Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Singin' The Blues in New Orleans
I felt like I should write about New Orleans (and Biloxi and Mobile and all those other little towns in-between) just to kind of honor these wonderful places.
I've heard people say "New Orleans is dirty and everything smells like urine." It's true, but the city is still so beautiful and wild and seductive everyone should visit. I was able to do so back in 2000. I stayed with a dear friend from grad school (and I dearly hope she and her loved ones got out before the storm hit) and literally ate my way across the city. The finest meal I had was at a little horse racing dive bar/restaurant called Mina's, which I believe was just off Canal Street at the edge of the French Quarter. I had a huge bowl of seafood gumbo which the crab claws hanging over the side of the bowl, a grilled cheese sandwich, and I Coca-Cola. Heavenly!
Another big highlight of my trip was The Voodoo Cemetery Tour, which featured a guided tour of the main cemetery (again, right off Canal Street) which I believe is called St. Louis 1. After we toured the cemetery, we visited a Voodoo Priestess (and her large, hungry snakes) at her own Voodoo church. Very interesting and definitely the best walking tour I've ever experienced anywhere.
Most of the time, I just wandered around the city listening to music -- there are amazing street musicians on every corner, eating, and checking out the varied architecture. New Orleans is a feast for the eyes, ears, and taste buds, if not for the nose, though I learned to ignore the pee smell. I think it's just inevitable in most large cities: Paris smelled a lot like New Orleans, and I really liked visiting Paris.
So basically, today's entry is just a love letter to a great place. New Orleans (and all those other wonderful coastal and bayou towns) has taken a hard hit, and my heart goes out to all the folks who are directly affected by the hurricane. I know all these places will be rebuilt and people will get some level of normalcy back eventually, but this has got to be a nightmare for everybody involved.
The good times _will_ roll again. Bless all of you.
P.S. If anybody feels moved to help, the Red Cross website would be a good place to get info, make donations, etc.
I've heard people say "New Orleans is dirty and everything smells like urine." It's true, but the city is still so beautiful and wild and seductive everyone should visit. I was able to do so back in 2000. I stayed with a dear friend from grad school (and I dearly hope she and her loved ones got out before the storm hit) and literally ate my way across the city. The finest meal I had was at a little horse racing dive bar/restaurant called Mina's, which I believe was just off Canal Street at the edge of the French Quarter. I had a huge bowl of seafood gumbo which the crab claws hanging over the side of the bowl, a grilled cheese sandwich, and I Coca-Cola. Heavenly!
Another big highlight of my trip was The Voodoo Cemetery Tour, which featured a guided tour of the main cemetery (again, right off Canal Street) which I believe is called St. Louis 1. After we toured the cemetery, we visited a Voodoo Priestess (and her large, hungry snakes) at her own Voodoo church. Very interesting and definitely the best walking tour I've ever experienced anywhere.
Most of the time, I just wandered around the city listening to music -- there are amazing street musicians on every corner, eating, and checking out the varied architecture. New Orleans is a feast for the eyes, ears, and taste buds, if not for the nose, though I learned to ignore the pee smell. I think it's just inevitable in most large cities: Paris smelled a lot like New Orleans, and I really liked visiting Paris.
So basically, today's entry is just a love letter to a great place. New Orleans (and all those other wonderful coastal and bayou towns) has taken a hard hit, and my heart goes out to all the folks who are directly affected by the hurricane. I know all these places will be rebuilt and people will get some level of normalcy back eventually, but this has got to be a nightmare for everybody involved.
The good times _will_ roll again. Bless all of you.
P.S. If anybody feels moved to help, the Red Cross website would be a good place to get info, make donations, etc.
