bag. With a space heater and partially-working electric blanket, it is a cozy space for two. However, after a 34 degree night, we are eagerly awaiting our Christmas present from the folks - thanks (in advance) for the down comforter, Mom and Dad! 

So, for now, we enjoy our last few weeks in New Orleans. It has been a joy to have our friend Elisa visiting us from Ireland. The circle of couchsurfing is incredible, especially when you are able to host a traveler who once hosted you. Elisa's visit has prompted us to enjoy some of the special and unique aspects of our fair city, and to take a pause from the head down, blinders on, utterly focused, seemingly never-ending task list of repairs and roofs and projects. Poboy picnics in City Park, candy-making, early morning beers at the Mother-In-Law Lounge garage sale, and bonfires in the yard with neighbors and friends were just the diversions we needed. Can we continue the circle by another visit to Dublin someday soon?

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon and evening alternating between my current holiday card project, and stoking the ongoing bonfire (we are trying to burn through a few 'trash' trees in the yard). Apparently, my card project was just the push I needed to get my creative thoughts a-flowin'. I awoke to blog concepts piling up with great speed, henna designs, and quilt-making patterns all racing through my mind. Like I said, I'm a morning person. I'm not allowed to have coffee - I don't need any additional energy in the mornings.

The countdown to an Oregon Christmas is on....t-minus 15 days 'till our departure. 

And so we gear up to hit the road again, didn't we tell you that the journey wasn't ending?

Hope that you all are enjoying the holiday season and staying warm, wherever you are.

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The Souk is a Kindred Spirit

written by Nathan

 If China is the world’s largest importer of chicken feet, then Egypt must be the largest importer of beef liver. On the street, three things are ingested daily on every corner; tea (at all hours with sheesha), fuul at lunch (the original refried beans), and evenings are for liver. Use the word ‘sandwich’ at nearly any dining establishment serving food past 5PM and likely this is what you will get.

The souks, normal community food markets, as ancient as this part of the world, sell everything in season. Alexandria, the great port of Egypt, benefits from its delta, the river, and the sea. All sorts of fish and seafood are for sale with three predominant types being traditionally popular: small clams, shrimp, and BBQ whole fish (the BBQ fish is cooked in a crust of flours and spice to a burnt black).

There are all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs at the souks. Because ‘lower Egypt,’ has a green belt along the river that gets mild winters with freezes, all sorts of unexpected temperate fruits grow well here: apples, peaches, apricots, grapes, and other fruits are abundant.

Because of the ancient (hot) climate, as is most of the developing world, the market features products which must be consumed the same day. Pita bread, sold hot and fresh in every souk and neighborhood, has a shelf life of hours, not days. Herbs seem to wilt within minutes of being stuffed in bags. And, fruits and vegetables which are most popular will last a couple days without refrigeration.

There are also many things in the market which we don’t recognize: Very bitter brown cheeses we mistook for a sesame sauce; beautiful pans of fresh grape leaves (surrounded by herbs and other greens we never did figure out); new Mediterranean fishes, and volumes of pickled delights.

It would be hard to say what my favorite thing is about the market, strolling it, taking in the vigorous bargaining, the market alley cats, the flop of live fish. Perhaps, it is in finding that perfect ingredient: tiny okra, saffron hued golden smoked fish, ripe strawberries. I think it is the friendship, the bargain, and the universality of merchants mixing with families which draws me to markets. In Egypt, the souk is an age old kindred spirit.

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Gaylord and Saints

Well, here we are at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center outside of DC, watching Anthony Bourdain on the Food Network. After the slightly stale bagels at the continental breakfast, the camel carcass is looking surprisingly good.

Yesterday we had a fantastic time with our good friends Sara and Monica: a lazy morning was followed by watching the HIGH DRAMA saints vs. redskins game at Nellie's, the local sports bar.

walking to Nellie's

Many thanks to Sara and Monica for the fabulous CHICKEN PURSE! Be sure to check it out at all future Jazz Fest's.....it will certainly be a staple.

What a game!!! 12 -0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GEAUX SAINTS!!

New Orleans truly deserved this and EVERY win...we are proud of our Saints!

Several bloody mary's and beers later, we scurried home through the freezing cold to eat delicious neighborhood pizza, model flourescent colored wigs, and enjoy their warm and cozy home.

Right now we are focused on two projects: using the Miss Porter's network (where I went to high school) to locate contacts in east asia and in africa, and getting travel visas for China, India, and Ghana. The former is going swimmingly, the latter is more challenging than expected.

It appears as though we may be securing the majority of our visas while we are in Tokyo, which will unfortunately dramatically cut into the eight days we have there. Our pre-departure New Orleans projects certainly consumed the majority of our time leading up to this adventure; we are now already paying the price. However, I'm sure that no one reading this blog is surprised...we are oftentimes flying by the seat of our pants. It usually seems to work well for us, but certainly increases MY stress level.

more updates later..

oxoox
brittany

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