Dumb Blonde Podcast – "The Coven Takes Europe: Karaoke, Chaos & Cologne Mafia"

Host: Bunnie XO (and friends)
Date: September 15, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Bunnie XO and her crew (“the coven”) recount their whirlwind European adventure through Rome, Milan, Strasbourg, Cologne, Amsterdam, and Paris. The tone is chaotic, hilarious, and honest—they dive into the culture shocks, travel mishaps, the realities of being on tour with Bunnie’s husband Jelly Roll, moments of vulnerability (including sobriety), food escapades, cathedral sightseeing, wild karaoke nights, and brushes with local eccentricity (including the "Cologne mafia"). This episode is rich with personal anecdotes, insights into travel, and the group’s signature irreverent banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting Off: Flights, First-Class Troubles, and Arrival in Rome

• First European tour as a crew
• Memes (tour manager) aced trip planning.
• Bunnie’s first-class “Delta One pod” was surprisingly uncomfortable and “nearly a coffin” if you’re not petite (06:03).
  • “If you're bigger than 160 pounds, there's no way that you're going to be comfortable.” – Bunnie (06:54)
• Preference for commercial vs. private aviation due to turbulence fears.
• Arrival in Rome: Immediate chaos—unanticipated lack of AC, locals’ fast and gruff attitudes, exhaustion from travel (09:00).

2. Rome: Culture Shocks, Food, Heat, and Italian Vibes

• Surprised by the absence of AC everywhere, both in the Airbnb and hotels.
• Major adjustment to European rhythms:
  • Shops and restaurants open late; “Is it the apocalypse?!” – Bunnie on the deserted, shuttered streets (11:28)
• Dramatic initial culture shock gives way to deep appreciation for Rome’s warmth, hospitality, and slow-dining culture.
• Memorable first Italian pizza; food quickly turns the mood around (16:10).
• Night explorations: Found a restaurant by accident at 1am, amazing lasagna, communal family-style dining, lingering over meals (“It's an experience” – Bunnie, 18:25).
• Notable: No tipping culture; overtipping seen as rude.

3. Jetlag, Sleep Deprivation, and Italian Life

• Severe jet lag; group ends up on a wild, nocturnal schedule, getting by on cat naps.
• Challenges with European grocery stores: unfamiliar foods, “sparkling water everywhere!” and language barriers (14:41, 15:47).

4. Touring with Jelly Roll: Sobriety and Scooter Adventures

• Jelly Roll’s penchant for choosing fancy, tiny-portion restaurants vs. Bunnie’s love for “homey” places.
• Honest discussion of Bunnie’s sobriety:
  • Clarifies that her vices weren’t alcohol, but cocaine and Xanax.
  • “Everybody’s journey is different. Just because I have an occasional drink doesn’t mean I’m off the wagon.” (32:15–34:26)
• Karaoke chaos at Scholar’s, an Irish pub in Rome—Jay (Jelly Roll) is mistaken for Teddy Swims, leans into the mistaken identity for the night (30:14).
• The “sobriety” moment: Pinot Grigio in hand, monitored and self-aware, telling fans not to emulate her actions if their struggles differ.
• Group scooter rides through Roman landmarks (“It was a fucking video game.” – Bunnie, 29:14), culminating in a near-altercation with Vatican security after Jay wants to jump in the fountain (40:05).
• “I’ve seen my husband’s butt crack climbing out of every sort of body of water every time that he’s drunk.” – Bunnie (40:05)

5. Friendship Mishaps: Road Rash and Running Gags

• Uncle Scott’s spectacular scooter fall in Rome—leaves “a nipple in Rome” (42:31).
  • “He had road rash on his nipple. The next day he goes, feel it. It's still hard.” – Bunnie (43:25)
• Furious pizza afterparties, Benadryl-fueled recovery attempts, and the generosity of European pizza deliveries (50 pizzas!).

6. Cathedrals, Gothic Architecture & Spiritual Disappointments

• Group obsession with Gothic churches; spontaneous discoveries and a magical light show at a “Church of God” in Rome (52:56).
• Entry into St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City aided by the enterprising “Rocco from India,” who sidesteps a five-hour line (50:30).
• Disappointment with St. Peter’s: “It felt more like a museum than a church” (54:17).
• Most other cathedrals—emotional, spiritual, welcoming vs. Vatican’s cold grandeur.

7. Milan: A Business Vibe

• Sharp contrast with Rome: Milan felt like “New York”—business-centric, modern, less charming (58:24).
• European grocery shopping adventures continue.
• Excitement about their “best ever” European tour bus—“blows American tour buses out of the water” (59:48).

8. Strasbourg, France: A Fairytale Town and Sickness Strikes

• Strasbourg feels like Beauty and the Beast, sits on the France-Germany border, and is perfectly preserved (62:13).
• Bunnie falls ill: high fever, panic about foreign medical care. Friends rally with soup, tele-docs, a wild mix of European medicines, and accidental nasal spray-misuse hilarity (65:44–71:12).

9. Cologne, Germany: Cathedrals and the “Cologne Mafia”

• “The mother of all cathedrals”—Cologne’s Gothic marvel stuns the group (72:12).
• Surreal local color: McDonald's and Five Guys pitstops, German mafia sightings (“rolled up in G-wagons and Lambos”), and rave reviews for “fire sushi” in Germany (75:01).

10. Amsterdam: The Red Light District, Museums, and Breakfasts

• Lightning stopover: Group impressed by the beauty and self-empowered attitude of the sex workers (“They look like Barbie dolls in a box.” – Bunnie, 78:19).
• Bunnie befriends a worker who opens up about life and earnings.
• Wild sex museum escapade complete with artistic photography, sculptures, and a literal peeing waterfall (79:00).

11. Paris: Exhaustion, the Eiffel Tower, and a Dreamy Sendoff

• Too tired to fully explore; main highlight is the Eiffel Tower at night—“She is more gorgeous in person than she is online.” – Bunnie (81:17).
• Security explains how pickpockets rule certain photo spots, the crew redirects to a safer vantage.
• Light show tips: “If you're going to see the Eiffel Tower, get there before midnight.” (82:30)

12. Last Hurrahs, Travel Surprises & Reflections

• Fast-food finale—best burger of their lives before flying home.
• Travel chaos: last-minute canceled and rerouted flights, scramble for seats—but it winds up working out, “got to lay down… didn’t move the whole flight.” (86:05)
• Post-trip revelations: Everyone loses weight despite pizza, burgers, and pastries, much to their disbelief (86:17).
  • “Now every morning I've woken up, I'm a pound lighter.” – Bunnie (86:42)
• Last period mishap: Difficulty finding tampons, everyone’s cycle starts early or on the trip—“Tasha couldn’t find tampons in Paris!” (86:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "If you're bigger than 160 pounds, there's no way that you're going to be comfortable in that [Delta One pod]." – Bunnie (06:54)
• "Italian women, love you guys, but you are not nice. You are very aggressive and mean and you guys tell it like it is!" – Bunnie (10:34)
• "So we get to the Airbnb… and it definitely was not how it looked online. But it ended up being a safe space." – (12:03)
• "Everything comes out very slow. They want you to enjoy your time with each other…it’s an experience." – Bunnie (18:24)
• "Just because I can have a drink does not mean that I fell off the wagon and I'm going to be drinking every night again." – Bunnie (34:26)
• "We get up on stage, we're singing Jay's favorite karaoke song, which is Bob Seger…Old Time Rock and Roll." (37:02)
• "He had road rash on his nipple. The next day he goes, feel it. It's still hard." (43:25)
• "Michelangelo was our driver in Rome—he sounded like Michael Bublé and sang to us the whole way." (38:46)
• "He [Jelly Roll] was dead set on going into the Vatican fountain." (41:19)
• "Strasbourg…looked like something out of Beauty and the Beast." (62:13)
• "In Strasbourg, I wake up so fucking sick, dude…I'm gonna croak in France." (65:42)
• "Cologne Cathedral is so beautiful, dude. And it's so gothic. She's a beaut, dude." (72:26)
• "The first night we were there, we saw the German mafia. They rolled up in G-wagons and Lambos…and walked into a secret door." (75:03)
• "Those girls in the Red Light District—beautiful, beautiful. They look like Barbie dolls in a box." (78:19)
• "The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour…and at midnight it turns off." (82:07)
• "I am five pounds lighter than when I left…how did we lose weight?!" (86:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• First-Class Flight & Rome Arrival: 06:03–09:00
• Airbnb, Culture Shock, No AC: 09:00–12:44
• Jet Lag, Groceries, and Food: 14:03–18:55
• Restaurant & Dining Experience: 16:10–19:45
• Bunnie’s Sobriety Journey & Drinking in Rome: 25:14–34:26
• Karaoke Night, Scholar’s Pub: 30:04–38:00
• Scooter Chaos, Vatican Fountain Story: 38:46–41:19
• Uncle Scott's Fall: 42:12–43:25
• Cathedrals & St. Peter’s Basilica: 50:03–54:51
• Milan: Business Vibe: 58:12–59:48
• Strasbourg & Bunnie’s Illness: 61:46–67:12
• Cologne Cathedral & Mafia Sighting: 72:09–75:17
• Amsterdam Red Light District & Sex Museum: 77:39–79:48
• Paris & Eiffel Tower: 80:40–82:39
• Last Night, Weight Loss Epiphany, and Flight Home: 85:00–87:02

Final Thoughts

This episode stands out for its wild, full-throttle storytelling, authentic emotional openness, laugh-out-loud moments, cultural curiosity, and unfiltered reflection on travel—and sobriety—in the rockstar lane. The chaos of travel, the beauty of connection, and the lessons of perspective sing throughout. For listeners, this is both an unvarnished guide to traveling through Europe (with friends and on tour) and an intimate look at how Bunnie XO and her coven navigate the messiness, joy, and humor of life abroad.

“We just made so many beautiful memories, and it was just something we’ll take with us for the rest of our lives.” – Bunnie (86:06)