The Big Easy...New Orleans!

Arrived in 'The Big Easy' on a humid, dirty, sultry afternoon. In between warm rain showers we went for an initial exploration of the French Quarter and ended up on a walk next to the Mississippi. Ate our first of many Gumbos at a bistro and took it all in. Later we wandered over to Bourbon Street. The locals are glad such a zoo of a street exists to provide employment + keep yahoo tourists in one area (kind of like Granville Street meets Vegas, with a hint of Amsterdam's red light district....AND you can drink legally in the streets everywhere in N.O). We found a great street on the outskirts of the French Quarter, called Frenchman Street. Known for its plethora of excellent music venues and a handful of restaurants, cafés and bookstores, this is where the locals go to catch amazing live music. I became enamoured with a Dixie Jazz band called The Palmetto Bug Stompers and their loyal group of 'jitterbug' dancers who blew me away with their moves. Bought their cd and have vowed to learn the Charleston.

Patrick and I took a bike tour of the Treme, Marigny and Bywater neighbourhoods which curl around the French Quarter to the North and East, toward the Lower 9th ward. Learned a lot about the history of these Creole faubourgs and got a better perspective of New Orleans ---beyond the Bourbon street chaos + touristy French Quarter. On our last day, before taking a taxi to the airport, we hopped on the Charles Street cable car to the Garden District, where we visited the Lafayette Cemetery.

Below are some shots from the trip...taken on my new canon camera.



Leftovers from Mardi Gras past (?)


Soul food. We didn't eat here....but it came highly recommended. Alas, next time. There are too many fantastic eateries in New Orleans.


"No loitering, no crack selling, no cat selling (ie. prostitution), the facts"....posted on the outside of a neighbourhood bar in the Bywater.


Same bar. Different message.


Po-Boys = delicious seafood sandwhiches.


Somewhere in the Bywater neighbourhood


This is what is called a 'shotgun' home. Built so narrow to evade property tax laws, and if you open the front door you can fire a shotgun straight through the the back door...supposedly.


indications marked on the side of a house...9-6 = September 6th.,


Street Buskers/Dancers....Dixie Jazz (i love it)


Jackson Square

Typical architecture of the French Quarter

Blurry shot of dusk along the Mississippi
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