June 29: La Nouvelle Orléans

Saturday:  Beware--lots of photos!  Today the thunder woke us up--my first thought was--there goes our plan to walk the French Quarter today.  But shortly after breakfast it was done.  Our hotel is about a mile away.  So we walked and walked and walked!  We saw lot of iconic architecture such as balconies, shuttered windows and doors, and courtyards.  I read that the houses were based on either French or Creole houses, but then the balconies were added to deal with the Louisiana heat.  I read something once about  many houses in Georgia and the Deep South being very narrow (like one room wide) with porches on one or both sides to create more air movement and keep the temperatures down (smart!).  The shuttered windows and doors we saw in Italy a lot last summer--they allow one to open the inside doors, windows, etc., then close the louvered shutters for privacy and to keep out the sun and heat but let in air or a breeze.  When comfort drives innovation!  Here are some of the things we saw on our ramble through the Quarter:

Lots of wrought iron balconies!

some balconies are colorful, and note the louvered doors covering the windows and french doors

Anneliese

Mardi Gras masks

Going through a courtyard to a shop

Beautiful house

balconies, balconies, everywhere!

Some are quite personalized

Some are hard to see!

Narrow, older homes

very pleasing

courtyard at the end

leading to another courtyard

An old sign at every street corner telling the original name of the street is was  Spanish (1762-1803).  It was the capital of the Spanish Province of Luisiana.
This is currently Rue de Chartres.

Inside a Voodoo shop (everyone has to go in one at least once in New Orleans!).  This man is the apothecary.

Voodoo dolls, incense, and accessories

Pleasant small houses on the edge of the quarter

Bourbon Street--each street has it's name in tiles in the sidewalk.  (yep, that's my shadow and my toe!).

Jackson Square--in front of a large church.  We met a bunch of freindly homeless people here who engaged us in conversation but didn't ask for money.

Yup, more balconies.  The one on top has a bubble machine going and bubbles are floating down the street.  In the photo, you can see some of the bubbles.  We're not sure why she was making bubbles, but it was charming anyway!

After awhile,  we made it to the water, the Mississippi River (the circle is kind of funny, isn't it!).  We saw a steamboat and knew that Joshua wanted to go on the steamboat, has wanted to since he was in preschool and went on a steamboat when Randy chaperoned one of Anneliese's 5th grade field trips to ride a paddleboat down the Mississippi (in Minneapolis). So, we went on the steamboat.  It was a very short distance for two hours and the captain "narrated" what we saw.  Half of what he said would have been interesting; as it was, we were happy when he finally stopped talking!  

The boat

Another view of the boat

the paddle that actually was what propelled us down the river--no propellers

Joshua--so happy about the steamboat!!

The church is the one in front of Jackson Square. The building to the left of the church is where they signed the Louisiana Purchase.

The area hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina--much of it completely destroyed and helped by many church groups.

Another boat--our captain said that THAT boat is NOT a steamboat, however.

My three darlings!

We had food recommended to us:  beignets (bean-yays).  For those that have seen Disney's The Princess and the Frog, they are mentioned in that movie.  Randy's mom recommended them to us:

Who doesn't love fresh fried pastry covered in powdered sugar?  (still warm!)

Our friends Will and Sarah insisted on po'boys (a kind of sandwich):

Yum, warm po'boy sandwiches in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street

When we walked around the French Quarter in the afternoon, we saw some street performers, some artists selling their art on the sidewalks around Jackson Square, and a just a few musicians and one band in a bar.  There were tourists walking around, but it was very quiet--especially for the French Quarter.  When we finished our sandwiches, it was around 6:00.  The Quarter was alive!  People were everywhere--bands were blocking off entire streets playing, and music from innumerable bands poured out onto the streets as we walked!  People filled the streets leaving no room for cars.  It was very fun, even though we were very tired and hot and sweaty.

Some not-very-talented kids with a sign that they were a college fund band.  :)

Very fun band that took over a street.  The guy sitting down in the gray tank top has a metal guitar.

A window for another voodoo shop.

The streets are filling up--some boys here playing drums with a younger child carrying a box for money.

Another band

After walking a bit more, we returned to our hotel room to cool off write our blogs.  Anneliese is working on health (yes, she finished her first quarter assignments, received an A, and was given permission last night to finish the second quarter assignments by July 10.  She will have to receive a zero for the one face-to-face class because it is on the day we are driving home).  Joshua and Shelby are both reading exciting books!