Day 11 - New Orleans

French Quarter

French Quarter

French Quarter

Wall art on a jazz club

Beignets and chicory coffee

Lafittes's Blacksmith Shop Bar

Spotted Cat

View of St Louis Cathedral from Jackson Square

Hello to all my followers out there - 14 of you!!  Sorry if I am getting long winded but main intention of this blog was to keep a record of my travels so I can reflect on in later life...and as you all know, I am long winded.

I LOVE NEW ORLEANS!!!  I am sitting on a swing chair on the balcony at the B&B, drinking a James Brown (iced coffee with vanilla ice cream), and recharging my batteries before I head out for dinner and some jazz.


I headed out early today after breakfast, and walked into the French Quarter in 15 minutes (all so close here).  New Orleans is divided up into a couple of different areas, according to the heritage it retains so there is the French Quarter, then there is the Garden District (American area), etc.  Just walking in I see how lush it is here, loads of azalias out in bloom, and the architecture is amazing - weatherboard houses with verandahs and shutters, of many different colours. 


I arrived at the tourist information centre so access the free hour walking tour of the river (we are right on the bank of the Mississippi river), but they already had too many people so I wandered around town myself, going from one place to another that I had read about or Phillip had told me of.  I walked along the riverfront and debated going on a steamer ride for 2 hours (paddle steamer), but after so much time on the train I wanted to walk.  I stopped for beiguets (donuts drowning in icing sugar) and the chicory coffee (no need for sugar, pour the remaining icing sugar in and stir!) for morning tea and muffellatta for lunch (from an Italian grocer..it is traditional bread with ham, salami, mortadello and olive tapenade - more like pickled green olives, carrots, celery and onion) which as really yummy.  For both occasions I was sitting in a park in the sunshine and listening to music whilst eating.


As you stroll around the French Quarter,  you are constantly hearing music - school orchestras, buskers, and performers.  I visited St Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, Lafitte's Blacksmith (first bar in NO but was set up to look like a blacksmith as a front for selling alcohol) - had a beer in here and chatted to some people from Washington DC, then walked past the house Tennessee Williams stayed in many years ago when he wrote "Streetcar Named Desire"(brings back fond memories of my 40th birthday present......STELLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA). 


Davo - If you are out there, I got another fridge magnet from Hard Rock Cafe for you.  Consider them your birthday present!

Headed to a recommended restaurant on Frenchmen St, got talking to an elderly couple from Colorado who shared their escargot with me.  Although I wanted to try more traditional Creole food, most of the dishes had shellfish so I passed.  Frenchmen St reminds me of Smith St, with a wide variety of people, good food, music and plenty of entertainment.  After dinner I headed back into the French Quarter to see it at night, and listen to street performers.

Finished the night at the Spotted Cat, a funky bar with a great jazz band.  There is no cover charge – all they ask is that you buy a drink a set.