I've always been a Mark Twain fan and always wanted to see the Mississippi so in 2002 when Tom scored a business trip to New Orleans, I eagerly tagged along, mainly to see the river. Certainly with no idea that a few years later, Katrina would wipe out the city.
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I got my dreamy steamboat ride on the river. She was a muddy river, alright, industriously churning out coffee, bananas and sugar from all over the world. I spent two hours dodging her activity, floating in the breeze, imagining the sound of Mark Twain in the pilot house...."so far above the water that I seemed perched on a mountain; and her decks stretched so far away, fore and aft, below me . . "
Another lazy morning, I spent hours in the French Quarter at the Cafe Du Monde, sipping coffee, eating beignets. The trumpet player guy? Yeah, he's there.
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The wrought iron barbed fence in the following picture was originally built to protect the female slaves from boys because a female slave was a very valuable trading piece in an arranged marriage. The fence surrounded the slave's upstairs apartment on most of the wealthy French homes.
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Bourbon Street,
French Quarter.
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The windows and balconies, streetside, in the French Quarter are the backs of homes. The front of the homes faces into a grassy courtyard, closed to the public. The courtyards are rumored to be beautiful.
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Down the street from the Cafe' DuMonde, towering over Jackson Square is the St. Louis Cathedral. Across from this is the French Market Place, very much like the market in Charleston.
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I enjoyed walking through Jackson Square several times. So many strange sights. This is where I saw the handicapped dog walking on his front legs only, with two wheels attached to his rear end. Guys dressed up in costume and posed for hours without moving. There was always a jazz band playing in Jackson Square. Always a Psychic Reader.
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Always a lot of artists.
And a giant pop tart to climb up.(with free pop tarts for all)
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The other tourists destination of New Orleans: The Garden District. We drove around in awe. Then we ate at Igor's Garlic Clove wherein Tom loved his crawfish entouffe. Then we walked next door to a cheesecake bistro which was seriously Yum-O.
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While driving around the Garden District, Tom did a Uturn over a screwed-up manhole and destroyed a tire. We were the typical rednecks in the Garden District.
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I was all excited to take one day and drive out to Lake Pontchartrain. I thought it'd be all built up with cute shops, walking tracks, coffee houses, etc. I drove out hoping to rent a bike and ride the 7.5 mile lake trail.
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This is what I found.
A lake.
Nothing else.
I sat on a bench and read, then drove back into town.
The only other thing you must do in New Orleans is to visit the many cemeteries. Take a walking tour, it's worth it. I'll discuss the cemeteries in an upcoming post.
Til then..... Au revoir!
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