Mardi Gras in New Orleans 2011, let the good times roll!

by Meg Nesterov on


Today ends Carnival season in New Orleans, a two-week festival of parades and partying in leading up to the Christian Lenten period of sacrifice, and culminating in Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday and known to New Orleans residents as Mardi Gras. There are other Fat Tuesday celebrations throughout the world such as Rio’s Carnival, it’s most famous in America as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where around 1 million people travel each year to don colorful costumes, angle for beads, and drink out of “go-cups“. There is no single official Mardi Gras, but rather many public krewes who organize the parade floats and parties, often choosing a theme each year, and ride on the float tossing out beads. The revelry ends at midnight when Ash Wednesday – and some massive clean-up – begins.

Check out our gallery from Mardi Gras in New Orleans 2011. Want more Mardi Gras? Grab a slice of king cake, read our tips on how to make the most of Mardi Gras — and still remember it next year, and see more photos on AOL News.

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[Photos courtesy Associated Press]


Follow chef Jamie Oliver through culinary Stockholm

by Grant Martin on

One of our favorite cities over at Gadling is Stockholm, Sweden and one of our favorite chefs, Jamie Oliver. So imagine our glee when discovering that Mr. Oliver had put together a slide show and narrative from his recent journey into Scandinavia.

Fully available over at the Guardian, Chef Oliver’s slideshow is a love story written to the city, where he meanders in and out of lush, cultural descriptions and delicious, gastronomic profiles in his trademark, boyish tone. All of this is set against the backdrop of a beautiful series of Stockholm photos, from the striking, colorful waterfront to food and families strewn across the country.

Your grandparent’s slideshow, this is not.

It’s almost enough to encourage a wayward blogger to drop his belongings, jump on a 767 and fly directly to Stockholm, just in time for the Midsommar festival and for the long, sunny nights of summertime in northern Europe. Or perhaps that’s some not-so-creative foreshadowing.

Snazzy slide-show from NYT readers

by Jerry Guo on

I just came across a well-done slide-show at NYTimes.com entitled “why we travel.” It’s a travelogue written by everyday travelers with their mini-stories from life on the road. What initially caught my eye was the first slide of a guy jogging at Sacsayhuaman (pronounced “Sexy Woman”), an Inca ruin right outside of Cuszo, Peru.

I was there last week and trust me, there were definitely a lot more people at the ruins than from what you would think looking at the shot. I wouldn’t have thought to get up at 5 in the morning, and take a jog there, but now that I think of it, that would be a pretty memorable experience–just watch out for muggers and lack of oxygen.

Anyways, there are some interesting ideas in the slide-show for your next vacation or adventure. Check it out.