Hey All,
It's Alie again, reporting live from the Big Easy. Day two of our New Orleans discovery was full of fun and interesting experiences. We have been moving pretty much non-stop since 11am, so it's nice to have a rest and update the ol' blog for a bit. We started the day the way any good day should start, with some beignets (and cafe au lait for me!) at
Cafe du Monde, the happiest place on earth®. Disneyworld doesn't stand as chance against hot, deep fried doughnuts burried in powdered sugar...definietly the breakfast of champions!
Have no fear, however, we walked off our treats (including the after breakfast praline we had to get!). We walked around the French Market, dipping in and out of cute little shops, and we stumbled upon the National Historic Site for New Orleans jazz. We wandered in and spoke with the park ranger for quite some time. Though he had little to say about jazz, he had a lot to tell us about teaching, Hurricane Katrina and life in general. People are so friendly down here, and I feel like a lot of them just want to talk and share their experiences; most of them have a lot to say. Next, we got our share of New Orleans/ Louisiana history by exploring the
St. Louis Cathedral (the oldest in the country) and the Cadilo where the Louisiana history museum is located. Highlights included the room in which the Louisiana Purchase was signed and Napolean's death mask.
Not having gotten our share of history yet, we saw the place in which
Tenessee Williams wrote
A Streetcar Named Desire (which, incidently is for sale, and Matt really wants to buy it). We also found the Jean Laffite National Park (two for one, how do you like that?) and learned even more about New Orleans history.
With tired feet, full brains and empty stomachs, we went out in search of some good ole creole food. We found a great little cafe and treated ourselves to the Creole Creation special; a cup of
gumbo,
jambalaya and beans and rice. We cleaned our plates! In New Orleans, they say there are two times of day: meal time and everything else. With food like that, I would have to agree!
After indulging in spicy goodness, we hopped on a walking ghost tour of the city, in which we saw the most haunted spots. Even a skeptic like me, got goosebumps when I heard of the tragic tales of former New Orleans residents and the spirits they left behind. We discovered that our hotel is indeed one of those very haunted spots (maybe that's why the rates were so good!).
The tour guide gave a little chuckle when we told him we were staying at the Place d'armes. He told us that our hotel was the site of the first Louisiana school, which was an all boys school. The first of two fires that destroyed the city while it was under Spanish control wipped out almost all of the buildings, including the boys school. According to the guide, the boys haunt the hotel and like to play practical jokes on the guests. This morning we were awoke by a knock at our door, but when I answered it, no one was there... coincidence or haunting...I'll leave that up to you to decide. We also heard chilling tales of the dirty dealings of a doctor and his wife who used slaves for medical experiments, the building itself has been abandoned for decades, but is finally in use again... we shall see how its current tenant fairs.
After a long day, complete with a pit stop at an old 24 hour diner on Bourbon St., we are ready for a much deserved rest. We will certainly be sad to leave New Orleans, it was a wonderful experience from which we learned a lot about both its distant past and recent history. It will always have a special place in my heart. I encourage people to visit this still beautiful city; if you support it, it will give back to you more than you might imagine. And now... on to Texas!
No stats today I've talked enough already! Thanks for listening
