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Published: April 20th 2009
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The French Quarter
This was the first view Nathanael and I had of the French Quarter in New Orleans. We rounded the corner from where we had parked the RV and there it was! Tuesday, March 3, 2009 ............. NEW ORLEANS We were up at the crack of dawn and on our way into the city by 7:30 in the morning. Carol wanted to miss the heavy rush hour traffic and it’s a good thing because we found a great spot to park the RV right near the French Quarter and it only cost us $8.00 for the day. Nathanael and Mom donned their backpacks and jackets, locked up the camper, and ‘hit the bricks.’
We rounded the corner of the first block and walked right into the French Market. Everything was so old and cramped, but filled with colour and character. The streets were narrow, with a water trench down the middle, just like the ancient cities of Europe. Not many stores were open when we arrived so our first stop was the world famous ... “Cafe du Monde,” for their even more famous French beignets (donuts pronounced bayngyays). They were absolutely delicious. I’ll say it again, “They were absolutely delicious!” Rather than coffee, Nathe and Mom enjoyed hot chocolates. What a great beginning to this exciting day. (Our breakfast only cost us the same as our parking for the
Cafe du Monde
Here is Nathanael enjoying the French donuts called beignets. We were originally going to place a single order and share but when it arrived, they looked so delicious, Mommy placed another order for herself. Bon appetit! day. LOL) As we walked up and down the streets, in and out of the shops, we saw many wonderful arts and crafts. We saw a bumper sticker that made us laugh. It read, “I drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was gone.” We thought it showed a very good sense of humour by the inhabitants of this city that was so devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
We toured the streets while shops opened and vendors started to display their wares. A large canon overlooks the Mississippi River and is dedicated to the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery (Battalion Washington Artillery), the oldest and most decorated unit in the Louisiana National Guard. This military group, which hails from New Orleans, is the oldest field artillery outside the original thirteen colonies, serving in campaigns from the Mexican War to World War II. It is still an element of the 256th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), and a high priority reserve force of the Army National Guard. We both thought this was quite an impressive resume.
We were so excited at all the sights and atmosphere of the city that we had to phone someone. And
The Battalion Washington Artillery Cannon
Nathanael points to the cannon with the cathedral behind. This cannon overlooked the river and we watched an ocean liner pass, bound for who knows where? that is how we came to be talking to Rachael while standing on Decatur Street in New Orleans. She was home from the hospital and very happy to hear from us. We got to hear all about Charlotte. Baby and Mom are doing well and settling into a daily routine. With instructions to “take lots of pictures” we said goodbye and began to tour in earnest.
One of the first buildings we were able to explore was the Cathedral of St. Louis King of France. It is designated as a minor basilica, built in the late 1700’s and visited by Pope John Paul II on his visit to the United States on September 12, 1987. What an incredible building! The interior is ornately decorated with fine statuary, gold leaf, stunning art work and painted ceilings. Someone was playing the large pipe organ in the balcony while we were there and the music was beautiful. We sat in the pews and absorbed the serenity. But not for long because Nathanael was raring to go, as always. So off we went again, enjoying the sights of the old city. Even the name, French Quarter, evokes an anticipation of something
Decatur Street in New Orleans
This is exactly where we were standing when we telephoned daughter and son-in-law, Rachael and Marc. Angelina was at school but we could hear baby Charlotte's cries in the background. The cannon is up and behind us and the cathedral is across the square. unexpected.
What would a trip to New Orleans be without a visit to the “Garden District?” We bought trolley tickets for a round-trip ride and Nathanael was absolutely thrilled with the experience. He could hardly believe that Mommy used to ride trolleys when she was a child at home in Ottawa.
The old colonial mansions in the Garden District did not disappoint. They were amazing with all kinds of finely detailed architectural features. Lacy porch filigree and gingerbread trim around windows, doors and archways made for plenty of visual stimulation. We were able to take a walking tour that came with our trolley tickets and read the histories of many of the mansions we passed on the streets in this area of New Orleans. We could only stare in awe at these immense homes knowing that the mortgages must be astronomical. I was just glad I didn’t have to clean them. Most of the homes were built in the late 1800’s and one of the mansion s had been turned into a girl’s school. We saw remnants of Mardi Gras everywhere and Nathanael really wanted to pick up all the discarded necklaces he came
Cathedral of St. Louis King of France
In some ways this structure reminded me of a German castle rather than a cathedral. across.
We also came across one of the many historical cemeteries of New Orleans called “Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.” This burial ground, which was founded in 1833, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. All of the coffins are placed in cement cases above the ground since the water table in New Orleans is too low to allow people to be buried underground. We had been cautioned not to wander the cemeteries on our own for safety reasons due to robberies so we simply stood in the doorway and took some pictures. It was really interesting to see and we would have loved to have wander amongst the graves to read names but we decided it was better to be safe than sorry.
A really neat thing that happened was on our way back to the French Quarter, ..... we passed Emeril’s Delmonico Restaurant. It would have been cool to be able to say we ate there but I guess we’ll just have to go back some day.
By the time we got back to the French Quarter, it was
The Cathedral Interior
What a beautifully appointed sanctuary, .... very ornate as is typical in cathedrals of the time. There was a lot of gold leaf and statuary. The paintings were very detailed. Even the tile floor looked too beautiful to walk upon. We felt compelled to whisper as we sat and listened to the organ playing and walked around the interior, admiring the incredible stained glass windows. time for an early supper. We stopped at Cafe Maspero, recommended to us by Carol Sternhagen as delicious and affordable. We really wanted to experience food that was native to the area. Nathanael ordered Jambalaya because he is more daring with spicy stuff than Mommy. I had Muffaletta, a favourite local sandwich. Everything was delicious and there was plenty for both of us.
After supper, Nathanael wore Mommy down and we took a mule-drawn buggy ride. It was well worth it as we learned much more history of the area and information about damage from Hurricane Katrina. We had a wonderful driver who told us many amusing, anecdotal stories. His mule was affectionately named “Knucklehead.” We rode up and down the streets for just over half an hour (and we even got to see ‘Brad and Angie’s’ home on Governor Nicholls Street between Decatur and Chartres). And of course the tour included the famous Bourbon Street. This is also when we learned that the city’s name is pronounced “Nawleans” by the locals. Consequently, we have tried to be very conscious when we talk about our visit to slur the name more than we used to.
Riding the Streetcar
Of course Nathanael wanted to play the daredevil and stand on the streetcar ride to the Garden District of New Orleans. Although Diana remembers riding streetcars in Ottawa when they still existed, this was a first for Nathanael. The interior of the car was quaint and Nathe was excited to pull the rope that signalled we wanted to disembark. It was a long and tiring day, with lots of walking but it was exciting just the same. The temperature was cool but excellent for spending time outdoors in physical activity. Nathanael got to come in contact with a very diverse culture and a realm of different experiences. We are ready to move on, continuing our trip westward to Tucson. My next entry will cover the travel to our next touring stop, ... San Antonio, Texas. Keep tuned everyone, and stay well.
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Jennifer Gadde
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What a fabulous day you both had!