New Orleans meanderings

Dave with the jazz musicians

Our last day in New Orleans starts with torrential rain and a thunderstorm, thankfully we’re in the main house here at the hotel so the walk down to breakfast is not a wet one. When the rain stops we walk out into the city just to soak up the atmosphere, nowhere in particular to go to. Just outside the French Quarter is Louis Armstrong park, it is completely deserted apart from the statues and the guy trying to cut the grass, it’s more like aquaplaning really! The old US Mint is our next stop, not only does it have old memorabilia on coins it has a small art and jazz museum too. Our wandering takes us back to the French Market, it’s not so crowded today, so we take time to wander along the stalls. It’s time to try another New Orleans must, a muffuletta. It’s a large flat bread roll filled with salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and mozzarella cheese, but the iconic ingredient is the olive salad. Ours is served hot so the cheese is gentle melting into the other ingredients, yummy. As we eat there’s the bustle of the market, birds tweeting and in the background distantly heard jazz from the band at the Gazebo café.

The French Market

More wandering through the old streets drinking in the atmosphere brings us to The Golden Lantern. From the bright light outside the bar looks tiny but it is a typical American bar with a large u-shaped bar and a back room. The barmaid and locals make us feel very welcome and are interested to compare notes on our and their political situations and the world in general. The barmaid seems to believe that more of us Brits carrying guns would solve a lot of our problems, we and another local disagree amicably.

It’s back to the hotel for fresh baked hot cookies and coffee before getting ready for our last night here in NOLA. The walk to Frenchman Street takes us yet again down streets lined with old houses all in different colours and uneven brick pavements. Abita is on the corner and Dave has been looking forward to the steak here all day, it doesn’t disappoint him and my comfort food of red bean stew and andouille sausage is equally good. To finish the evening live music curtesy of Louise Cappi at Vaso before a final drink in our “local”, Cosimos.