The Big Easy

My first visit to New Orleans was In late 2007 I believe. The weather was hot and humid as we wandered the area Near the aquarium. We wandered along and into some of the shops on the edge of the French Quarter, and down to Jackson Square, a lovely city park fenced in wrought iron, with a statue of Andrew Jackson as its centerpiece. On the sidewalks just outside the park, street artists sold their wares.

In front of the park is St. Louis Cathedral. This white faced church resembles a fairy tale castle. We poked our heads inside for a quick look, then headed back out onto the street. Between the church and Jackson Square was a wide cobbled way, filled with a few park benches. On one end were fortune tellers, on the other, a silver man, frozen in mid strum, playing his guitar.

The French Quarter is a mouse maze of businesses, with items for sale ranging from hot sauce to Mardi Gras masques and beads, to fine art. Sprinkled throughout are restaurants and bars, offering a true variety of options, from the expected Cajun faire and hurricanes, to the somewhat more surprising Italian, Chinese, and Indian.

Everywhere throughout the area, stands of beads from Mardi Gras past can be seen handing, off balconies, streetlamps, trees, and power lines.

Of course, with any visit to New Orleans, Bourbon Street is the real must see, but it's certainly not for children. Aside from bawdy window displays and the open doored strip clubs, some of the visitors themselves are sure to raise eyebrows. At night this street takes on a real party atmosphere, and gathers quite a crowd. Whatever you may have heard about New Orleans safety, I felt much more comfortable around the streets of French Quarter at night, even the more empty side streets, than San Francisco or Seattle in the early evening.

Of course the famed debauchery of New Orleans, and Bourbon Street in particular, attracts those who would save the heathen masses, or perhaps just insult them. Bearing signs that condemn such sins as being a liberal, feminist, or sports fanatic, they become merely part of the spectacle.

We did spend a fair amount of time in the downtown area, but we did take enough of a break to enjoy a trolley ride past the old houses and Loyola along St. Charles Avenue, and then enjoyed a walk up St Carrollton Ave to the Gelato Pazzo Caffe. It's well worth the little side trip. We also took a little time to wander one of the cemetaries around the city, which has it's own beauty.

While throughout town, the remnants of Katrina still remain, mostly in the form of high water marks and abandoned buildings, the city is very much alive, and very much worth a visit.