Arrive the 'Big Easy'...

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Real early start to the day and it was not pretty... up at 5.30 ish and on the way to the airport a little after 6.30 am. Reubs reinforcing the fact that he is not a morning person and best left to his own devices until around 9 or after he has been fed and watered..

Pouring with rain and a little chilly so a good day to be moving on...all going swimmingly until check in for our first leg flight into Atlanta when found out flight now delayed by an hour ... or may be more. Our 8.30 flight left at 9.50 getting in a little after 11 and around 40 minutes after our connecting flight from Atlanta through to New Orleans had gone...I said 'blast it'.

That was fine and we caught a flight an hour or so later and arrived in New Orleans just after 1 pm - cos the clock goes back an hour or so here (frankly we're struggling with what day it is left alone what the time is - kinda nice and not keen to get back to reality)... now Meatloaf croons that 2 out of 3 ain't bad and as a mathematical percentage that is only 66.66 % recurring but not as good as 3 out of 4 which is obviously 75% straight...which coincidentally is the volume of our luggage that made the flights with us...3 of our 4 packs are confirmed as in New Orleans - in fact in our hotel room...but the fourth has either been lost or has eloped with a tasty Samsonite harlot... the good news is that they know it did not get on the flight from Atlanta...bad news is they do not know where it is now... not a problem because it will show up. Now the other good news is that this lost luggage has 0% impact on Sandy or the kids...because it is my stuff, some of their shoes and the laundry to be washed plus some odds and ends...they have all their clothes, I am wearing all my clothes! Not a problem as Sandy has some very flattering 3/4 pants that will show my calves brilliantly and ... shame Caitlin's princess dress was a couple of sizes to small...

Anyway, flight from Atlanta to New Orleans was uneventful, Reubs and I had rock-paper-scissors for the window seat in our aisle... I won, only to find we were in the very back row and there was no window...but Caitlin in the row in front has two... instead was entertained by the musings of our air hostesses sitting in their area behind and frankly I don' think she should marry the guy without a pre-nup, or even if she really wants to be with him for the right reasons especially after describing her first messy separation when she was 27 and given his annual salary is so low she needs to look out for herself. You go girl!! Minor point of issue is that the wedding is scheduled for next week... probably needs to be addressed! Same air hostess has this very encouraging little tradition upon landing, from the back of the plane you hear "thank you Jesus for another safe landing.." which brings you right back to the mathematical issue... how many times has she not made this prayer and is she privy to something that perhaps some of us might like the heads up on. Does the management of Delta Airlines encourage this kind of missionary outreach?

Apart from mad air hostess, lost luggage and delayed flight the day was going really well. Kids were travelling well and we were now in New Orleans. Got to the Marriott, Reuben stoked as it is fairly comfortable, and after one false start with a room felt was a little small moved towers and are now on the 35th floor in a corner room overlooking the Mississippi (that must be spelt wrong) and down Canal Street. Very good.

My accent proving a little bit of an issue..rang concierge to chase up the rollaway bed and 20 minutes later they turned up with a refrigerator. Resolved that.

The mathematical theme or delusion arises from the fact that there is a 'huge' conference for Mathematicians and Statisticians from all over the US here for the next 4 days... picture pocket protectors, heavy rimmed glasses and you've got the group. Feeling very thick amongst this lot...

Weather is beautiful here today so by 3.30 or so we were out walking the streets of the French Quarter...found ourselves in Bourbon Street, but after 2 blocks got ourselves out of Bourbon Street. That will be the childrens last visit to that landmark until they attain their majority at least. Other than that it was fantastic. Sandy was in and out of these quirkey art and antique shops and there was plenty of entertainment on the street. Where Orlando was plastic this place is quite raw but really charming all at the same time. The blend of so many cultural groups makes for a fascinating and compelling mixture. The architecture is historical and appealing.

And then there is the music... its everywhere and its everything, or most of it, but often with original edges to it... coming back from dinner in a darkened back street, on the corner of Chartres and Conti there was this guy on Sax, just leaning against a lamp post playing Michel Colombier's piece Emmanual... it was just incredible, I've paid to hear worse musicians, this sound just hung on the darkened street and will be a long standing memory... got a little preoccuppied and realised that had now lost wife and children but that issue soon resolved.

Earlier in the day had seen another really good band just standing on another street and they again were brilliant and again, momentarily lost the family.. these boys were a bluegrass R&B mix and were just brilliant, as previously stated.
Percussion was a guy wearing a wash board with a copper jug, dog bowl and a can lid hanging off the bottom of it and using these as drums...

As the room is not wi-fi but the atrium is I am now in the atrium lounge surrounded by people, who whilst I type drivel, discover new universes and solve centuries old equations...

Good day again, looking forward to a couple of days of just meandering and seeing what we fall over...

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Photos

First buskers..
.. real mix of styles and very entertaining..

Lone busker on Chartres..
..kind of image I'd always pictured for here..

The kids..
..one of the statues in the French Market Place..

Canal Street at night..
..good view from our room..

Comments

[Richard King]

Props
You can tell a seasoned blogger when he has to hunt down wi-fi to get the day's blogging done. As mentioned before, RESPECT!! New Orleans looks like good fun, and not an abandoned building or flooded street in sight, (or are you censoring the less glamorous photos??)