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