Sigh…….our last night in New Orleans and we’re feeling a little blue…… Verna-Lee and I have both decided that we could stay another day or two but don’t worry readers…..we’re coming home.
Today was another interesting one and we’ve definitely moved into the pace of the Big Easy so we’re moving a little slower than we were when we first arrived.
Learned something new that you might find interesting…..an old beignet tradition that is still alive and well in New Orleans is that at engagement a bride and groom would share a beignet. The bride would blow the powdered sugar at the groom and the two of them would make a wish for their future together. A nice tradition!
After a leisurely morning of sleeping in and starting to pack up our cases, we tried to connect with some of the other girls but it seemed that everyone else had already gone out for the day….I guess we were a little late getting started…… It was definitely time for breakfast (or to tell the truth….lunch) so Verna-Lee and I took off to see what the French Quarter had in store for us today. Of course there was a little more shopping and the 2nd half of my reading with Catherina of New Orleans. There was also an abundance of “hellos” from workers relaxing on stoops along the sidewalks, and passers-by. People here are very friendly and the pace really is slow moving. I think it must be connected to the fact that it gets so hot and humid here. Today was a little taste of just how uncomfortable it might get here…..temperatures weren’t too high but the humidity was up there so we were sweating right from the moment we stepped out the door of the hotel.
We hadn’t seen Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann for two days so were glad to have a message from them tonight when we got back to the hotel. The two of them spent today at the outlet mall about an hour northwest of here so had an adventure of their own. We’re not sure about Linda-Kay or Nancy A as we never did see them today but we do know where Val was as she spent some of the afternoon and the evening with Verna-Lee and I. The three of us ended up in a former brothel that is now a quaint little hide-away bar called May Bailey’s. It is in the Dauphine Orleans Hotel and that is somewhere that I would stay if/when I get back to this amazing city that has worked its way under my skin and into my soul. To give you a taste of just how friendly folks here are….the manager of the Dauphine Hotel (and keep in mind that we’re not staying there) went out onto the street to see if a couple of his favourite restaurants were open or had space for reservations after he had not been able to get through to them by phone. I really can’t explain just how busy it is here. Just as one convention leaves another one arrives and of course there is the constant stream of cruise ships, and New Orleans is a major shipping port, and then there are the tourists just passing through or staying to check out all the sights. Everywhere you go there are people, day and night there are people (definitely more on Bourbon St by night than by day!), seven days a week there are people…..it’s just a busy place and it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t that long ago that the city suffered such devastation when Katrina hit.
Tonight Val, Verna-Lee, and I had an amazing dinner across the street from the Dauphine Hotel at the Bayona Restaurant. It was definitely upscale with outstanding food and exemplary service. Service is something most places (especially the upscale ones) do very well here. Even at our hotel, the Sheraton, tonight…..our guest services clerk was happy to divide our room bill up however we wanted it even though it meant 4 times the work for her......nice!!!!
So…..we’re all checked out and ready for our early morning departure. Taxi will pick us up at 4:10 a.m. so it will be a loooonnnnngggg day before we arrive in Kelowna.
Would come back here in a heartbeat and tonight as we were walking past the top of Bourbon St for the final time we stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the brass band that was playing there and to watch the passers-by dancing in the middle of the street. It was a melancholy moment as we knew this was our last glimpse of this part of the city but at the same time it made me happy to think about them doing it all again tomorrow for someone else.
That’s it for this trip……….thanks for coming along all y’all,
Lorrie-Mae
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
December 4, 2011
Into countdown mode now....but are focusing on the present. Still having lots of fun and every time we go out we see a new area.
Spent a little time with Antoine today. He is the resident ghost at a restaurant called Muriel's on Chartres St in the French Quarter. Back in the late 1800's when Muriel's Restaurant was Antoine's single family home (one of the largest in the Quarter)......he succumbed to one of his vices in the Quarter one evening and lost everything he had (including the family home) in a poker game. Instead of telling his family the truth....he retreated into a quiet corner on the 2nd floor of the home and took his own life (by hanging). To this day Muriel's staff keep a table for two complete with fresh bread and wine for Antoine and a guest and the room where Antoine drew his final breath is used exclusively for seances.
In addition to our visit with Antoine.....our time at Muriel's was spent over an amazing brunch of alligator hash with a mimosa to chase it down. Another great meal! The dessert for our brunch consisted of an amazing jazz trio who floated from room to room in the restaurant. Touring the home/restaurant was another highlight as we spent some time in the seance room as well as out on the largest balcony in the Quarter looking over Jackson Square and all the activity there.
From there we were off the French Market and of course checked out dozens of new shops along the way. New Orleans is definitely a shoppers paradise!
After the shopping Verna-Lee, Val, and I took off for a 3:00 appointment with Catherina of New Orleans.....one of the premier psychics in this part of the world that is so well known for it's psychics. I was first and after some interesting dialogue between Catherina and her grand-daughter, Ashley, my reading was underway. I chose to have my palm read, my tea leaves read, and in keeping with where we were....to include a ju ju bag reading. Catherina has been doing this for 42 of her 64 years and after my reading....I must say that there is a reason she has been doing it for so long. I won't go into too much detail but suffice it to say that I may be a little opinionated and not suffer fools lightly. I also learned that I may have a little too much orange in my life so.....better think of a new colour for that feature wall in my living room.....time for a change anyway :) Catherina is doing up a chart for me so I'll go see her again tomorrow afternoon to pick up the rest of my reading. Verna-Lee also had a reading and she went with the palm, the ju ju bag, and a crystal ball. She too enjoyed the experience and found a little wisdom in Catherina's words. All in all....it was another great memory and some adventure to add to our trip.
Tonight we all decided on something a little more upscale for dinner so located The Court of Two Sisters Restaurant where we had an amazing meal and the ambiance was out of this world! We were just steps off the chaos of Bourbon St but the courtyard where we had our meal was magical with a stillness and calm that encouraged us to relax into the experience. Before we knew what had happened more than two hours had passed and we were still enjoying dinner! Their menu was extensive but for the Christmas season, New Orleans has a tradition of offering up a special fixed price meal that I decided to go with. It consisted of turtle soup, followed by fried green tomatoes topped with shrimp and crabmeat, with pork tenderloin for the main, and eggnog crème caramel topped with a shortbread cookie for dessert. The entire meal was outstanding but that pork tenderloin and the sweet potato sauce that accompanied it was out of this world!!
The outdoor courtyard where we enjoyed our meal was magical as I mentioned but it was also beautiful. At it’s centre there was an above ground well that looked like it came straight out of a story book. Overhead there were miles of wisteria wound over a lattice that supported it. Fairy lights were intertwined with the wisteria and the tables that dotted the cobblestone yard sparkled as the lights were reflected in the glassware that was featured on the pristine white tablecloths. Servers were all professional and we enjoyed both Victor, our main server, and Anton, our busboy.
As we were leaving the restaurant, we discovered that The Court of Two Sisters also has a Charmed Gate that was blessed and shipped in from Spain (when Spain was the ruling power here). This magical gate is said to offer a charm to all who touch it so all of us practically intertwined our limbs through it in the hope that a little of that magic would rub off on us too.
In keeping with the flavor of the day….we had a leisurely stroll back to the hotel stopping at shops that were still open (this is a night time city!) and to sit on the steps of the Louisiana Supreme Courthouse (a very grand building) so we could enjoy the solo saxophonist who was playing for anyone who wanted to listen from across the street. Music is so much a part of this city and it has become apparent to all of us that the French Quarter is the heartbeat of the city. We’ve all begun to really feel the beat of the music and there is no doubt that we’ll each take away some of the flavor of this experience deep within our souls and perhaps leave a little piece of our hearts behind on the cobblestone streets of the Quarter too.
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
Spent a little time with Antoine today. He is the resident ghost at a restaurant called Muriel's on Chartres St in the French Quarter. Back in the late 1800's when Muriel's Restaurant was Antoine's single family home (one of the largest in the Quarter)......he succumbed to one of his vices in the Quarter one evening and lost everything he had (including the family home) in a poker game. Instead of telling his family the truth....he retreated into a quiet corner on the 2nd floor of the home and took his own life (by hanging). To this day Muriel's staff keep a table for two complete with fresh bread and wine for Antoine and a guest and the room where Antoine drew his final breath is used exclusively for seances.
In addition to our visit with Antoine.....our time at Muriel's was spent over an amazing brunch of alligator hash with a mimosa to chase it down. Another great meal! The dessert for our brunch consisted of an amazing jazz trio who floated from room to room in the restaurant. Touring the home/restaurant was another highlight as we spent some time in the seance room as well as out on the largest balcony in the Quarter looking over Jackson Square and all the activity there.
From there we were off the French Market and of course checked out dozens of new shops along the way. New Orleans is definitely a shoppers paradise!
After the shopping Verna-Lee, Val, and I took off for a 3:00 appointment with Catherina of New Orleans.....one of the premier psychics in this part of the world that is so well known for it's psychics. I was first and after some interesting dialogue between Catherina and her grand-daughter, Ashley, my reading was underway. I chose to have my palm read, my tea leaves read, and in keeping with where we were....to include a ju ju bag reading. Catherina has been doing this for 42 of her 64 years and after my reading....I must say that there is a reason she has been doing it for so long. I won't go into too much detail but suffice it to say that I may be a little opinionated and not suffer fools lightly. I also learned that I may have a little too much orange in my life so.....better think of a new colour for that feature wall in my living room.....time for a change anyway :) Catherina is doing up a chart for me so I'll go see her again tomorrow afternoon to pick up the rest of my reading. Verna-Lee also had a reading and she went with the palm, the ju ju bag, and a crystal ball. She too enjoyed the experience and found a little wisdom in Catherina's words. All in all....it was another great memory and some adventure to add to our trip.
Tonight we all decided on something a little more upscale for dinner so located The Court of Two Sisters Restaurant where we had an amazing meal and the ambiance was out of this world! We were just steps off the chaos of Bourbon St but the courtyard where we had our meal was magical with a stillness and calm that encouraged us to relax into the experience. Before we knew what had happened more than two hours had passed and we were still enjoying dinner! Their menu was extensive but for the Christmas season, New Orleans has a tradition of offering up a special fixed price meal that I decided to go with. It consisted of turtle soup, followed by fried green tomatoes topped with shrimp and crabmeat, with pork tenderloin for the main, and eggnog crème caramel topped with a shortbread cookie for dessert. The entire meal was outstanding but that pork tenderloin and the sweet potato sauce that accompanied it was out of this world!!
The outdoor courtyard where we enjoyed our meal was magical as I mentioned but it was also beautiful. At it’s centre there was an above ground well that looked like it came straight out of a story book. Overhead there were miles of wisteria wound over a lattice that supported it. Fairy lights were intertwined with the wisteria and the tables that dotted the cobblestone yard sparkled as the lights were reflected in the glassware that was featured on the pristine white tablecloths. Servers were all professional and we enjoyed both Victor, our main server, and Anton, our busboy.
As we were leaving the restaurant, we discovered that The Court of Two Sisters also has a Charmed Gate that was blessed and shipped in from Spain (when Spain was the ruling power here). This magical gate is said to offer a charm to all who touch it so all of us practically intertwined our limbs through it in the hope that a little of that magic would rub off on us too.
In keeping with the flavor of the day….we had a leisurely stroll back to the hotel stopping at shops that were still open (this is a night time city!) and to sit on the steps of the Louisiana Supreme Courthouse (a very grand building) so we could enjoy the solo saxophonist who was playing for anyone who wanted to listen from across the street. Music is so much a part of this city and it has become apparent to all of us that the French Quarter is the heartbeat of the city. We’ve all begun to really feel the beat of the music and there is no doubt that we’ll each take away some of the flavor of this experience deep within our souls and perhaps leave a little piece of our hearts behind on the cobblestone streets of the Quarter too.
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
Saturday, December 3, 2011
December 3, 2011
Final day of Conference today so are back on vacation as of this afternoon :) Conference had lots of good content but I have to admit that I'm glad to have the days free to explore more of this very cool city. We just have a couple more of them and don't want to miss out on anything!
There was a Christmas parade today and Miss Verna and I lost one another for a while. There are soooo many people and if you take your eyes off one another for even a second.....the other person will be swallowed by the crowd. Fortunately, we had a happy ending but not before some time had passed and I had resorted to taking my jacket off, standing on tip toe to see above the sea of heads, and waving my arms like a crazy person in the hope that she'd be able to see me from across the street where I was pretty sure she'd been 'swallowed".
Today for lunch, Verna-Lee and I went to a place called Deanie's for a bowl of their world famous shrimp and okra gumbo and it was so good that 7 of us went back there for dinner tonight! The meal begins with a plate of potatoes (with butter of course) that have been boiled in the shrimp pot with a bunch of spices.....what an appetizer! To tell the truth...the potatoes are so good that they could be the main course.
Deanie's is in the French Quarter and for our first visit this afternoon Verna-Lee and I found it by taking a short detour through the Ritz Carlton Hotel where we also located a beautiful spa, a much needed and very oppulent bathroom, and a gorgeous fountain.....NICE!!!!
Before dinner tonight 5 of us went to the IMAX where we saw a film called Hurricane on the Bayou. Am very glad to have seen this picture as it gave amazing insight into the bayou area that we toured on an airboat just a few days ago. The film also gave lots of information on the tragedy of Katrina and of the even worse tragedy that has been going on for the past century. The wetlands surrounding this part of the USA are disappearing at an alarming rate (due to human interferance) leaving no protection for the storms when they blow in from the ocean. It is almost a surity that there will be another storm like Katrina and unless there are protective measures in place....it will be a repeat of 8 years ago. They're trying to re-establish some of the wetlands through small rock walls in the ocean, a series of dams along the Mississippi (to encourage it to deposit some of the soil it carries back where it was meant to before man messed things up), and the planting of mangrove seedlings to create a root system that will help hold what is still there in place when the next storm comes along. Anyway....it was a really good film and oh ya.....even better because when you go to the show here you get to have a dacquiri with your popcorn!!
Walked the soles off our shoes again today/tonight....through the French Quarter, the French Market, the River Walk, back and forth, back and forth.....we've resorted to anti-inflamitories to dull the pain and even at that....are ready for bed again tonight.
till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
There was a Christmas parade today and Miss Verna and I lost one another for a while. There are soooo many people and if you take your eyes off one another for even a second.....the other person will be swallowed by the crowd. Fortunately, we had a happy ending but not before some time had passed and I had resorted to taking my jacket off, standing on tip toe to see above the sea of heads, and waving my arms like a crazy person in the hope that she'd be able to see me from across the street where I was pretty sure she'd been 'swallowed".
Today for lunch, Verna-Lee and I went to a place called Deanie's for a bowl of their world famous shrimp and okra gumbo and it was so good that 7 of us went back there for dinner tonight! The meal begins with a plate of potatoes (with butter of course) that have been boiled in the shrimp pot with a bunch of spices.....what an appetizer! To tell the truth...the potatoes are so good that they could be the main course.
Deanie's is in the French Quarter and for our first visit this afternoon Verna-Lee and I found it by taking a short detour through the Ritz Carlton Hotel where we also located a beautiful spa, a much needed and very oppulent bathroom, and a gorgeous fountain.....NICE!!!!
Before dinner tonight 5 of us went to the IMAX where we saw a film called Hurricane on the Bayou. Am very glad to have seen this picture as it gave amazing insight into the bayou area that we toured on an airboat just a few days ago. The film also gave lots of information on the tragedy of Katrina and of the even worse tragedy that has been going on for the past century. The wetlands surrounding this part of the USA are disappearing at an alarming rate (due to human interferance) leaving no protection for the storms when they blow in from the ocean. It is almost a surity that there will be another storm like Katrina and unless there are protective measures in place....it will be a repeat of 8 years ago. They're trying to re-establish some of the wetlands through small rock walls in the ocean, a series of dams along the Mississippi (to encourage it to deposit some of the soil it carries back where it was meant to before man messed things up), and the planting of mangrove seedlings to create a root system that will help hold what is still there in place when the next storm comes along. Anyway....it was a really good film and oh ya.....even better because when you go to the show here you get to have a dacquiri with your popcorn!!
Walked the soles off our shoes again today/tonight....through the French Quarter, the French Market, the River Walk, back and forth, back and forth.....we've resorted to anti-inflamitories to dull the pain and even at that....are ready for bed again tonight.
till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
Friday, December 2, 2011
December 2, 2011
TGIF! Everyone is pretty much done in after three long days of the conference behind us!! But...... we've all found sessions that were interesting so everything is good too. One more day to go and then we're back to vacation mode again :)
After the final session of the day and a short stop in our rooms we were off for the evening. Tonight the plan was to go to Red Fish, a restaurant on Bourbon St where they're known for their oysters, red fish (of course) and double chocolate bread pudding (yummy!). This is the place that Charmaine Neville (jazz performer from the other night) recommended as a MUST before leaving N.O. (for the bread pudding of course) so we had to make the stop and as you may have guessed....we had to try the pudding (along with a bunch of other stuff). Verna-Lee and I both ordered the flounder and what a dish that was!!! That fish was so big it extended off our platter sized plates!!! We had to leave so much behind...what a shame! Everyone enjoyed their meals and I must admit that right behind the bread pudding (my favourite) was the deep fried green beans that accompanied the flounder on the "I gotta have that again!" list.
After dinner, Nancy A, Verna-Lee, Caroline from Ottawa, and I chose to walk off some of our dinner so hit Bourbon St again and what a difference a day makes! Where last night it was busy but comfortable....tonight was CRAZY busy! Not as busy as it had been for the Bayou Classic last weekend but it is easy to see that there is a distinct difference between weekdays and weekends for the businesses located in the Quarter.
Wandered and shopped until we met up with a trio of acapella fellows who gifted us two songs on Royal Street (and who Nancy A bought a CD from). They were amazing!! New Orleans really is magical for the music that lives here. It is on almost every street corner and in every bar. You hear it coming from every shop and hotel you stop at and it seems that everyone here can sing or play an instrument! Young and old alike....the musical culture is tangible and street performers are everywhere. The other night there was even a group of young boys making music (good music) with a bunch of upside down plastic buckets (drums) and drumsticks. They were amazing! There are guys of all ages tapping their hearts out on the sidewalk as you pass and I'm not sure what it is they have on the bottom of their shoes but it almost looks like the top of a tin can stuck to their feet. Am going to have to either ask one of them or do some research I guess......
Anyway.....time to call it a day.....tomorrow is final day of conference and that wake up call comes awfully early when you're sharing a bathroom and have to be showered and ready for an 8:00 a.m. start!
later,
Lorrie-Mae
After the final session of the day and a short stop in our rooms we were off for the evening. Tonight the plan was to go to Red Fish, a restaurant on Bourbon St where they're known for their oysters, red fish (of course) and double chocolate bread pudding (yummy!). This is the place that Charmaine Neville (jazz performer from the other night) recommended as a MUST before leaving N.O. (for the bread pudding of course) so we had to make the stop and as you may have guessed....we had to try the pudding (along with a bunch of other stuff). Verna-Lee and I both ordered the flounder and what a dish that was!!! That fish was so big it extended off our platter sized plates!!! We had to leave so much behind...what a shame! Everyone enjoyed their meals and I must admit that right behind the bread pudding (my favourite) was the deep fried green beans that accompanied the flounder on the "I gotta have that again!" list.
After dinner, Nancy A, Verna-Lee, Caroline from Ottawa, and I chose to walk off some of our dinner so hit Bourbon St again and what a difference a day makes! Where last night it was busy but comfortable....tonight was CRAZY busy! Not as busy as it had been for the Bayou Classic last weekend but it is easy to see that there is a distinct difference between weekdays and weekends for the businesses located in the Quarter.
Wandered and shopped until we met up with a trio of acapella fellows who gifted us two songs on Royal Street (and who Nancy A bought a CD from). They were amazing!! New Orleans really is magical for the music that lives here. It is on almost every street corner and in every bar. You hear it coming from every shop and hotel you stop at and it seems that everyone here can sing or play an instrument! Young and old alike....the musical culture is tangible and street performers are everywhere. The other night there was even a group of young boys making music (good music) with a bunch of upside down plastic buckets (drums) and drumsticks. They were amazing! There are guys of all ages tapping their hearts out on the sidewalk as you pass and I'm not sure what it is they have on the bottom of their shoes but it almost looks like the top of a tin can stuck to their feet. Am going to have to either ask one of them or do some research I guess......
Anyway.....time to call it a day.....tomorrow is final day of conference and that wake up call comes awfully early when you're sharing a bathroom and have to be showered and ready for an 8:00 a.m. start!
later,
Lorrie-Mae
Thursday, December 1, 2011
December 1, 2011
Full day of conference - lots of good info but it's hard to sit in the sessions all day after having been spoiled by the freedom we've had since our arrival here.
8 of us met up after the sessions finished today and hit the town for dinner at La Bayou again where several of us enjoyed their delicious rendition of shrimp and grits with a few fried green tomatoes thrown in for good measure.
After dinner we wandered Bourbon St and played tour guide to the newbies in the group. Nothing too exciting happened until on the way back to our hotel....all hell broke loose when I took my camera out (oh yes...I should admit here that when I'm walking in the Quarter I don't carry any kind of a purse. I keep all my money, and my camera, on my person....and I'll leave the "where" to your imagination). Anyway.....I started to retrieve my camera when beads began to rain from the sky. They were coming from every direction and in every colour under the rainbow. They hit me in the head, on the arm, in the back, in the head again......it was crazy!!
Survived and managed to pick up a couple of strands as souvenirs. Jeez....I wonder what would have happened had I gone for my Master Card?! LOL!!
Great music on the streets again tonight with lots of good energy to support it. Big Al Carson was performing at the Funky Pirate again tonight so we stopped outside the door there to listen for a bit....we wandered up a little further and stopped outside an open window to listen to another group and so on and so on up the street.
All in all....another fun filled night in the Big Easy. We're feeling a lot like locals after having been here for this long and loving every minute of it.
Back at the hotel, there was a group of guys here for another conference (there are 2 or 3 conferences in this hotel right now) and they invited Miss Verna and I up to their hospitality suite where we'd be introduced to partying the likes of which we'd surely never experienced before. We declined of course (like the sweet southern belles we are) and instead signed up to become members of the Starwood Preferred Guest club (some kind of hotel promo) which means that we now have complimentary internet in our room.....yeah!!!! I don't have to go down to the lobby to post to my blog. This is much more relaxing.....p.j.'s and a glass of wine make for a much better post than a rushed post from a public venue where the drinks cost about $15/each!!
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
8 of us met up after the sessions finished today and hit the town for dinner at La Bayou again where several of us enjoyed their delicious rendition of shrimp and grits with a few fried green tomatoes thrown in for good measure.
After dinner we wandered Bourbon St and played tour guide to the newbies in the group. Nothing too exciting happened until on the way back to our hotel....all hell broke loose when I took my camera out (oh yes...I should admit here that when I'm walking in the Quarter I don't carry any kind of a purse. I keep all my money, and my camera, on my person....and I'll leave the "where" to your imagination). Anyway.....I started to retrieve my camera when beads began to rain from the sky. They were coming from every direction and in every colour under the rainbow. They hit me in the head, on the arm, in the back, in the head again......it was crazy!!
Survived and managed to pick up a couple of strands as souvenirs. Jeez....I wonder what would have happened had I gone for my Master Card?! LOL!!
Great music on the streets again tonight with lots of good energy to support it. Big Al Carson was performing at the Funky Pirate again tonight so we stopped outside the door there to listen for a bit....we wandered up a little further and stopped outside an open window to listen to another group and so on and so on up the street.
All in all....another fun filled night in the Big Easy. We're feeling a lot like locals after having been here for this long and loving every minute of it.
Back at the hotel, there was a group of guys here for another conference (there are 2 or 3 conferences in this hotel right now) and they invited Miss Verna and I up to their hospitality suite where we'd be introduced to partying the likes of which we'd surely never experienced before. We declined of course (like the sweet southern belles we are) and instead signed up to become members of the Starwood Preferred Guest club (some kind of hotel promo) which means that we now have complimentary internet in our room.....yeah!!!! I don't have to go down to the lobby to post to my blog. This is much more relaxing.....p.j.'s and a glass of wine make for a much better post than a rushed post from a public venue where the drinks cost about $15/each!!
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
November 30, 2011
Still haven’t been able to post yesterday’s missive but better get something down tonight before calling it a night so here goes…….
First day of Conference is behind us. The day flew by and everyone enjoyed their sessions but……. we’re all a little shell shocked from having to sit in a session and exercise our brain all day after having a full week of nothing but play. I had lunch with a woman from Kentucky. Her name was Barbara and she is a Dominican Sister. She works with a private college and has only been doing that work for about 1 year. She had lots of questions and I was able to help her out a little as her area is much like the Okanagan in that she serves multiple communities some of which are very small. She is very fortunate though as her college doesn’t expect that she will break even (although that expectation will likely come in time).
We did manage to make it out to the street for a little while again tonight where we had another really fun time. Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann took Linda-Kay, Verna-Lee, and I to their favourite place – Pink Berries – an all-natural frozen yogurt spot they discovered a few days ago and where they manage to visit daily!!
After Pink Berries we ambled back over to the French Quarter where we stopped in to Pat O’Briens to once again check out the dueling pianos. Lots of people and some pretty good music but Verna-Lee, Linda-Kay, and I decided to head out a little while before the other two were ready to go. They should have come with us though as we managed to find a little more adventure on our way back to the hotel. Bourbon St was great tonight. Just the right amount of people, lots of beads being thrown from the balconies, music coming from every venue along the strip, and smiling faces everywhere you looked. It really is amazing that there are people walking everywhere with their drinks in hand but I think I’ve only seen a couple of people, the whole time I’ve been here, who have had a little too much!
Tomorrow’s sessions start at 8:00 a.m. so it’ll be an early wake-up call!
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
First day of Conference is behind us. The day flew by and everyone enjoyed their sessions but……. we’re all a little shell shocked from having to sit in a session and exercise our brain all day after having a full week of nothing but play. I had lunch with a woman from Kentucky. Her name was Barbara and she is a Dominican Sister. She works with a private college and has only been doing that work for about 1 year. She had lots of questions and I was able to help her out a little as her area is much like the Okanagan in that she serves multiple communities some of which are very small. She is very fortunate though as her college doesn’t expect that she will break even (although that expectation will likely come in time).
We did manage to make it out to the street for a little while again tonight where we had another really fun time. Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann took Linda-Kay, Verna-Lee, and I to their favourite place – Pink Berries – an all-natural frozen yogurt spot they discovered a few days ago and where they manage to visit daily!!
After Pink Berries we ambled back over to the French Quarter where we stopped in to Pat O’Briens to once again check out the dueling pianos. Lots of people and some pretty good music but Verna-Lee, Linda-Kay, and I decided to head out a little while before the other two were ready to go. They should have come with us though as we managed to find a little more adventure on our way back to the hotel. Bourbon St was great tonight. Just the right amount of people, lots of beads being thrown from the balconies, music coming from every venue along the strip, and smiling faces everywhere you looked. It really is amazing that there are people walking everywhere with their drinks in hand but I think I’ve only seen a couple of people, the whole time I’ve been here, who have had a little too much!
Tomorrow’s sessions start at 8:00 a.m. so it’ll be an early wake-up call!
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
November 29, 2011
Another leisurely morning – gotta love vacations!!
Rode the green coloured St Charles streetcar (recognized as a national treasure and one of the two oldest in the US) down St Charles Street and into the Garden District where all the magnificent homes we had driven by during our tour are. St Charles Street and Royal Street are the same road except that St Charles is on the American side of Canal St and Royal is on the French side.
From St Charles and the Garden District we walked over to Magazine Street (supposed to be full of good shops and boutiques – but not many that we could find!) Did manage to find an amazing pizza place though (Rocky’s) so tried a shrimp etouffe pizza and yes…it was delish but….not as delish as the salad dressing! It was some mixture of oil and vinegar and balsamic and blue cheese over a simple romaine and tomato salad and I would go back to find the place just to have another salad!
From Magazine we walked back over to St Charles to do some more of the garden district and en route stumbled across Sandra Bullock’s home. What a gorgeous place that is!! Miss Verna put on her best southern accent, rang the bell and wouldn’t you know it……the gardener came out and gave us a tour! Well…..at least that’s what we told Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann but in truth….we just thought about ringing the bell and I’m sure that if the gardener had been there he would have come out all right…but with a shot gun!
Ambling along St Charles is a bit like walking near the pyramids where you’re in constant danger of tripping on uneven ground….…you have to look down almost as much as you look up as the sidewalks are so disrupted by the roots of the ancient trees that line the streets in this area. It really is gorgeous though and there is a kind of quiet calm that you feel when you’re walking there.
Just as we were nearing the end of the Garden District on St Charles, we came across a place called the House of Broel and according to a sign on the fence, visitors were welcome between 10-5. Since it was just 4:40….we decided to check it out. We opened the gate and passed a fellow in the yard who gave us the once over. We went up the stairs to the front door and turned the antique handle. As the door was opening into the entry of the home….it occurred to me that this might not really be open to the public and that we might be entering someone’s home! A woman came out of the back of the house and said, “can I help you?” She too was looking at us rather oddly which left both Verna-Lee and I feeling like we may have just made a huge error and that the police might be called momentarily…..how would we ever explain this one?!
But to cut to the end of the story….Bonnie Broel does live in the house but she also does offer tours of her home as well as rent out sections of it for weddings (she had 100 there last year alone!) By the time we said good bye to Bonnie (more than an hour later) she was giving us a hug and a kiss good bye and we both felt like we had just stepped back to a time where traditional southern hospitality was alive and well. In addition to touring Bonnie’s home, we also learned that she is a countess, an author, a dress designer, winner of an international economic development award, we’d seen a photo of her and Tom Hanks, AND…..she was queen of Mardi Gras on two separate occasions! Her house is filled with doll houses that she has spent a lifetime making. Her grandfather was Russian royalty (hence the countess title) and her father started the first frog farm and canning factory in the south. We’re not sure how many times she’s been married but 3 at least and 1 of those husbands died in Egypt while on vacation there and where she had to travel to retrieve his body. She had more vintage wedding (and other fancy dresses) in her house…..it truly is a museum and an interesting one at that. The house was originally too small for the first owners so they raised the ground floor by 21 feet and put another floor underneath it. Ceilings are all 15 feet high and there was a massive original gas chandelier hanging in the foyer as we entered. Two other points of interest that I can’t let pass are: In the throne room off the dressing room for the brides who rent the space…the toilet does actually look like a throne and you lift the seat of the throne to find the toilet! Also, as she took us up to the second floor……there seemed to nowhere else to go until she pushed on the wall and a hallway opened up inviting us to continue on into the second story and eventually to the third floor.
After saying good bye to Bonnie, we caught the street car back to Canal Street and by the time we got back to our room and figured out just where the day had gone….we realized we had walked for a full seven hours! No wonder we were both beat and ready to call it a night.
Tomorrow morning our Conference begins so will get this posted as soon as I can but the next few days are going to be filled with learning and connecting with others who are doing the same.
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
Rode the green coloured St Charles streetcar (recognized as a national treasure and one of the two oldest in the US) down St Charles Street and into the Garden District where all the magnificent homes we had driven by during our tour are. St Charles Street and Royal Street are the same road except that St Charles is on the American side of Canal St and Royal is on the French side.
From St Charles and the Garden District we walked over to Magazine Street (supposed to be full of good shops and boutiques – but not many that we could find!) Did manage to find an amazing pizza place though (Rocky’s) so tried a shrimp etouffe pizza and yes…it was delish but….not as delish as the salad dressing! It was some mixture of oil and vinegar and balsamic and blue cheese over a simple romaine and tomato salad and I would go back to find the place just to have another salad!
From Magazine we walked back over to St Charles to do some more of the garden district and en route stumbled across Sandra Bullock’s home. What a gorgeous place that is!! Miss Verna put on her best southern accent, rang the bell and wouldn’t you know it……the gardener came out and gave us a tour! Well…..at least that’s what we told Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann but in truth….we just thought about ringing the bell and I’m sure that if the gardener had been there he would have come out all right…but with a shot gun!
Ambling along St Charles is a bit like walking near the pyramids where you’re in constant danger of tripping on uneven ground….…you have to look down almost as much as you look up as the sidewalks are so disrupted by the roots of the ancient trees that line the streets in this area. It really is gorgeous though and there is a kind of quiet calm that you feel when you’re walking there.
Just as we were nearing the end of the Garden District on St Charles, we came across a place called the House of Broel and according to a sign on the fence, visitors were welcome between 10-5. Since it was just 4:40….we decided to check it out. We opened the gate and passed a fellow in the yard who gave us the once over. We went up the stairs to the front door and turned the antique handle. As the door was opening into the entry of the home….it occurred to me that this might not really be open to the public and that we might be entering someone’s home! A woman came out of the back of the house and said, “can I help you?” She too was looking at us rather oddly which left both Verna-Lee and I feeling like we may have just made a huge error and that the police might be called momentarily…..how would we ever explain this one?!
But to cut to the end of the story….Bonnie Broel does live in the house but she also does offer tours of her home as well as rent out sections of it for weddings (she had 100 there last year alone!) By the time we said good bye to Bonnie (more than an hour later) she was giving us a hug and a kiss good bye and we both felt like we had just stepped back to a time where traditional southern hospitality was alive and well. In addition to touring Bonnie’s home, we also learned that she is a countess, an author, a dress designer, winner of an international economic development award, we’d seen a photo of her and Tom Hanks, AND…..she was queen of Mardi Gras on two separate occasions! Her house is filled with doll houses that she has spent a lifetime making. Her grandfather was Russian royalty (hence the countess title) and her father started the first frog farm and canning factory in the south. We’re not sure how many times she’s been married but 3 at least and 1 of those husbands died in Egypt while on vacation there and where she had to travel to retrieve his body. She had more vintage wedding (and other fancy dresses) in her house…..it truly is a museum and an interesting one at that. The house was originally too small for the first owners so they raised the ground floor by 21 feet and put another floor underneath it. Ceilings are all 15 feet high and there was a massive original gas chandelier hanging in the foyer as we entered. Two other points of interest that I can’t let pass are: In the throne room off the dressing room for the brides who rent the space…the toilet does actually look like a throne and you lift the seat of the throne to find the toilet! Also, as she took us up to the second floor……there seemed to nowhere else to go until she pushed on the wall and a hallway opened up inviting us to continue on into the second story and eventually to the third floor.
After saying good bye to Bonnie, we caught the street car back to Canal Street and by the time we got back to our room and figured out just where the day had gone….we realized we had walked for a full seven hours! No wonder we were both beat and ready to call it a night.
Tomorrow morning our Conference begins so will get this posted as soon as I can but the next few days are going to be filled with learning and connecting with others who are doing the same.
Till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
Monday, November 28, 2011
November 28, 2011
Super lazy morning today - NICE!! Lots of time to reflect back on all that we have already seen and done in a very short time.
No rain today which is nice as we've had our share of the wet stuff. Temperatures have ranged from warm and humid to absolutely freezing! People walking by the front window of the hotel right now are wearing everything from parkas and fur lined caps to shorts and tee-shirts. Layers has quickly become the order of the day!!
This afternoon was another tour. Katrina, a cemetery (cemeteries are only open till 3 pm each day), and the Garden District of the city where there is a plethora of majestic antebellum homes.
Once again....we learned so much it's hard to think of what to include in this missive....there is so much! Our driver, Henry, was a local and brought his own opinions and experience to the tour. We learned that there are no bad neighbourhoods...just bad (or good) streets. Everyone here lives in very close quarters with one another. We also discovered that the rich streets that are lined with oak trees have natural "speed bumps" built in as the roots of the trees play havoc with the road and the sidewalks!
Through the garden district (the American side of the city) the antebellum homes are absolutely gorgeous! I always thought that those big estates were only on plantations with property around them but in fact....that part of the city if full of them and they're all very close together. Generally, their entire plot of land is covered by the home.
In contrast to the garden district....the 8th ward (that's the word they use for their electoral districts), which was the hardest hit and right where the levee broke, was devastated. There are still very few people able to return to their homes in that ward. It is very sad and as Henry explained....has become a tourist attraction so may take a very long time to repair - if ever :( There was a memorial that depicted a home that had lost everything. Looking at the memorial and thinking about all that the families had lost and that more than 900 of the 1100+ people who were killed during Katrina had lived in this ward made for a very somber part of the tour. The water at this location had been 22 feet deep at it's worst which meant that homes were completely submerged and some families had escaped at the last minute only by cutting a hole in their roof with an axe. Of the homes that had been repaired or replaced...there was one that was really unique....it is a floating home! The bottom of it looks sort of like a flat bottom boat - what a great idea for this region! Another new home that was really unique and interesting was designed/built by Mike Holmes on Homes and according to Henry....Mike Holmes is from Canada - I didn't know that....huh! As well, this is the area that Brad Pitt is heavily involved in helping to repair and rebuild.
The levee along that part of the river is nothing more than a seemingly unsupported concrete wall, unlike the 30 foot earthen dykes that lined other parts of the river. Looking at it - it doesn't appear to have enough support to hold back much but....the engineers signed off on it so.....but maybe they're the same engineers who are building the overpass in West Kelowna that just had a section collapse!!! People here are very angry about the fact that the engineers are completely indemnified from any responsibility - and I must admit it really doesn't seem fair or make sense. Before we left that part of the city we also visited a narrow strip of land between Lake Pontchetrain and the Mississippi. It was all roped off due to the fact that the lake had just been blowing up and across the road due to the bad weather we've had here the past day or two. Seeing that I cannot imagine how horrid it must have been during a hurricane! The weather we had was really nothing at all and even that little bit of wind created that much problem for that section of the city!! It's no wonder so many people are afraid that it's all going to happen again.
We came back toward the business district through the central part of the city where you could see that it was not a good area to visit but interestingly....this area was nothing more than a single block away from million dollar homes so once again...it was a good example of how everyone lives together and that you're always just one street away from the high priced or the less desirable streets of the city.
Along the way we also stopped at a graveyard where all the graves are above ground (due to the high water table and probability of flooding). Originally, Catholics were not allowed to be cremated so everyone had to be buried. Families would invest in a crypt that would last them for generations. One grave we visited held more than 100 family members! When they died their body would be embalmed just enough to get them through the funeral. They would then be put into a wooden box in the above ground crypt for a minimum of a year and a day. After that time had passed, the caretaker would open their crypt and empty the coffin of their very decomposed remains. Any remaining bones would be crushed by a sledgehammer and everything would be put back into the crypt and pushed with a 10 foot pole to the back of the crypt where a crevace that went down into a hole in the ground would swallow the remains and allow them to complete the process of decomposition back into the earth. This was where the term "wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole" came from.
All in all, it was another great tour and I'm amazed how much we've been able to see and do in just a few days!
Back at the hotel and with a little time to kill before dinner and concert with Charmaine Neville tonight so while Linda-Kay and J.W. decided to take a little break, the rest of us planned to catch the street car right out in front of our hotel to take us to the French Market for a little shopping. But....the best laid plans...... The car that was there wasn't going in the right direction so Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann decided to walk instead but I was bound and determined to ride a street car so wanted to wait for the right car to come along. It wasn't a long wait before he arrived. I had gathered up a bunch of the change from in my purse (getting way too heavy!) and had a handful to pay my $1.25. We climbed on and the driver said I had to put in each coin one at a time - which I did - while Verna-Lee commented on the fact that we may reach our destination by the time I finished putting in all my coins at the speed I was going but heh....there are a lot of pennies in $1.25! I finally finished and Verna-Lee put in her $1.25 as the car started to move and we fell into our seats. There was a local fellow sitting in the front seat who was shaking his head at our antics and when I asked him if he could tell it was our first time...he simply nodded and held up two fingers to show that it was "just a little" obvious :) Verna-Lee then told me that I could now cross the street car off my 'to do' list and the same fellow said, "you're crossing it off your list?" When we both nodded...he smiled and said...."well, you're on an awfully short ride to be able to cross it off your list as the train will be stopping again in less than 2 blocks" and from the look on our faces he could see we were in trouble! Fortunately for us, he took pity, got the driver to issue us transfers which would enable us to catch another train that would take us to where we wanted to go. Our new friend then walked us around the corner and to the correct set of tracks where we sat, laughed, and waited for the next street car. Our friend went on his way walking in the same direction as the car we were waiting for would go and his parting comment to us was that he'd likely make it there before we would! But we did make it and we feel like we're both street car experts as a result of our adventures so when we go to get on the St Charles line (the oldest in the country) we'll know to get the $3 day pass that will allow us to ride anywhere for a 24 hour period.
Finally in the French Market, we met Charles Garrison, an evangelical emergency room nurse poet/preacher who wanted to recite one of his poems for us. He looked like such a nice guy (and it turned out that he is) so we said "sure" and he did....he recited one, then two, then three, and well....it went on for a while :) But...he really is a nice guy and interesting to talk to and before we left him I had purchased a copy of his poem called NOLA - Not Anymore (NOLA stands for New Orleans Lousianna) and although my copying it into this blog won't do it the justice that his voice, cadence, and passion do for it...here it is for you to enjoy too. He wrote the poem right after Katrina.....
Not Anymore can I stand
from corner to corner
Street after street open to anything
or anyone I meet
Not to be handled like a tramp
on the street
Not Anymore will I stand in defeat
Part of me still longs for the
party and booze
Not caring of the self respect
I stand to lose
I can't go on like this
Not Anymore
My children are weeping
some heads held in shame
Hoping their birthplace
would not be the same
Yes there must be music
and all that jazz
But remember that that came from
the swift thoughts of my past
Needing to improvise, just to stay alive
and when we sang the blues
Real tears in our eyes
But Not Anymore
not like before
The whole world is watching
the kids are at the door
Watching their city and crying
Not Anymore
To hear Charles tell it....it's easy to see/feel the discomfort of the locals with the debauchery that is the public face that so much of New Orleans wears for the world to watch or participate in. New Orleans has an interesting culture and the people are proud of their heritage and the history that brought them to where they are today. The Creole, the Cajun, the French, the Blacks, the Europeans....I'm sure there is more to it but so far it seems to me that while there is some overlap in that they're all American's in Louisiana, they're also very proud of their heritage. Charles' table was as far as we made it into the French Market before it was time to head off for our dinner plans so we hit the streets once again....this time on foot.
It wasn't far to the Praline (pronounced prawlene) Connection where "Dan the Man" had suggested we'd find some good old fashioned soul food. Our server Shay took good care of us and while the fried chicken wasn't as good as what we'd had at Mrs Wilkes a couple of years ago when we were in Savannah, the side of cabbage was AMAZING! From dinner we walked the short distance to a little place called Snug Harbour where we made our way to the balcony where we had the best seats in the house for a wonderful show with Charmaine Neville and her band. During the show she was joined by her son Damian who is a performer in his own right. All in all, it was a great show with fantastic musicians playing in a venue that is filled with atmosphere that supports the whole experience.
By the time we "danced" our way out of Snug Harbour it was almost 10:00 so we started the long chilly walk back to our hotel. Verna-Lee and I strolled while the others made their way much more quickly...it really is cold here! Verna-Lee and I had a wonderful stroll home though and it was perfect to walk the length of Royal Ave looking in shop windows, enjoying the Christmas lights that have magically appeared in the past two days, saying hello to passersby on the street, and just feeling the vibe of the city at night.
Back in the hotel and catching up on this blog and I have to tell you about something that just happened here......the New Orleans Saints just beat the New York Giants here in New Orleans and EVERYONE is cheering for the Saints!! The game is playing everywhere (even in the police station), people (even Charmaine Neville) are wearing Saints jerseys or other Saints paraphanalia, and two girls just walked through the hotel lobby wearing grass skirt/tutus and no one even blinked an eye! It's just that everything here seems to be okay. It's really kind of weird but super nice too.
Time to call it a day....till next time,
Lorrie Mae
No rain today which is nice as we've had our share of the wet stuff. Temperatures have ranged from warm and humid to absolutely freezing! People walking by the front window of the hotel right now are wearing everything from parkas and fur lined caps to shorts and tee-shirts. Layers has quickly become the order of the day!!
This afternoon was another tour. Katrina, a cemetery (cemeteries are only open till 3 pm each day), and the Garden District of the city where there is a plethora of majestic antebellum homes.
Once again....we learned so much it's hard to think of what to include in this missive....there is so much! Our driver, Henry, was a local and brought his own opinions and experience to the tour. We learned that there are no bad neighbourhoods...just bad (or good) streets. Everyone here lives in very close quarters with one another. We also discovered that the rich streets that are lined with oak trees have natural "speed bumps" built in as the roots of the trees play havoc with the road and the sidewalks!
Through the garden district (the American side of the city) the antebellum homes are absolutely gorgeous! I always thought that those big estates were only on plantations with property around them but in fact....that part of the city if full of them and they're all very close together. Generally, their entire plot of land is covered by the home.
In contrast to the garden district....the 8th ward (that's the word they use for their electoral districts), which was the hardest hit and right where the levee broke, was devastated. There are still very few people able to return to their homes in that ward. It is very sad and as Henry explained....has become a tourist attraction so may take a very long time to repair - if ever :( There was a memorial that depicted a home that had lost everything. Looking at the memorial and thinking about all that the families had lost and that more than 900 of the 1100+ people who were killed during Katrina had lived in this ward made for a very somber part of the tour. The water at this location had been 22 feet deep at it's worst which meant that homes were completely submerged and some families had escaped at the last minute only by cutting a hole in their roof with an axe. Of the homes that had been repaired or replaced...there was one that was really unique....it is a floating home! The bottom of it looks sort of like a flat bottom boat - what a great idea for this region! Another new home that was really unique and interesting was designed/built by Mike Holmes on Homes and according to Henry....Mike Holmes is from Canada - I didn't know that....huh! As well, this is the area that Brad Pitt is heavily involved in helping to repair and rebuild.
The levee along that part of the river is nothing more than a seemingly unsupported concrete wall, unlike the 30 foot earthen dykes that lined other parts of the river. Looking at it - it doesn't appear to have enough support to hold back much but....the engineers signed off on it so.....but maybe they're the same engineers who are building the overpass in West Kelowna that just had a section collapse!!! People here are very angry about the fact that the engineers are completely indemnified from any responsibility - and I must admit it really doesn't seem fair or make sense. Before we left that part of the city we also visited a narrow strip of land between Lake Pontchetrain and the Mississippi. It was all roped off due to the fact that the lake had just been blowing up and across the road due to the bad weather we've had here the past day or two. Seeing that I cannot imagine how horrid it must have been during a hurricane! The weather we had was really nothing at all and even that little bit of wind created that much problem for that section of the city!! It's no wonder so many people are afraid that it's all going to happen again.
We came back toward the business district through the central part of the city where you could see that it was not a good area to visit but interestingly....this area was nothing more than a single block away from million dollar homes so once again...it was a good example of how everyone lives together and that you're always just one street away from the high priced or the less desirable streets of the city.
Along the way we also stopped at a graveyard where all the graves are above ground (due to the high water table and probability of flooding). Originally, Catholics were not allowed to be cremated so everyone had to be buried. Families would invest in a crypt that would last them for generations. One grave we visited held more than 100 family members! When they died their body would be embalmed just enough to get them through the funeral. They would then be put into a wooden box in the above ground crypt for a minimum of a year and a day. After that time had passed, the caretaker would open their crypt and empty the coffin of their very decomposed remains. Any remaining bones would be crushed by a sledgehammer and everything would be put back into the crypt and pushed with a 10 foot pole to the back of the crypt where a crevace that went down into a hole in the ground would swallow the remains and allow them to complete the process of decomposition back into the earth. This was where the term "wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole" came from.
All in all, it was another great tour and I'm amazed how much we've been able to see and do in just a few days!
Back at the hotel and with a little time to kill before dinner and concert with Charmaine Neville tonight so while Linda-Kay and J.W. decided to take a little break, the rest of us planned to catch the street car right out in front of our hotel to take us to the French Market for a little shopping. But....the best laid plans...... The car that was there wasn't going in the right direction so Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann decided to walk instead but I was bound and determined to ride a street car so wanted to wait for the right car to come along. It wasn't a long wait before he arrived. I had gathered up a bunch of the change from in my purse (getting way too heavy!) and had a handful to pay my $1.25. We climbed on and the driver said I had to put in each coin one at a time - which I did - while Verna-Lee commented on the fact that we may reach our destination by the time I finished putting in all my coins at the speed I was going but heh....there are a lot of pennies in $1.25! I finally finished and Verna-Lee put in her $1.25 as the car started to move and we fell into our seats. There was a local fellow sitting in the front seat who was shaking his head at our antics and when I asked him if he could tell it was our first time...he simply nodded and held up two fingers to show that it was "just a little" obvious :) Verna-Lee then told me that I could now cross the street car off my 'to do' list and the same fellow said, "you're crossing it off your list?" When we both nodded...he smiled and said...."well, you're on an awfully short ride to be able to cross it off your list as the train will be stopping again in less than 2 blocks" and from the look on our faces he could see we were in trouble! Fortunately for us, he took pity, got the driver to issue us transfers which would enable us to catch another train that would take us to where we wanted to go. Our new friend then walked us around the corner and to the correct set of tracks where we sat, laughed, and waited for the next street car. Our friend went on his way walking in the same direction as the car we were waiting for would go and his parting comment to us was that he'd likely make it there before we would! But we did make it and we feel like we're both street car experts as a result of our adventures so when we go to get on the St Charles line (the oldest in the country) we'll know to get the $3 day pass that will allow us to ride anywhere for a 24 hour period.
Finally in the French Market, we met Charles Garrison, an evangelical emergency room nurse poet/preacher who wanted to recite one of his poems for us. He looked like such a nice guy (and it turned out that he is) so we said "sure" and he did....he recited one, then two, then three, and well....it went on for a while :) But...he really is a nice guy and interesting to talk to and before we left him I had purchased a copy of his poem called NOLA - Not Anymore (NOLA stands for New Orleans Lousianna) and although my copying it into this blog won't do it the justice that his voice, cadence, and passion do for it...here it is for you to enjoy too. He wrote the poem right after Katrina.....
Not Anymore can I stand
from corner to corner
Street after street open to anything
or anyone I meet
Not to be handled like a tramp
on the street
Not Anymore will I stand in defeat
Part of me still longs for the
party and booze
Not caring of the self respect
I stand to lose
I can't go on like this
Not Anymore
My children are weeping
some heads held in shame
Hoping their birthplace
would not be the same
Yes there must be music
and all that jazz
But remember that that came from
the swift thoughts of my past
Needing to improvise, just to stay alive
and when we sang the blues
Real tears in our eyes
But Not Anymore
not like before
The whole world is watching
the kids are at the door
Watching their city and crying
Not Anymore
To hear Charles tell it....it's easy to see/feel the discomfort of the locals with the debauchery that is the public face that so much of New Orleans wears for the world to watch or participate in. New Orleans has an interesting culture and the people are proud of their heritage and the history that brought them to where they are today. The Creole, the Cajun, the French, the Blacks, the Europeans....I'm sure there is more to it but so far it seems to me that while there is some overlap in that they're all American's in Louisiana, they're also very proud of their heritage. Charles' table was as far as we made it into the French Market before it was time to head off for our dinner plans so we hit the streets once again....this time on foot.
It wasn't far to the Praline (pronounced prawlene) Connection where "Dan the Man" had suggested we'd find some good old fashioned soul food. Our server Shay took good care of us and while the fried chicken wasn't as good as what we'd had at Mrs Wilkes a couple of years ago when we were in Savannah, the side of cabbage was AMAZING! From dinner we walked the short distance to a little place called Snug Harbour where we made our way to the balcony where we had the best seats in the house for a wonderful show with Charmaine Neville and her band. During the show she was joined by her son Damian who is a performer in his own right. All in all, it was a great show with fantastic musicians playing in a venue that is filled with atmosphere that supports the whole experience.
By the time we "danced" our way out of Snug Harbour it was almost 10:00 so we started the long chilly walk back to our hotel. Verna-Lee and I strolled while the others made their way much more quickly...it really is cold here! Verna-Lee and I had a wonderful stroll home though and it was perfect to walk the length of Royal Ave looking in shop windows, enjoying the Christmas lights that have magically appeared in the past two days, saying hello to passersby on the street, and just feeling the vibe of the city at night.
Back in the hotel and catching up on this blog and I have to tell you about something that just happened here......the New Orleans Saints just beat the New York Giants here in New Orleans and EVERYONE is cheering for the Saints!! The game is playing everywhere (even in the police station), people (even Charmaine Neville) are wearing Saints jerseys or other Saints paraphanalia, and two girls just walked through the hotel lobby wearing grass skirt/tutus and no one even blinked an eye! It's just that everything here seems to be okay. It's really kind of weird but super nice too.
Time to call it a day....till next time,
Lorrie Mae
Nov 27th cont'd
We survived our tour with Lord Chaz.....but....the echo of Miss Jenny-Ann's screams will long be heard throughout the French Quarter of New Orleans.
It was a great evening with Lord Chaz playing his part to the fullest and combining both ghostly and vampires tales for our 2 hour walking tour. Lord Chaz arrives dressed in full costume (although it may not be a costume for him!) complete with inch long razor sharp black finger nails and top hat. He's been doing these tours for 20 years and has his performance down pat. He's been featured on A & E, is said to be the best in the business, and enjoys the odd cameo appearance in major motion vampire flicks (eg: Interview with a Vampire).
From the largest single family home in the Quarter where 37 people mysteriously and violently met their demise in a single night (still unsolved to this day) to a convent that is reputed to be the source for vampires on this continent....we had a night full of anticipation. All of the "stories" along the tour began with the historical facts and were followed by the sighting, lore, and possibilities. We heard the story of a young man who left his "checkers" on a Romeo catcher, which cost him his life, while trying to escape a tryst via the second story gallery (gallery is what they call a balcony with support posts - if there were no support posts it would be called a balcony). A romeo catcher is a series of 3 pronged deadly iron spikes found on the gallery support posts and only on the homes where there are daughters inside. We were given cause to wonder about whether Lord Chaz was himself a vampire based on his ability to stop and restart his own pulse at will. He further supported this question by not blinking and finally by drawing his own blood and then healing the puncture wounds in his arm within minutes. Yes.....it was an evening of mystery and intrigue and Jenny-Ann truly did add to the ambiance with her blood curdling scream that was prompted by Lord Chaz popping out from around a corner when she didn't expect it - thank heavens it wasn't Helena-Marie he surprised....that would not have been a good thing!!
Finished our evening back in the room with a picnic on my bed and lots of giggles about the evenings adventures.
Lorrie-Mae
It was a great evening with Lord Chaz playing his part to the fullest and combining both ghostly and vampires tales for our 2 hour walking tour. Lord Chaz arrives dressed in full costume (although it may not be a costume for him!) complete with inch long razor sharp black finger nails and top hat. He's been doing these tours for 20 years and has his performance down pat. He's been featured on A & E, is said to be the best in the business, and enjoys the odd cameo appearance in major motion vampire flicks (eg: Interview with a Vampire).
From the largest single family home in the Quarter where 37 people mysteriously and violently met their demise in a single night (still unsolved to this day) to a convent that is reputed to be the source for vampires on this continent....we had a night full of anticipation. All of the "stories" along the tour began with the historical facts and were followed by the sighting, lore, and possibilities. We heard the story of a young man who left his "checkers" on a Romeo catcher, which cost him his life, while trying to escape a tryst via the second story gallery (gallery is what they call a balcony with support posts - if there were no support posts it would be called a balcony). A romeo catcher is a series of 3 pronged deadly iron spikes found on the gallery support posts and only on the homes where there are daughters inside. We were given cause to wonder about whether Lord Chaz was himself a vampire based on his ability to stop and restart his own pulse at will. He further supported this question by not blinking and finally by drawing his own blood and then healing the puncture wounds in his arm within minutes. Yes.....it was an evening of mystery and intrigue and Jenny-Ann truly did add to the ambiance with her blood curdling scream that was prompted by Lord Chaz popping out from around a corner when she didn't expect it - thank heavens it wasn't Helena-Marie he surprised....that would not have been a good thing!!
Finished our evening back in the room with a picnic on my bed and lots of giggles about the evenings adventures.
Lorrie-Mae
Sunday, November 27, 2011
November 27, 2011
Driver was here to pick us up for Plantation Tour at 7:45 a.m. and what a great tour it was! The drive out of the city was interesting and took the better part of an hour. we drove past bayou swamps and cypress groves, through Cajun country (deported Acadians from Canada), over a 24 mile bridge (all over water), along/over one of the largest lakes in the USA, and right up to the front door of our first plantation tour stop - Oak Alley.
This antebellum (pre-war) home built in the greek style was the fancier of the two that we would see today and although the house was quite lovely...it was the grounds and the "alley" of oaks leading up to the house that really took my breath away.
Our guide at this home was dressed in period costume and fit right into the flavour of that 19th century era. An interesting tidbit we learned was that guests might come to stay for a few days or a few months - depending on where they had travelled from. Typically, guests would be greeted each morning with a cut pineapple awaiting them...on the day that they were greeted with an uncut pineapple they knew, their host was telling them it was time to move on. We also learned that the average man was only 5'4" and the average woman was under 5' tall.
An interesting bonus for me was that ....Our tour group included a woman from Ireland and in conversation with her I discovered that she is familiar with Derrygooney - the town in Ireland where my cousins live. As it turns out, the original mistress at Oak Alley was also from Ireland. And.... if you can believe this....she also came from another small town about 20 miles from where my cousins still live today! This fact may not mean much to many of you reading this blog but....for those of you who are familiar with Derrygooney and how small it is and how many tiny towns dot the countryside of Ireland....this really is an amazing coincidence! The Irish link gave me some additional perspective and appreciation for this part of our tour.
From Oak Alley we were off to a completely different plantation. This 12,000 acre farm was called Laura and the home was built in a west indies style for the two Creole (any combination of African, European, and Native American) families who would live here for the next 200 years. This plantation is unique as it was run exclusively and successfully by women (VERY unusual for the times). In true Creole fashion, English was never spoken in this home until recent years when it was opened for tours. Our tour started under the house where we saw roman numerals carved into the virgin cypress beams. The numbers related to the overall design and size by addressing the number of pegs (or posts) that would support the building. Everything for the home came from the property and the slaves who built it spent almost two years cutting and drying the timber and making bricks. Once everything was ready....the whole house took only 11 days to erect - the original pre-fab home! The house was simple but comfortable and in Creole tradition whenever anyone came to do business they would be received by their host into the male or the female meeting room (a part of the bedroom) before they'd ever be invited to come into the sitting room. This Creole cultural norm ensured that everyone understood that although social interactions are valued and important, having the business connection preceed any socializing kept the door open to do business at any time. There were as many as 250 slaves living on this property at it's busiest. We also visited the kitchen gardens that were more than 20 acres in size when the plantation was fully occupied. And on the food front....slaves were only given a light breakfast and a main midday meal but nothing in the evening! During the sugar cane harvest, slaves were also expected to work the fields 20 hours per day leaving them only 4 hours/day for sleep between September and December.
And last but not least....although there have been a couple of translations and re-writes.....Laura is the original home of Uncle Remus, Br'er Rabbit, and crew.
On the way back to the city we saw an aluminum smelter (everything was covered in some kind of orange powder/pollution, drove past oil refineries, and sugar processing plants - lots of industry here!
Super interesting sight/tradition along the 35-40 foot high levees that line 600 miles of the Mississippi River. Every year at this time young locals build timber towers (maybe 15-20 feet tall) that will be lit as bonfires on Christmas Eve to light the way for Santa to help him find his way. Sounds like lots of fun and from the look of it everyone is excited to participate in the building.
All in all the Plantation Tour was amazing! 6 full hours and only $60.....we all feel like we're getting good value for our dollar :)
By the time we got back into the city we were all hungry again so headed around the corner and down a couple of blocks to a place called Mothers where we had home-style local cooking. My turnip greens were AMAZING!! and the peach cobbler was a highlight.
Tonight we're off to do our ghostly tour with Lord Chaz so better run for now....till next time.....
Lorrie-Mae
This antebellum (pre-war) home built in the greek style was the fancier of the two that we would see today and although the house was quite lovely...it was the grounds and the "alley" of oaks leading up to the house that really took my breath away.
Our guide at this home was dressed in period costume and fit right into the flavour of that 19th century era. An interesting tidbit we learned was that guests might come to stay for a few days or a few months - depending on where they had travelled from. Typically, guests would be greeted each morning with a cut pineapple awaiting them...on the day that they were greeted with an uncut pineapple they knew, their host was telling them it was time to move on. We also learned that the average man was only 5'4" and the average woman was under 5' tall.
An interesting bonus for me was that ....Our tour group included a woman from Ireland and in conversation with her I discovered that she is familiar with Derrygooney - the town in Ireland where my cousins live. As it turns out, the original mistress at Oak Alley was also from Ireland. And.... if you can believe this....she also came from another small town about 20 miles from where my cousins still live today! This fact may not mean much to many of you reading this blog but....for those of you who are familiar with Derrygooney and how small it is and how many tiny towns dot the countryside of Ireland....this really is an amazing coincidence! The Irish link gave me some additional perspective and appreciation for this part of our tour.
From Oak Alley we were off to a completely different plantation. This 12,000 acre farm was called Laura and the home was built in a west indies style for the two Creole (any combination of African, European, and Native American) families who would live here for the next 200 years. This plantation is unique as it was run exclusively and successfully by women (VERY unusual for the times). In true Creole fashion, English was never spoken in this home until recent years when it was opened for tours. Our tour started under the house where we saw roman numerals carved into the virgin cypress beams. The numbers related to the overall design and size by addressing the number of pegs (or posts) that would support the building. Everything for the home came from the property and the slaves who built it spent almost two years cutting and drying the timber and making bricks. Once everything was ready....the whole house took only 11 days to erect - the original pre-fab home! The house was simple but comfortable and in Creole tradition whenever anyone came to do business they would be received by their host into the male or the female meeting room (a part of the bedroom) before they'd ever be invited to come into the sitting room. This Creole cultural norm ensured that everyone understood that although social interactions are valued and important, having the business connection preceed any socializing kept the door open to do business at any time. There were as many as 250 slaves living on this property at it's busiest. We also visited the kitchen gardens that were more than 20 acres in size when the plantation was fully occupied. And on the food front....slaves were only given a light breakfast and a main midday meal but nothing in the evening! During the sugar cane harvest, slaves were also expected to work the fields 20 hours per day leaving them only 4 hours/day for sleep between September and December.
And last but not least....although there have been a couple of translations and re-writes.....Laura is the original home of Uncle Remus, Br'er Rabbit, and crew.
On the way back to the city we saw an aluminum smelter (everything was covered in some kind of orange powder/pollution, drove past oil refineries, and sugar processing plants - lots of industry here!
Super interesting sight/tradition along the 35-40 foot high levees that line 600 miles of the Mississippi River. Every year at this time young locals build timber towers (maybe 15-20 feet tall) that will be lit as bonfires on Christmas Eve to light the way for Santa to help him find his way. Sounds like lots of fun and from the look of it everyone is excited to participate in the building.
All in all the Plantation Tour was amazing! 6 full hours and only $60.....we all feel like we're getting good value for our dollar :)
By the time we got back into the city we were all hungry again so headed around the corner and down a couple of blocks to a place called Mothers where we had home-style local cooking. My turnip greens were AMAZING!! and the peach cobbler was a highlight.
Tonight we're off to do our ghostly tour with Lord Chaz so better run for now....till next time.....
Lorrie-Mae
Nov 26th cont'd
Before I can move to the 27th....I really must fill you in on the rest of last night's escapades. Our plan was to experience N.O. in all it's ghostly splendour with world reknowned ghost tour guide named Lord Chaz but....our very own ghost was messing with our plans again and we had to postpone the tour till Sunday night.
Don't despair though as we're all into full vacation mode now and so were able to roll with that punch with ease :)
Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann took off to check out a shop we'd seen on the way to meet up with our ghost tour and 'Dan the Man' led the rest of us down the street a little way (just off Bourbon St) and into Pat O'Briens where the dueling pianos were already hard at work. Linda-Kay, J.W., Verna-Lee, and I located a table in front of the performers and dove right into the insanity by ordering a couple of the house special drinks....the Hurricane....a tasty concoction that includes a full four ounces of rum!! In no time (and thanks to the magic of fermented sugar cane) our table of four was swaying and singing along with the rest of the room. What fun!!
From Pat O'Briens we took off for another place around the corner and right on Bourbon St called the Funky Pirate where Big Al Carson was the featured artist. It was obvious why he's called Big Al (at least 500 lbs) and man oh man...his voice is like smoky velvet! He really was amazing and could tell a story that seemed to be part of the song but that was completely ad lib. They could have turned down the volume just a bit but I won't complain too much as it was a fantastic experience.
Linda-Kay and J.W. left Verna-Lee and I there and once Big Al's show was finished we too left the Funky Pirate to wander Bourbon St with the masses. Verna-Lee described that Bourbon St experience as "feeling like a salmon swimming upstream" and I think she hit the nail on the head. There were a LOT of people!!! Amazingly....there really weren't any problems though....this city is used to managing large crowds and it shows.
It is so much fun to be able to wander between establishments, drink in hand, enjoying the music and the festive energy of the crowd. We've decided that every city should have a Bourbon St!
Verna-Lee and I visited several more bars along Bourbon St but couldn't find anything that really called for us to stay and knowing that we had a very early morning tour in the a.m. decided to call it a night.
Back at the hotel things were a rockin!! The Sheraton and the Marriott (right across Canal St from the Sheraton) are the hub of all things Bayou Classic (or at least that's the way it seems). We could hardly get into our hotel lobby for the masses of people and had we not had on the red wrist bands they issued us at check in....we'd have been sleeping on the streets! We had to line up to access the elevator and since we're on the 44th floor....there was no way that the stairs were an option in my mind! We did make it to the room eventually where we fell into the beds that we've decided are some of the most comfortable we've ever enjoyed.
later,
Lorrie-Mae
Don't despair though as we're all into full vacation mode now and so were able to roll with that punch with ease :)
Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann took off to check out a shop we'd seen on the way to meet up with our ghost tour and 'Dan the Man' led the rest of us down the street a little way (just off Bourbon St) and into Pat O'Briens where the dueling pianos were already hard at work. Linda-Kay, J.W., Verna-Lee, and I located a table in front of the performers and dove right into the insanity by ordering a couple of the house special drinks....the Hurricane....a tasty concoction that includes a full four ounces of rum!! In no time (and thanks to the magic of fermented sugar cane) our table of four was swaying and singing along with the rest of the room. What fun!!
From Pat O'Briens we took off for another place around the corner and right on Bourbon St called the Funky Pirate where Big Al Carson was the featured artist. It was obvious why he's called Big Al (at least 500 lbs) and man oh man...his voice is like smoky velvet! He really was amazing and could tell a story that seemed to be part of the song but that was completely ad lib. They could have turned down the volume just a bit but I won't complain too much as it was a fantastic experience.
Linda-Kay and J.W. left Verna-Lee and I there and once Big Al's show was finished we too left the Funky Pirate to wander Bourbon St with the masses. Verna-Lee described that Bourbon St experience as "feeling like a salmon swimming upstream" and I think she hit the nail on the head. There were a LOT of people!!! Amazingly....there really weren't any problems though....this city is used to managing large crowds and it shows.
It is so much fun to be able to wander between establishments, drink in hand, enjoying the music and the festive energy of the crowd. We've decided that every city should have a Bourbon St!
Verna-Lee and I visited several more bars along Bourbon St but couldn't find anything that really called for us to stay and knowing that we had a very early morning tour in the a.m. decided to call it a night.
Back at the hotel things were a rockin!! The Sheraton and the Marriott (right across Canal St from the Sheraton) are the hub of all things Bayou Classic (or at least that's the way it seems). We could hardly get into our hotel lobby for the masses of people and had we not had on the red wrist bands they issued us at check in....we'd have been sleeping on the streets! We had to line up to access the elevator and since we're on the 44th floor....there was no way that the stairs were an option in my mind! We did make it to the room eventually where we fell into the beds that we've decided are some of the most comfortable we've ever enjoyed.
later,
Lorrie-Mae
Saturday, November 26, 2011
November 26, 2011
OMG - what a day...and it's still not over!
Verna-Lee and I started it off with a buffet breakfast at the casino. Not bad....lots to choose from and GREAT coffee :-) Oh ya....and I walked out with a little extra $$ than I went in with - wahoo!!
Back to hotel in time to connect with the rest of our group and to meet the pick up service for the next phase of our adventure. Climbed aboard at 11:00 a.m. and learned that the name "The Big Easy" came from a local restaurant (many years ago) and that Jean Lafitte, a very successful and wealthy pirate of the day, was able to cause great upset for the governor of Louisanna by giving him back a little of his own medicine. The governor had posted a $500 reward for Jean Lafitte so in exchange Jean Lafitte posted a $1000 reward for the governor! Brings a whole new perspective to the situation doesn't it?! :-) gotta love those pirates...Jean Lafitte, Jack Sparrow....it's their names that still live on while governor "who"?? from the same era is long gone from everyone's memory.
Arrived at our destination where we met Captain Chip and boarded our airboat....yes people.....I can check that one off my bucket list! In no time at all we were flying across the top of the bayou into the swamps in search of alligators and adventure. In no time at all lady luck shone on us again by presenting a cute little guy right around the first bend. Captain Chip was surprised as we're a little late to see many with the weather being too cold for them. By this time of year...they slow their heart rates down to about 4 beats per minute which means that they only have to come up for air once per day!!! In all, we saw about 8 alligators and LOTS of birds. We learned about spanish moss (originally called Spanish beard) and that the soldiers once used to suture their wounds. Within the centre of the already threadlike leaves there is an even skinnier and very strong bit that is the thread. The Spanish moss was also dried and used to stuff bedding and furniture. They called the dried moss 'horse hair' and so now we're wondering if that old furniture we grew up with and that was stuffed with horse hair was actually stuffed with spanish moss!!??
As our 2 hours on the bayou came to a close the skies opened up and annointed us (at least that sounds nicer than it felt!!)
Our drive back to New Orleans was about 30 minutes and although the rain let up somewhat it was still coming down.
Helena-Marie was STARVING so she, Jenny-Ann, Verna-Lee, and I hit the French Quarter in search of sustenance. Our trek took us to a fantastic place where we all enjoyed our meals while watching the Battle of the Marching Bands on the oversized TV.
Our day is far from over but this missive is done for now....will try to catch you up on our evenings adventures but....who knows what the dark of night will bring in this "interesting" city :)
till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
Verna-Lee and I started it off with a buffet breakfast at the casino. Not bad....lots to choose from and GREAT coffee :-) Oh ya....and I walked out with a little extra $$ than I went in with - wahoo!!
Back to hotel in time to connect with the rest of our group and to meet the pick up service for the next phase of our adventure. Climbed aboard at 11:00 a.m. and learned that the name "The Big Easy" came from a local restaurant (many years ago) and that Jean Lafitte, a very successful and wealthy pirate of the day, was able to cause great upset for the governor of Louisanna by giving him back a little of his own medicine. The governor had posted a $500 reward for Jean Lafitte so in exchange Jean Lafitte posted a $1000 reward for the governor! Brings a whole new perspective to the situation doesn't it?! :-) gotta love those pirates...Jean Lafitte, Jack Sparrow....it's their names that still live on while governor "who"?? from the same era is long gone from everyone's memory.
Arrived at our destination where we met Captain Chip and boarded our airboat....yes people.....I can check that one off my bucket list! In no time at all we were flying across the top of the bayou into the swamps in search of alligators and adventure. In no time at all lady luck shone on us again by presenting a cute little guy right around the first bend. Captain Chip was surprised as we're a little late to see many with the weather being too cold for them. By this time of year...they slow their heart rates down to about 4 beats per minute which means that they only have to come up for air once per day!!! In all, we saw about 8 alligators and LOTS of birds. We learned about spanish moss (originally called Spanish beard) and that the soldiers once used to suture their wounds. Within the centre of the already threadlike leaves there is an even skinnier and very strong bit that is the thread. The Spanish moss was also dried and used to stuff bedding and furniture. They called the dried moss 'horse hair' and so now we're wondering if that old furniture we grew up with and that was stuffed with horse hair was actually stuffed with spanish moss!!??
As our 2 hours on the bayou came to a close the skies opened up and annointed us (at least that sounds nicer than it felt!!)
Our drive back to New Orleans was about 30 minutes and although the rain let up somewhat it was still coming down.
Helena-Marie was STARVING so she, Jenny-Ann, Verna-Lee, and I hit the French Quarter in search of sustenance. Our trek took us to a fantastic place where we all enjoyed our meals while watching the Battle of the Marching Bands on the oversized TV.
Our day is far from over but this missive is done for now....will try to catch you up on our evenings adventures but....who knows what the dark of night will bring in this "interesting" city :)
till next time,
Lorrie-Mae
November 25, 2011
OK…..this is a cruel joke……every clock in our room is WRONG! We’re stuck in a time warped room….agggghhhhhhh!! We’re absolutely certain that we have a ghost in here with us…… But we sure have a nice view to bring balance to the situation. :)
We planned to meet at 7:15 a.m. in the lobby but here we are possibly an hour behind schedule because we truly aren’t sure what the time is. We set two alarms for this morning – just to be on the safe side – and nothing has worked so we’re as about confused as you can get. Maybe it’s all a sign, and we’re not meant to go to the Factory Outlet, so Jenny-Ann has cancelled the car and we’re going to roll with it and do that shopping adventure on Sunday or another day instead. The TV news this morning is that the traffic on that highway is horrendous (combination of Black Friday shoppers and people en route to a big football game in Baton Rouge) so maybe our crazy clocks are a blessing in disguise. The other thing is that we have no hot water in our shower…..it’s starting to look like it will be an interesting day.
The sun over the Mississippi River this morning is brighter than you can imagine! It looks like we’re bound for a perfect New Orleans day.
Since we’re not driving to the outlet centre…..we’ve decided that today will be a day of walking instead. The sun is going to shine all day and the temperature is absolutely perfect so we’re going to take full advantage of that fact.
We hit the Starbucks that is in the hotel lobby and were met by a bright and cheery barista who proceeded to tell us all about her family’s Thanksgiving Dinner where the star of the meal was a turducken (yes….it’s all the rage….a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a turkey!) She said it was good ……we’re going to take her word for it……I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to be trying to do that any time soon!
From the lobby we took off down Canal Street to the ferry dock and the far end of the river walk. We could not have asked for a better day! Along the river walk there are signs telling the story of the history of the river, the music of the region, and many more historic stats. There was one sign in particular that really resonated for me and that spoke to the mystery and the history of the river and it said, “the Old Muddy enters your soul and touches your deepest imagination stimulating curious and unexpected feelings and associations.” Maybe it was the Christmas jazz music playing in the background, maybe it was the warm sun and the light breeze, maybe it was the lack of sleep and the crazy morning we’d had with the clocks, or maybe it was just simply the truth…..the Old Muddy and all the stories we’ve grown up with about it do get into your soul and stir imaginings and unexpected emotions.
We wandered past fountains and parks, statues and stores…..and oh yes of course we stopped in one or two of those stores…..it is Black Friday after all We were in Saks and Coach and Banana Republic and Chanel and well……a lot of very exclusive places where there are some very expensive clothes! In fact….Verna-Lee even checked out a couple of $7000 dresses but don’t worry Bruce….she only bought one of them.
Eventually we found ourselves back in the French Quarter and feeling a little hungry. As luck would have it our noses led us to Huck Finn’s where we had a fantastic breakfast (mine was a crawfish skillet and delish!) for a reasonable price and with great service…..much different than the night before at the restaurant in our hotel! After breakfast we spent a little time checking out the fish tank in the restaurant where ironically there are no fish. But…..where there are baby alligators and turtles. They bring the babies in from the swamp for their aquarium and when the babies outgrow the tank….it’s back to the bayou for them and a few new babies are rounded up to take their place at the restaurant.
Bolstered by breakfast we were back to the streets and on the move again. We wandered in and out of shops, we watched the musicians starting to set up on street corners (this city definitely sleeps until at least 1:00 p.m.) There were young boys with some kind of metal taps stuck to the bottom of their shoes dancing up a storm for the small crowds that were beginning to wander the streets with us, there were full jazz bands performing in front of buildings that looked like they were straight out of a movie, there were buskers dressed as statues coming to life for their audience, and I got a surprise when a small car on the corner turned into a man right before my eyes! Yes folks….Transformers are real and they live on the streets of Nawleans! You’ll be wondering about my spelling of New Orleans in that last sentence….suffice it to say that even some of the signage here has a strong southern accent and Nawleans is the phonetic spelling for this amazing city.
As morning turned to afternoon the sun continued to shine on us and the humidity level went up a couple of notches….it was a good reminder of why we wouldn’t want to be visiting here at the peak of summer!
By the time midafternoon hit, we were ready for a break and once again, lady luck was with us as the Café du Monde was right in front of us. There were lineups all around the place but somehow our luck continued and we managed to get right in, locate a table, and get a cup of really good coffee and a couple of plates of beignets (deep fried donuts that have been covered in a small mountain of icing sugar). I’ll halt here for a minute to describe for you the scene at the Café du Monde…..there are literally hundreds of people either seated or waiting for service at the café. It is an outdoor style so very open and festive. There are bands playing across the street and so the air is rich with music and laughter. There is a breeze blowing and the smell in the air is sweet and tempting. The backdrop to it all is the Old Muddy who continues to wind its way along the shoreline as it has done since the beginning of time. The four of us (Helena-Marie, Verna-Lee, Jenny-Ann, and I) are seated at a table where the dirty dishes from the last guests are still piled high, where there is powdered sugar scattered everywhere (floors, chairs, and table alike) and where there is a sign that says, “whatever you do – don’t wear black to the Café du Monde!” We look at one another and all of us had something black on but Jenny-Ann was the winner….she was dressed completely in black and by the time we had been seated for less than a minute she was covered in the sticky white powder!....as was Verna-Lee’s pack and Jenny-Ann’s purse. Helena-Marie and I got off the easiest! Thank heaven for Jenny-Ann’s Mary Poppins purse….she pulled out her pack of Wet Ones and we were cleaned up in no time. The beignets were tasty and the coffee divine so once we were fueled and ready to go again we were back to the streets of the French Quarter.
Royal Street was the next one we tackled and along it we met ‘Dan the Man’. Dan has a business setting up tours and after an hour with him we were armed with new perspective, a ton of information on things to see and do and where to find the best deals on everything from restaurants to bars and phone cards to musical events. We also came away with having booked a swamp tour complete with air boat, a ghost tour (with the very best of the guides), a Plantation tour of both Oak Alley and the Laura, and the name of a fortune teller we might just check out before we leave this vibrant city.
By the time we made it back to our hotel after a full day of walking the streets…..Helena-Marie was the only one not feeling the pain of the miles we’d put in on the pavement. Jenny-Ann hit the shower and Verna-Lee and I popped an anti-inflammatory, chased it down with a bottle of wine, and headed back out and across the street where we signed up for a massage that can only be described as magical!
Feeling refreshed…… we reconnected with Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann and were off to dinner at a Japanese restaurant where we met up with Linda-Kay and J.W. who filled us in on their day of adventure along many of the same streets we had hiked. It’s amazing that we didn’t bump into one another as we were likely only minutes away from each other at several points in the day.
We’re back in the hotel now and everyone but me is sound asleep….and I’m not far from sleep myself! I will leave you with what I know is going on at street level tonight and the picture I can see from our hotel window before I sign off though…….
Canal Street is completely blocked off by police lines (its normally a main thoroughfare), there are hundreds (probably thousands) of police and other security staff everywhere you look, I can hear the police whistles and the sound of the crowds on the street right through the closed window 44 stories above the ground, there are people coming and going in the hallways, there is a phone ringing somewhere……this night (and the two that will follow) are the biggest/busiest nights of the year in New Orleans! I always thought that Mardi Gras was the craziest day but no…they say that this annual event is even bigger than that! This is something called the Bayou Classic where several college football teams gather to vie for the championship and along with them come their thousands of fans from far and wide. There is not a hotel room to be had in the city and my guess is that there will be some serious “action” on the streets tonight. Earlier, a policeman warned Jenny-Ann to be careful tonight as it’s likely to be a wild one. We decided to avoid the wilder nights and after all the miles we put in today, we were ready to just put our feet up and have a ‘night in’. Fortunately we all had our red wrist bands (issued at check in and specifically for this 3 day Bayou Classic event) so we were able to get back in to our hotel elevator where there is an abundance of security allowing only those with our wrist bands back into the hotel.
Tomorrow is a whole new day with adventure on the horizon…..our swamp tour guide will pick us up at 11:00 a.m. and I think the plan is to hit the casino before that. Now now people……we’re not gambling….we’re going for breakfast……Dan the Man told us that they have a great buffet for under $10 so we’re going to call it brunch and be back in time to catch our ride.
Till tomorrow……
Lorrie
We planned to meet at 7:15 a.m. in the lobby but here we are possibly an hour behind schedule because we truly aren’t sure what the time is. We set two alarms for this morning – just to be on the safe side – and nothing has worked so we’re as about confused as you can get. Maybe it’s all a sign, and we’re not meant to go to the Factory Outlet, so Jenny-Ann has cancelled the car and we’re going to roll with it and do that shopping adventure on Sunday or another day instead. The TV news this morning is that the traffic on that highway is horrendous (combination of Black Friday shoppers and people en route to a big football game in Baton Rouge) so maybe our crazy clocks are a blessing in disguise. The other thing is that we have no hot water in our shower…..it’s starting to look like it will be an interesting day.
The sun over the Mississippi River this morning is brighter than you can imagine! It looks like we’re bound for a perfect New Orleans day.
Since we’re not driving to the outlet centre…..we’ve decided that today will be a day of walking instead. The sun is going to shine all day and the temperature is absolutely perfect so we’re going to take full advantage of that fact.
We hit the Starbucks that is in the hotel lobby and were met by a bright and cheery barista who proceeded to tell us all about her family’s Thanksgiving Dinner where the star of the meal was a turducken (yes….it’s all the rage….a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a turkey!) She said it was good ……we’re going to take her word for it……I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to be trying to do that any time soon!
From the lobby we took off down Canal Street to the ferry dock and the far end of the river walk. We could not have asked for a better day! Along the river walk there are signs telling the story of the history of the river, the music of the region, and many more historic stats. There was one sign in particular that really resonated for me and that spoke to the mystery and the history of the river and it said, “the Old Muddy enters your soul and touches your deepest imagination stimulating curious and unexpected feelings and associations.” Maybe it was the Christmas jazz music playing in the background, maybe it was the warm sun and the light breeze, maybe it was the lack of sleep and the crazy morning we’d had with the clocks, or maybe it was just simply the truth…..the Old Muddy and all the stories we’ve grown up with about it do get into your soul and stir imaginings and unexpected emotions.
We wandered past fountains and parks, statues and stores…..and oh yes of course we stopped in one or two of those stores…..it is Black Friday after all We were in Saks and Coach and Banana Republic and Chanel and well……a lot of very exclusive places where there are some very expensive clothes! In fact….Verna-Lee even checked out a couple of $7000 dresses but don’t worry Bruce….she only bought one of them.
Eventually we found ourselves back in the French Quarter and feeling a little hungry. As luck would have it our noses led us to Huck Finn’s where we had a fantastic breakfast (mine was a crawfish skillet and delish!) for a reasonable price and with great service…..much different than the night before at the restaurant in our hotel! After breakfast we spent a little time checking out the fish tank in the restaurant where ironically there are no fish. But…..where there are baby alligators and turtles. They bring the babies in from the swamp for their aquarium and when the babies outgrow the tank….it’s back to the bayou for them and a few new babies are rounded up to take their place at the restaurant.
Bolstered by breakfast we were back to the streets and on the move again. We wandered in and out of shops, we watched the musicians starting to set up on street corners (this city definitely sleeps until at least 1:00 p.m.) There were young boys with some kind of metal taps stuck to the bottom of their shoes dancing up a storm for the small crowds that were beginning to wander the streets with us, there were full jazz bands performing in front of buildings that looked like they were straight out of a movie, there were buskers dressed as statues coming to life for their audience, and I got a surprise when a small car on the corner turned into a man right before my eyes! Yes folks….Transformers are real and they live on the streets of Nawleans! You’ll be wondering about my spelling of New Orleans in that last sentence….suffice it to say that even some of the signage here has a strong southern accent and Nawleans is the phonetic spelling for this amazing city.
As morning turned to afternoon the sun continued to shine on us and the humidity level went up a couple of notches….it was a good reminder of why we wouldn’t want to be visiting here at the peak of summer!
By the time midafternoon hit, we were ready for a break and once again, lady luck was with us as the Café du Monde was right in front of us. There were lineups all around the place but somehow our luck continued and we managed to get right in, locate a table, and get a cup of really good coffee and a couple of plates of beignets (deep fried donuts that have been covered in a small mountain of icing sugar). I’ll halt here for a minute to describe for you the scene at the Café du Monde…..there are literally hundreds of people either seated or waiting for service at the café. It is an outdoor style so very open and festive. There are bands playing across the street and so the air is rich with music and laughter. There is a breeze blowing and the smell in the air is sweet and tempting. The backdrop to it all is the Old Muddy who continues to wind its way along the shoreline as it has done since the beginning of time. The four of us (Helena-Marie, Verna-Lee, Jenny-Ann, and I) are seated at a table where the dirty dishes from the last guests are still piled high, where there is powdered sugar scattered everywhere (floors, chairs, and table alike) and where there is a sign that says, “whatever you do – don’t wear black to the Café du Monde!” We look at one another and all of us had something black on but Jenny-Ann was the winner….she was dressed completely in black and by the time we had been seated for less than a minute she was covered in the sticky white powder!....as was Verna-Lee’s pack and Jenny-Ann’s purse. Helena-Marie and I got off the easiest! Thank heaven for Jenny-Ann’s Mary Poppins purse….she pulled out her pack of Wet Ones and we were cleaned up in no time. The beignets were tasty and the coffee divine so once we were fueled and ready to go again we were back to the streets of the French Quarter.
Royal Street was the next one we tackled and along it we met ‘Dan the Man’. Dan has a business setting up tours and after an hour with him we were armed with new perspective, a ton of information on things to see and do and where to find the best deals on everything from restaurants to bars and phone cards to musical events. We also came away with having booked a swamp tour complete with air boat, a ghost tour (with the very best of the guides), a Plantation tour of both Oak Alley and the Laura, and the name of a fortune teller we might just check out before we leave this vibrant city.
By the time we made it back to our hotel after a full day of walking the streets…..Helena-Marie was the only one not feeling the pain of the miles we’d put in on the pavement. Jenny-Ann hit the shower and Verna-Lee and I popped an anti-inflammatory, chased it down with a bottle of wine, and headed back out and across the street where we signed up for a massage that can only be described as magical!
Feeling refreshed…… we reconnected with Helena-Marie and Jenny-Ann and were off to dinner at a Japanese restaurant where we met up with Linda-Kay and J.W. who filled us in on their day of adventure along many of the same streets we had hiked. It’s amazing that we didn’t bump into one another as we were likely only minutes away from each other at several points in the day.
We’re back in the hotel now and everyone but me is sound asleep….and I’m not far from sleep myself! I will leave you with what I know is going on at street level tonight and the picture I can see from our hotel window before I sign off though…….
Canal Street is completely blocked off by police lines (its normally a main thoroughfare), there are hundreds (probably thousands) of police and other security staff everywhere you look, I can hear the police whistles and the sound of the crowds on the street right through the closed window 44 stories above the ground, there are people coming and going in the hallways, there is a phone ringing somewhere……this night (and the two that will follow) are the biggest/busiest nights of the year in New Orleans! I always thought that Mardi Gras was the craziest day but no…they say that this annual event is even bigger than that! This is something called the Bayou Classic where several college football teams gather to vie for the championship and along with them come their thousands of fans from far and wide. There is not a hotel room to be had in the city and my guess is that there will be some serious “action” on the streets tonight. Earlier, a policeman warned Jenny-Ann to be careful tonight as it’s likely to be a wild one. We decided to avoid the wilder nights and after all the miles we put in today, we were ready to just put our feet up and have a ‘night in’. Fortunately we all had our red wrist bands (issued at check in and specifically for this 3 day Bayou Classic event) so we were able to get back in to our hotel elevator where there is an abundance of security allowing only those with our wrist bands back into the hotel.
Tomorrow is a whole new day with adventure on the horizon…..our swamp tour guide will pick us up at 11:00 a.m. and I think the plan is to hit the casino before that. Now now people……we’re not gambling….we’re going for breakfast……Dan the Man told us that they have a great buffet for under $10 so we’re going to call it brunch and be back in time to catch our ride.
Till tomorrow……
Lorrie
November 24, 2011
Hi all y’all…..we made it…..we’re actually here :) all six of us..... Verna-Lee, Linda-Kay, J.W., Jenny-Ann, Helena-Marie and me…Lorrie-Mae. We’re already well on our way to creating an adventure that will live on in our memories (and in this blog) for years to come.
It was an early morning start but three planes later and we arrived in the Big Easy safe and sound and none the worse for wear. Kelowna-Seattle, Seattle-Dallas, and Dallas-New Orleans. We turned our clocks ahead three hours and were ready to take big bites out of this unique city that none of us has ever experienced before.
Flights were all on time and although they were all filled to capacity none of them was too long and there were no glitches along the way so everything went as smooth as the oysters in the oyster bar on Bourbon Street or the smooth talkin, slow walkin, hucksters working in front of the “interesting” hot spots along that same action filled zone!
Taxi from the airport took about 20 minutes and cost $50. We got booked into our hotel (the Sheraton on Canal Street) and were thrilled with our views from the 44th floor. We overlook the Mississippi River and the ferry dock that will take you over to the East Bank of the city. Our room is fine (with the exception of no fridge and the fact that the wireless isn’t complimentary in the rooms) and tonight we’re especially impressed with the beds!! We’re both about done for the day and tomorrow will dawn very early as Jenny-Ann has booked a car and we’re off to experience our first black Friday in a city about an hour northwest of here where they have a massive outlet mall that has all of us drooling in anticipation.
Before I go any further with this missive, I have to tell y’all that Verna-Lee is absolutely brilliant and has Jenny-Ann and Helena-Marie completely fooled and believin’ that the hotel left a complimentary bottle of wine and chocolate in our room. We do in fact have both of those items but……they came out of Verna-Lee’s suitcase – yep…..she is one smart cookie and we’re gonna have a very fun filled couple of weeks.
Tonight we had dinner at the hotel (not the best spot in town for sure but adequate and we were hungry). It was a bit of a shock when the bill arrived with a 22% gratuity included…..that tip would have been fine but the meal wasn’t all that great and everyone agreed that it always stings a little when your right for choice is taken out of the equation.
After dinner it was time to explore a little so we hit the streets (Canal Street to be exact) and followed it down to Bourbon Street where we turned onto the half dozen or so blocks of ‘pedestrian only’ area and where the fun began. It’s a cross between Vegas and Amsterdam and EVERYONE is in a party mood. The air was charged with a crazy kind of energy that consisted of an abundance of music, the voices of bouncers, hucksters and pullers trying to draw the crowds into their establishment, the cross dressers (like the guy in a tutu), scantily clad women lurking behind the muscle bound roid addicts, drunken party goers from around the globe, slurpy/dacquiri shops on every corner, balconies filled with folks encouraging us to earn the beads they’d like to shower us with, and of course the good ol’ NOPD (both on foot and on horses) making their presence known. All in all….it was a great first night and we’re excited for the days and nights that will follow.
Lorrie-Mae
It was an early morning start but three planes later and we arrived in the Big Easy safe and sound and none the worse for wear. Kelowna-Seattle, Seattle-Dallas, and Dallas-New Orleans. We turned our clocks ahead three hours and were ready to take big bites out of this unique city that none of us has ever experienced before.
Flights were all on time and although they were all filled to capacity none of them was too long and there were no glitches along the way so everything went as smooth as the oysters in the oyster bar on Bourbon Street or the smooth talkin, slow walkin, hucksters working in front of the “interesting” hot spots along that same action filled zone!
Taxi from the airport took about 20 minutes and cost $50. We got booked into our hotel (the Sheraton on Canal Street) and were thrilled with our views from the 44th floor. We overlook the Mississippi River and the ferry dock that will take you over to the East Bank of the city. Our room is fine (with the exception of no fridge and the fact that the wireless isn’t complimentary in the rooms) and tonight we’re especially impressed with the beds!! We’re both about done for the day and tomorrow will dawn very early as Jenny-Ann has booked a car and we’re off to experience our first black Friday in a city about an hour northwest of here where they have a massive outlet mall that has all of us drooling in anticipation.
Before I go any further with this missive, I have to tell y’all that Verna-Lee is absolutely brilliant and has Jenny-Ann and Helena-Marie completely fooled and believin’ that the hotel left a complimentary bottle of wine and chocolate in our room. We do in fact have both of those items but……they came out of Verna-Lee’s suitcase – yep…..she is one smart cookie and we’re gonna have a very fun filled couple of weeks.
Tonight we had dinner at the hotel (not the best spot in town for sure but adequate and we were hungry). It was a bit of a shock when the bill arrived with a 22% gratuity included…..that tip would have been fine but the meal wasn’t all that great and everyone agreed that it always stings a little when your right for choice is taken out of the equation.
After dinner it was time to explore a little so we hit the streets (Canal Street to be exact) and followed it down to Bourbon Street where we turned onto the half dozen or so blocks of ‘pedestrian only’ area and where the fun began. It’s a cross between Vegas and Amsterdam and EVERYONE is in a party mood. The air was charged with a crazy kind of energy that consisted of an abundance of music, the voices of bouncers, hucksters and pullers trying to draw the crowds into their establishment, the cross dressers (like the guy in a tutu), scantily clad women lurking behind the muscle bound roid addicts, drunken party goers from around the globe, slurpy/dacquiri shops on every corner, balconies filled with folks encouraging us to earn the beads they’d like to shower us with, and of course the good ol’ NOPD (both on foot and on horses) making their presence known. All in all….it was a great first night and we’re excited for the days and nights that will follow.
Lorrie-Mae
Saturday, November 19, 2011
November 19, 2011
T-4 days now.....won't be long till the OC 'crew' takes flight for our New Orleans adventure. In true southern fashion we'll wind our way through lazy mornings, relaxing afternoons, and wild nights.....LOL.....New Orleans may never be the same!
We've committed to new identities for the duration of our journey so in keeping with the commonly heard double-barreled names of the deep south....from this point forward we'll be known as: Verna-Lee, Jenny-Ann, Helena-Marie, Linda-Kay, J.W., and of course yours truly....Lorrie-Mae. There may be additions to our group along the way but I'll introduce them as they come into the picture.
Our pre-laid plans are few....we're going to live in the moment, seize (almost) every opportunity, savour the culinary delights of the region, over imbibe on occasion, and immerse ourselves in every bit of music and local colour we can locate. We'll stay safe but can guarantee that we'll explore off the beaten track and mingle with the locals. The French Quarter will know us well by the time we leave and our home away from home will miss us when we're gone.
We'll slow down our speech to incorporate the local drawl and try to find the heartbeat of the place as we lean into the adventure that awaits us there.
till next time,
Lorrie
We've committed to new identities for the duration of our journey so in keeping with the commonly heard double-barreled names of the deep south....from this point forward we'll be known as: Verna-Lee, Jenny-Ann, Helena-Marie, Linda-Kay, J.W., and of course yours truly....Lorrie-Mae. There may be additions to our group along the way but I'll introduce them as they come into the picture.
Our pre-laid plans are few....we're going to live in the moment, seize (almost) every opportunity, savour the culinary delights of the region, over imbibe on occasion, and immerse ourselves in every bit of music and local colour we can locate. We'll stay safe but can guarantee that we'll explore off the beaten track and mingle with the locals. The French Quarter will know us well by the time we leave and our home away from home will miss us when we're gone.
We'll slow down our speech to incorporate the local drawl and try to find the heartbeat of the place as we lean into the adventure that awaits us there.
till next time,
Lorrie
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