The drive from Savannah to New Orleans is flat and fairly uninteresting.
After a day and a half of driving we arrive in New Orleans. Joanne has been to “The Big Easy” a couple of times but I have never been here. We feel like we have been in training for this. All the eating and drinking that we have done on this trip were just preparation for now.
We find a hotel on the edge of the French Quarter and by mid afternoon we are strolling through the French Quarter.
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| Extreme Beads |
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| for you Tiff |
I had my first oyster poboy – loads of crispy deep fried oysters, tabasco aioli (mayo with cayenne), shredded raw cabbage and tomato on a long, light sourdough bun. I was expecting this to be good but never expected anything this good!
Then at night.... this is Bourbon Street!
It is only Tuesday night, very early in the week, and it is THIS lively. Bourbon Street is an all night party and the street is a strange mix of;
- stores that sell beads, masks, T shirts and tourist stuff
- old established restaurants and New Orleans fast food places
- strip joints and sex shops
- live music bars that play all types of music
When you order a drink they ask if you want glass or plastic (staying or
walking with the drink). We go in and out of the music bars (no cover
charges) and we stayed in 4 bars long enough to hear a complete set of
music in each.
We danced to Motown, we danced to rock and we ended in a small club listening to a very talented quartet playing traditional New Orleans jazz.
Us old folks still know how to party!
The next morning, we have beignets at Cafe DuMonde. Warning! Do not wear black when eating beignets the powdered sugar gets all over you.
We spend the morning strolling through the French Market.
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| The infamous Pat O'Briens. |
We also visited one of New Orleans famous graveyards. All the graves are above ground because New Orleans is below sea level and has a high water table.
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| Tomb of Marie Layeau (Voodoo Queen) |
That night we are off to Frenchmen Street. This is a street of music bars without the insanity of Bourbon Street. We heard; a lively Creole band with a fun tuba player, the Delfeayo Marsalis (brother of Winston Marsalis) and his jazz big band of 21 people, and we ended the evening with a large rock and roll band with a horn section.
The next day was a day of recovering from 2 nights of partying. We took the streetcar through an area of the city with beautiful, large old homes and spent a relaxing day at the zoo.
At night, we take the ferry boat across the Mississippi River and back. It is free and offers the best veiw of the city. Back on land near the dock, Joanne insists on going into Harrah's Casino. I hate casinos, so I reluctantly agree but set a twenty minute time limit. After about ten minutes I see that Joanne is checking out with about $120 in winnings. Way to go Joanne!
I love New Orleans –the architecture, the people, the music and the Creole food - especially the food!
Gumbo, poboy sandwiches, jambalaya, blackened redfish, oysters, beignets.
I could go on and on about the food that we ate in New Orleans; I ordered anything that I had not tasted before.
After another fabulous meal we decided that we should leave and try and find a Cajun experience.
After a day and a half of driving we arrive in New Orleans. Joanne has been to “The Big Easy” a couple of times but I have never been here. We feel like we have been in training for this. All the eating and drinking that we have done on this trip were just preparation for now.
We spend the morning strolling through the French Market.
We also visited one of New Orleans famous graveyards. All the graves are above ground because New Orleans is below sea level and has a high water table.
That night we are off to Frenchmen Street. This is a street of music bars without the insanity of Bourbon Street. We heard; a lively Creole band with a fun tuba player, the Delfeayo Marsalis (brother of Winston Marsalis) and his jazz big band of 21 people, and we ended the evening with a large rock and roll band with a horn section.
At night, we take the ferry boat across the Mississippi River and back. It is free and offers the best veiw of the city. Back on land near the dock, Joanne insists on going into Harrah's Casino. I hate casinos, so I reluctantly agree but set a twenty minute time limit. After about ten minutes I see that Joanne is checking out with about $120 in winnings. Way to go Joanne!
I love New Orleans –the architecture, the people, the music and the Creole food - especially the food!
Gumbo, poboy sandwiches, jambalaya, blackened redfish, oysters, beignets.
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