by Mauverneen
One can spend hours just circling Jackson Square and days exploring the
French Quarter, which by far attracts the largest amount of tourists in New Orleans. But the city
is more than that. Far more.
Frenchman
Street is on the edge of the quarter and is
especially busy at night when crowds spill in and out of clubs and bars where
the music is good. The crowd there is young for the most part, and what might
be called ‘hippies’ tend to congregate on the sidewalks in spots. But they are friendly,
and fun for the most part.
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| Frenchman Street |
Then of course, there is the Garden District, home to
Commander’s Palace and the many mansions
of the rich and sometimes the famous (such as author Anne Rice).
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| Gorgeous mansions |
Commanders Palace has an excellent
Jazz Brunch on weekends. If you’re in the mood to splurge this is the place. My
first trip to
New Orleans I took a streetcar
ride down to
Washington Avenue
where the restaurant is a short walk off
St.
Charles, their blue and white striped awning an easy-to-spot
landmark.
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| The St. Charles Streetcar |
Tours of the Garden District are offered and are a good idea
if you are into history and architecture. Admiring the beautiful homes is one
thing, but having a little background thrown in is a definite plus! Shopping
and dining options in the District are plentiful and Magazine Street is where you’ll find it.
There are plantation homes too, just outside the city. Tours
are available to visit a number of them. If you have a car, a good map will get
you there.
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| Ante bellum plantation |
Artists and writers have found inspiration in
New Orleans for years.
Some have lived here - Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, John Kennedy Toole,
Anne Rice - to name just a few.
Many
others have found the city to be the perfect setting for their novel or movie.
Food is also an art here in the Big Easy. Home of so many
specialty dishes it’s mind boggling. From Beignets to Bananas Foster to Oysters
and Crawfish to Eggs Benedict to Poboys to Muffalettas to Jambalaya and Gumbo to
… well, I could go on and on. But you get the picture. I had the ‘Redneck Eggs’
for breakfast at
Elizabeths
one morning - poached eggs on Fried
Green tomatoes with Hollandaise Sauce and a side of Praline Bacon. Oh. My. The
Bananas Foster stuffed French Toast is delicious as well, but, um…. You’d
better have a H U G E appetite if you order that!
And although I know it won’t taste the same I had to buy a
jar of olive relish to try and make Muffalettas at home. The friendly guy
behind the counter at Central Grocery gave me an impromptu history of the place
while he fixed and heated my sandwich. It made a mighty fine lunch with a glass
of white wine.
The Gumbo Fest was in full swing the weekend I was there. Louis Armstrong
Park was filled with
artists, food vendors and an entertainment stage – all Free! The smoked gumbo
was outstanding as was the shrimp and crawfish mac and cheese. The
entertainment – from the Cajun and Zydeco to the high school marching bands –
had crowds dancing. It was early November and it felt like summer, being
outdoors, sampling good food and listening to good music.
And of course I have to mention the cemeteries. They are
spooky, yet beautiful, and spark a wildfire in the imagination. I have driven
out to
Metairie and spent hours perusing some
of the most beautiful tombs. This trip I stopped in at
Lafayette Cemetery,
across the street from Commander’s Palace. It’s not hard to see where Anne Rice
likely got some of her inspiration!
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Scenes in Metairie
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| Tombs in Lafayette Cemetery |
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| Stones in a heart shape - makes me wonder -is someone paying respect or is there a little voodoo going on here??? |
There are other neighborhoods and other tourist attractions
I have yet to see – and I can’t wait to get back and check out a few more.
Although I did not get my fortune told in
Jackson Square while I was there, I think
I see another visit to the
Crescent
City in my future. Soon.
Very soon!
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