NOLA Again: Wrap-Up

I have spent the better part of this morning catching up the last few days in New Orleans.  Usually I am good about timely posting, but in the words of a travel writer, "the more time you spend recording and writing about what you've seen, the less you get to see."

That, and it doesn't help being hindered by a slow internet connection.

Yesterday I was late in starting the long 560-mile drive home, starting with an uncomfortable night's sleep.

My arrival home was punctuated by me dropping a mug of milk on the carpet that exploded everywhere.  I still can't explain the physics of how it ended up in my chair and underwear.

The next month or so should hopefully reveal some big events for Hans and I, so I'll make the announcements when that happens.

NOLA Again: Bittersweet (and I'm Not Talking About the Absinthe)

Since it is my last day here I awoke early and rode into the Quarter to do some walking around on my own.  Very soon I was regretting my decision.  By the time I reached the French Market I was sweating uncomfortably and wishing I had not chosen to drag the large camera along.  Good thing I did not take the telephoto lens too.  Since Vieux Carre Wine and Spirits was open by nine, I went in to pick up some lesser-distributed Abita fare to take home.  The two gentlemen shopkeepers were watching the World Cup (Brazil v. Korea, I think).

With my portable AC clutched to my chest I got a call from my mom who was ready to go at the hotel.  I went up to the room to deposit my purchase and cool off.  This morning I suggested we ride the St. Charles streetcar to Audobon Park and go for a walk.  

As we waited for for the streetcar at Canal and Carondelet my mom pointed across the street to a building where she had been at the orthodontist the day Kennedy was shot.

Ironically, during the ride down St. Charles we spoke with a teacher from Dallas who was visiting with her husband (also in a conference).  She lived in New Orleans for a few years when she was in her 20's, so she and my mom compared and exchanged memories.

After we stopped at the park we saw that the weather had changed rapidly during our ride and the storms that were predicted for the afternoon seemed to have arrived early.  Audobon park consists of a lovely tree-lined path that circles a golf course, so I elected that we go in the direction that passed a covered shelter since thunder was now rumbling overhead.  

No sooner had we reached the shelter than the downpour began.  Luckily, it only lasted about ten minutes but as we continued our walk we were dampened by additional sprinkles.  I was glad to have a lens hood on my camera.  As we approached the pond which divides half the park from the golf course we saw that the trees were littered with white egrets.  I wasn't glad to have left the telephoto lens in my room any more.

Not my mom, but this lady's umbrella was very vibrant

The reach of campus police is far and wide

I took a few pictures and we continued until we found a pretty bandstand at the half-way point around the park.  After a few minutes rest we finished the 1.7-mile path and took the streetcar to the end of the line at South Carrollton.

Lunch was had at the Camellia Grill (recommended by the lady from Dallas), a tiny establishment whose only seating is around a long formica counter that bends into large culdesacs to maximize space efficiency.  I has so hungry I rarely came up for breath as I ate my red beans and rice.  What visit to a diner is complete without sampling their homemade pie?  My pecan pie was warmed on the grill and served a la mode so that it was the gooey consistency of fresh pralines.  Even my mom said it was the best she'd ever tasted.  Her coconut cream pie was very good as well.

We rode the streetcar back to my hotel.  During the 50-block ride I admired the mansions and gardens.  The street is so pretty we could have been on a tour bus and here we were on a wooden rickety streetcar for only $1.25 apiece.  We picked up my car at the hotel and drove back to Oak Street and spoke to a really kind resident who was going to be playing in her husband's band at the Maple Leaf later that evening.  We also went into a large consignment store that specialized in formal wear but also had the usual thrift finds.  By the time we were done looking around we were pretty tired, so we stopped at my hotel to take a break and later picked up Dad to go to dinner at Mulates.

Try as we might, we weren't able to chose items on the menu that didn't leave us completely stuffed, but I'm going to take my leftovers home tomorrow.  Dad had a cup of gumbo with with the darkest roux I've ever seen.  Very excellent.  We stayed for a little bit to listen to the live Zydeco music that plays every night.

Later I dropped of my parents at their hotel and drove back to mine so I could leave the car and take the streetcar back to the Quarter. 

Finally I was going to get to do a pub crawl!  We started at the beautiful Carousel Bar in the hotel.  Here they serve classic cocktails at a circular bar that slowly revolves.  If you aren't paying attention you'll suddenly wonder why the door is on the other side of room from where you came in.  I had their quintessential drink, the Vieux Carre (Voo Ca-ray), a variation of the sazerac that is better and smoother than the original.

I bought the next round at the Old Absinthe House where my dad and I had namesake drinks but each made with a different absinthe.  Watching the preparation was, for me unfortuately, the best part.  The bartender poured the green liquer over a sugar cube resting on an iconic slotted spoon (I'd like to buy one for myself someday).  As the blue flames died down I remembered that I had just ordered a $20 drink (FYI in case you want to try one as well).  The herbal sweet concoction was a little too pungent for my liking, so I was very glad when we were given a small bowl of popcorn.  However, if you like that sort of thing I recommend slow sipping because part of their high price tag is the fact that they're extremely strong.  Even though it is served diluted with water it still tastes like neat liquor.  Probably because the brand I had, Lucid, is 124-proof.  I kicked back the last third of my drink as fast as I could to get it over with.

We continued down Bourbon Street, all feeling pretty light headed (my mom's last rum and coke looked like it was made with a tablespoon of coke).  My mom told me about a street performer they saw last year who was wearing "capris leotard pants".  I pondered what sort of garment that might be.  We saw a family, their three children under the age of 12 wide-eyed and jaw-dropped.

Pat O's was busy as usual and we ordered a round of Category 5 Margaritas.  My faith in this bar has been reestablished.  When my mom left to use their bathroom my dad and I watched several small furry rats as they capered in the garden and fought over cocktail fruit remnants.  One was bold enough to scurry right under my feet.  It was getting late and my dad and I were planning to get up early tomorrow, so we went to Cafe du Monde for midnight begnets an cafe au lait.

After a brief and slightly inebriated goodbye, I hailed a cab outside the Monteleone and went back to my hotel to pack and go to bed.

NOLA Again: Metarie and Magazine Street

This morning I picked up Mom at her hotel.  Dad's conference starts at noon today and lasts until noon on Friday.

She had done some research before flying down and had the addresses of some of her old schools in the suburb of Metarie that she wanted to go see.  First, we went to the former site of Ridgewood Prep, her middle school.  The school itself moved to a different location and the property was divided into partitions for housing development.  At the end of a beautiful oak-lined neighborhood now sits a spanish-villa style mansion surrounded by a wrought iron fence.  We tried to find the large magnolia tree that used to sit at a fountained courtyard but it looked like it was long gone.

Next stop was Riverdale High School, whose construction was completed in 1962 and my mom's was the first graduating class in 1964 when it was a girls-only school (they started with juniors and gradually added sophomores and freshmen).  In a large glass case we found a ten-year anniversary plaque commemorating the class of '64.

After, we drove to nearby Bridgedale Elementary School, but it was closed up for the summer and very worn-looking.

Our last stop was to a pretty neighborhood where her stepfather lived, only to find out he had moved to Mississippi after Katrina.

By now we were fairly hungry and went to Magazine Street in the Garden District for lunch and shopping.  We stopped at Ignatius Eatery by the recommendation of a local we spoke to.  It's a tiny place with large jars of mayonaise as part of the decor.  We each had excellent po' boys and felt extremely bad about not being able to take our leftovers with us.  The ham on mine was so thinly sliced my mom kept asking if she could try some of the "roast beef".  According to the menu it was glazed with root beer.  Maybe that's the secret ingredient I've been looking for all these times I've baked a ham because this one was delicious.  Mom's had shrimp remoulade that was extremely well-seasoned.

Next we drove several blocks north to re-attempt my doomed antique store visit.  After struggling with a parking meter we found Aesthetic Antiques was open!  We must have spent forty minutes in there.  I purchased a set of old-fashioned conical soda glasses (milkshakes and root beer floats!) and a couple of old postcards.  My mom found a great one that featured the Suicide Oak in City Park and I was very jealous I had not spotted it first.

You're still going to send me a copy, right?

After depositing our purchases in the car we crossed the street and stopped in Sucre, a high-end gelaterie and confectionery.  Their sundaes sounded fabulous (one featuring bread pudding with bananas foster) but once I'd spotted their adult milkshake menu we both knew what we were going to order.  Mom's had Godiva liquer, praline liquer, frangelico, and swirls of caramel.  Mine, the Grasshopper, was vanilla gelato with creme de menthe swirled with chocolate syrup.  Mom picked up a large individual dessert for my dad.

Suffering slightly from sugar overdoses, we went to the nearby Antique Mall but were quickly turned off by their anti-theft procedures.  It is a large store with many unsupervised nooks and crannies, but forcing customers to leave their shopping bags and sometimes large purses with the employee at the door seemed a little excessive.  As my mom left to wait for me outside, I could hear her from all the way at the back of the shop loudly accusing them of taking a bite out of my dad's Sucre dessert.  She was joking of course but the shop owner very seriously said that customers might have believed her.

By the time we were done with Magazine Street it was after 5 pm, so I called the Monteleone to make sure Dad was done with conferences for the day.  After picking him up for dinner a torrential rain began to fall and our drive back to Metarie for dinner was slow.

We stopped at Galley and got soaked in the parking lot crossing (my shoes were soggy within seconds) only to find out they were closed for a private party.  Since Landry's was nearby, we headed for the marina.  After getting soaked by the rain, the air conditioned dining room was very uncomfortable, so we opted for a table on their covered deck with a view of the marina and Lake Ponchartrain.

As usual, they provided us with excellent fair, fresh seafood, and strong cocktails.  Later, as the rain subsided, a glorious double rainbow stretched over the lake.

 After a lovely sunset I dropped my parents off at their hotel and went back to mine, pouting a little because it was still before ten O'clock and I had yet to do the usual booze cruize in the Quarter.  I redressed, reapplied some makeup, and had $1.25 in my pocket to take the streetcar downtown when I decided to give Hans a call.  I felt perfectly safe with the idea of wandering Bourbon street on my own but the reality was that it would be a fairly lonely experience without a friend.  Hans was comfortable with the idea too, but the longer I sat in my room I realized my feet really were tired and it would be better to spend my evening figuring out what I want to do with my last day tomorrow and get some rest.  I gradually redressed for bed and dug out my guidebooks and laptop.

NOLA Again: Reunion

Last night I took the streetcar to Canal street and walked a block to Hotel Monteleone.  My dad and I went into the top-floor conference room to take a few pictures of the view.  After meeting with my mom at the pool we went to dinner.  

 We could not have eaten in a prettier setting. We sat in the famous courtyard at the Court of Two Sisters, where my mom used to eat all the time when she was younger.  We sat in the shade of a well cultivated wisteria that was decorated with pale blue and white lights.

 I had my first mint julep (not my favorite) and ordered the turtle soup with sherry along with their appetizer of escargot-stuffed mushrooms (excellent).  Mom had the shrimp and grits (cooked with spicy andouille) and Dad had the fried catfish (very fresh tasting).  At first I did not think my escargot was going to be filling enough but boy was I wrong.  I was very glad I had not ordered an entree when it came to dessert: Raspberry swirl cheesecake that was so whipped and fluffy you'd think it was a mousse.

Escargot

Escar-gone

The place has a bad reputation from the guidebooks as being overrated, but I think that might apply more correctly to their jazz brunch buffet, because we found the entire experience to be pleasant (and the food very tasty).  At the end of the night our server found out we were from Alaska and told us about the time he spent 9 months working in Anchorage in 1984 and lived with his uncle, the VP of Bank of Alaska (both now deceased).  What a small world.

After a long walk by the river and free trip on the Algiers ferry we called it an early night in the 90-degree heat.  I was walked back to the streetcar stop and rode back to the garden district, enjoying the noisy creaky griminess of the experience.

Tomorrow my dad is in a conference for half of the day and my mom and I are going to do some exploring on our own.

*Unfortunately, the internet connection here is very slow and it may take me a couple of days to post pictures later on.

NOLA Again: On My Way

7:00 AM

I have eight hours of (speed-limit obedience) driving ahead of me.  I've prepared by downloading the audiobook of Palin's Full Circle, another sequel to his original Around the World in 88 Days.  This one treks along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, starting with the Diomede Islands in Alaska.  Hopefully it's a good listen.

Next post will be from Louisianna.

11:30 AM

Well, maybe.  I'm actually stopped in Grenada, Mississippi, the half-way point between there and there.  I was a little heavy-footed on the gas pedal, so to arrive closer at check-in time and give myself a break I'm sitting in a fast food establishment that has free wi-fi.  You may have figured out where I am.

Getting through Memphis was not as difficult as during previous occasions.  There was something hilarious about watching Mr. Chipotle Burrito float across state lines on the GPS display.  By now he is a well-traveled tortilla.

Listening to my audiobook has been a little difficult.  If it weren't for the sounds of interstate driving I might be able to listen to Michael Palin's quiet voice without annoying speaker vibration.  I may purchase a pair of ear buds for the drive back.

Well, I'd better get going.  It's 114 miles to Jackson and another 187 to the hotel.

5:00 PM

Figured out the speaker settings best to hear the audiobook with, though some of the quieter details will remain a mystery to me until I give it a second listen in better circumstances.

I thought it was fitting that my iPod selected Tom Waits as I entered the causeway during the final hour of my drive. 

Got to the hotel about an hour ago.  Will go into details later.  Time to shower and then take the streetcar to the quarter and meet up with my parents.

Dinner at Court of Two Sisters!

Informative: Rick Steves YouTube Channel

I would be very surprised to find anyone that is seriously interested in travel who hasn't heard of Rick Steves.  For over a decade his videos have offered viewers common sense travel tips, suggestions for destinations that snobby tourists might consider too popular for their own good (there's a reason why 4 million people visit the Colosseum each year), and unique lesser-known side trips.

Usually you can find his series broadcast on your local PBS station (especially during fund drives), at public libraries, and rental stores.  A few months ago I stumbled upon this YouTube channel.  Where there were only a few complete episodes there are now about a dozen.

If anything, I recommend that newbies (or oldies trying to find ways to avoid airline baggage fees) check out his packing tips: "Have you ever met anyone who after five trips brags 'Every year I pack heavier'?"