After Tampa it was off to Atlanta Georgia to stay with my buddy Nanette. Net and I first started chatting online probably about 2009 I guess. Via our mutual love for the TV show Smallville. When I was first in the States in 2010 Net I chatted on the phone and from then on we chatted fairly regularly. I met Net for the first time this year when we met up in Rome and then we caught up again in October! We stayed at her apartment for a few nights and chilled out for a little before seeing a few sights and having a couple of very nice meals out.

We hit the shops, the Coco Cola World, the Georgia Aquarium and took a drive through the Emory and CDC neighbourhoods.

 

They have Whale Sharks here which I thought was kind of cool. Till I saw how many they had…FOUR and also how small the tank looks with them in it. I know it’s the world’s biggest aquarium and all but to be honest I don’t think anything is big enough to keep these guys captive. If you could cordon off a vast part of the ocean for them then maybe. But these massive, awe inspiring fish should not be in an aquarium. But the rest of the tank was pretty phenomenal. I think there’s definitely a place for aquariums – the educational aspect alone makes them worthwhile but there needs to be a balance with the ethical concerns versus the wow factor to bring in the money at the gates.

We had one great home cooked meal our first night at Net’s and then had a couple of super scrumptious meals out at two places in Atlanta – on the second day we headed to the Steamhouse Lounge for an evening meal. Conlan, Nanette’s boyfriend with a keen interest in the culinary, recommended this place for its lobster bisque. The lobster bisque was indeed magnificent, I’m starting to judge the ranking of our meals/food by the urge I have to seek out the recipe and replicate it at home. I would have loved to have had the recipe for this Bisque, and then made sure it was written out in triplicate for Tim to follow back home. I’m a writer not a cooker. Cheffer. Whatever that term is for someone who doesn’t make money out of it but loves to make food type meals.

For more pics of our meals here at Steamhouse Lounge check out Tim’s blog HERE.

Net, star friend that she is treated me on one of our night to a dinner out as a late birthday present called Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian Steakhouse that offers all you can eat. You have a red/green sided card you turn over if you want to get meat or want to stop. Waiters with different kinds of meat on giant skewers always walk around the dining room.
My favourites were the lamp chops but there were a number of good cuts of meat heading round the tables.

All in all a very pleasant stay in Atlanta which looks to be a city with lots to do and lots to see and some very pretty neighbourhoods and architecture.