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This was a very sobering sight..bringing to mind all the lives that were lost…and the ones that were changed forever.
\nI asked several people about their experience and got the liveliest account from a cab driver. He is proud to say he is an outdoorsman and a good swimmer. He got carried away by the water about a mile when the levy broke. He held on to a tree for awhile. But he swam back, located his kayak and waited for the water to calm down. It took 4 days. He helped his next door neighbor, a certain Daisy, who lost her husband and (according to him) her mind in the ordeal. She apparently took off all her clothes because she was hot. Here is how he described the scene: \u201cSo I say to her: “Miss Daisy, put them cloooothes on\u2026you loosing your mind mama\u2026what will people think seein you in you panties and me all dressed\u2026.OHHH dis no good\u2026.I\u2019m gonna turn you upside down and shake your sense back if you don put dem clothes back on\u201d
\nIt seems that Miss Daisy has since disappeared and not come back. Meanwhile he has had his house fumigated for mold, gutted it and rebuilt. He is hoping Daisy will come back to claim her money (as they get 100% if they return and only 65% if they stay away) because he would like to buy her house, cause she has a pool. Real estate is cheap now. He could fix it , rent it out\u2026or rent out his and live in hers\u2026especially if renters are worried about contamination. A crafty man!<\/p>\n
Speaking of housing, there are several world class hotels both in and out of the French quarters. I checked a few of them out. They were all elegant, clean and restful\u2026It was especially striking when walking off of busy noisy Bourbon street at night to enter a cool tranquil oasis, with water gurgling in several fountains\u2026<\/p>\n
The hotel I chose was the Loews, a very nice hotel a few blocks from the French quarters.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n So lodging is not a problem. The next issue that pops to mind is safety. I walked alone all over and was never bothered. I am told that Bourbon street is tightly controlled and probably has the lowest crime rate of the city\u2026I must confess that I would not have felt comfortable walking there alone at night\u2026but spoke with a few single women who had done so without any issues. So I would say that with the usual common sense required in any city, visiting New Orleans is no more dangerous than any other north American city.<\/p>\n Now the fun part! The food!!! It was incredible! (and I am not easy to impress). Let\u2019s start at the beginning: \u201cBeignet and caf\u00e9 au lait\u201d. This is a tradition in New Orleans and the place to have them is Caf\u00e9 du Monde. They are reminiscent of the Spanish churros, (little pillows made of fried cream puff dough, covered with powdered sugar)\u2026 Lovely!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another must, as far as food goes, is a jazz brunch, and the place to try one is \u201cThe court of two sisters\u201d. It is located in a fine old building with a lovely courtyard. There, as almost everywhere in New Orleans, you have gas lit old fashioned outside light fixtures. The buffet offered a very diverse menu\u2026from gumbos and jambalaya, to shrimp, crayfish, oysters, salads, the usual meats and egg dishes\u2026and an impressive choice of desserts, including coconut cake, pecan pie, banana pudding with rhum sauce\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For supper I tried the Bon Ton Caf\u00e9 in the historic 1840s Natchez building. Walking in was a surprise: behind the shuttered windows are exposed brick walls, red and white checked table cloths, wrought iron chandeliers and rich wood trim \u2026a very intimate ambiance\u2026There was a table close by with three perfectly well behaved little girls with huge ribbon bows in their hair\u2026all that was missing were white gloves and hoop skirts\u2026.The meal was lovely but it was the dessert that had me groaning (in ecstasy)\u2026 it was the most luscious bread pudding with whiskey sauce ever!!\u2026 if I get my hands on the recipe I will pass it on\u2026<\/p>\n Another renowned name in the New Orleans food business is the Brennan family, they own several restaurants. I went to their Palace Caf\u00e9 on Canal street, the building has a history that reaches back to 1905 when it was a music store. It has a spectacular circular wood staircase the leads to the second floor where, I am told, there is a great view of the parades during Mardi Gras. But it is their food that impressed me the most. I had their fish and pecans\u2026it was incredible! A piece of red fish coated with a spicy crust and then covered in pecans\u2026the spice had just enough heat to balance the sweetness detected in the sauce\u2026.it was amazing!<\/p>\n Another food not to be missed is the crawfish boil. They are cooked in strongly spiced oil which gives them a very hot taste. Aren’t they spectacular?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are several attractions in New Orleans but the first one is the French quarter\u2026so that is where I spent most of my time. It is amusing that it is called the French quarters, as it is obviously Spanish in architecture. Only the street names are French. The reason for this is that the French were the first settlers there and they built the first city\u2026but that city burned down\u2026twice! It was ultimately re-built by the Spanish in typical Spanish style, wrought iron railings, balconies, inner courtyards\u2026. and it is the way it still stands today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I was intrigued to see a statue of Joan Of Arc..but of course she was from Orl\u00e9ans in France\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a>
\nAmusingly the most renowned street does not even have a French sounding name: Bourbon street. But the others do: Rue des Ursulines, Rue St Louis, Rue Royal\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n