Exploring New Orleans: Part I of III

It won't take long for visitors to hear the familiar sounds of New Orleans as they amble
around the French Quarter on any given day or night

Photo: Chronica Domus

My husband and I have just returned from a very enjoyable visit to New Orleans, a city in the midst of celebrating its tercentennial anniversary.  As you can well imagine, a place as historically rich and culturally diverse  as New Orleans rightfully has plenty to celebrate.  It is a city I have longed to visit but somehow didn't until last week.  With a reputation for good food, interesting architecture, and a laid-back attitude, I was more than eager to discover the delights of the Big Easy.

After checking into a supremely comfortable room at the Windsor Court Hotel on a hot and humid afternoon, a refreshing drink was in order.  A Ramos Gin Fizz, one of the city's most famous cocktails, was just the ticket.  Luckily for us the famed Sazerac Bar was just a short walk away.  I could not think of a better place to cool down, unwind, and enjoy a slice of old-world New Orleans.

The Paul Ninas murals and white jacketed bartenders lend an air of yesteryear to
The Sazerac Bar's elegant ambiance

Photo: Chronica Domus

Suitably refreshed and ready to explore, we sauntered towards the French Quarter, an experience I shall not soon forget.  Looking around at our surroundings, we momentarily felt a sense of déjà vu.  Had we stumbled into a back street in Lyon France, or perhaps Spain, or even the West Indies?  The French Quarter is all of these places thanks to the architectural influences of its early settlers.  

The area around Bienville Place on Decatur Street reminded me of Europe

Photo: Chronica Domus

Place des Vosges in Paris or Jackson Square in New Orleans?

Photo: Chronica Domus

The French Quarter is famous for the many intricately fashioned iron balconies, or
galleries, found on many of its buildings
Photo: Chronica Domus

New Orleans is surrounded by water.  The steamboats that once navigated the mighty Mississippi river played an important part in why the area established itself as a world port.  Today, one can still spot a steamboat or two paddling down the river; here's The Natchez underway taking passengers on a night cruise.

Photo: Chronica Domus

The city's outlying bayous and wetlands offer a fascinating glimpse at the natural landscape surrounding New Orleans.  Built, in the main, at sea level, the city is keenly aware of the devastating consequences of floodwaters.  Pumps and levees work overtime to keep the area dry.

A whimsical drainpipe New Orleans style!

Photo: Chronica Domus

An excursion into nearby Cajun country and a tour of the swamps is a must for any curious visitor, especially so if one wishes to see the local wildlife up close and personal.

Into the swamp we go perched upon a small airboat expertly steered by
Captain Randy, a man who has spent his entire life around the bayou
Photo: Chronica Domus

Spanish moss-covered Taxodium distichum, or Bald Cypress trees, grow in brackish
swamp water and are only able to survive because of their ...

... protruding roots which allow for an exchange of gases at the "knees" which keep the trees alive
Photo: Chronica Domus 

Proud Cajun Captain Randy tells us that he left school at the age of twelve to work on his
family's bayou; exceedingly knowledgeable in matters relating to the fragile ecosystem,
swamp management, and the local fauna and flora (just ask him about the Nutria invasion
and the rapidly disappearing bayou), Captain Randy made our visit to the swamp not only educational but jolly good fun too (he is an excellent storyteller!)
Photo: Chronica Domus

Yes, it's true, alligators really do live in the swampy environs of New Orleans and
Captain Randy knows exactly where to find them
Photo: Chronica Domus

Back in the city, the best way to get around is either on foot or by boarding one of the handsome streetcars that have been rolling by every few minutes for the past one-hundred and fifty years.  We rode the streetcars twice during our stay in New Orleans; once up to City Park to tour a historic house that I'll be posting about next, and the other to the Garden District to view the many antebellum houses the area is famous for and the cemetery.

All aboard the city's famous streetcars
Photo: Chronica Domus

Because the water table is high in New Orleans, the deceased are interred in above-ground tombs

to avoid any unpleasant consequences of flooding

Photo: Chronica Domus

Quercus virginiana, or Southern live oak trees, are as  stately as the houses that line 

the streets of the Garden District

Photo: Chronica Domus

This incredible cast iron cornstalk fence can be seen

at Colonel Short's Villa in the Garden District

Photo: Chronica Domus

Of course, I should not fail to mention some of the local food that citizens and visitors alike enjoy in New Orleans.  The cuisines of the Creole and Cajun traditions dominate the restaurant scene.  As we happened to be in New Orleans on Friday, there was only one place to lunch:

Galatoires on Bourbon Street looks rather civilized from the outside until, that is,  ...
Photo: Chronica Domus

... one steps into the rowdy dining room during the madness that is Friday lunch
Photo: Chronica Domus

Lunching at Galatoires on Friday is a beloved local tradition.  The boisterous conviviality of the diners sitting cheek by jowl makes for a very entertaining but noisy environment.   Admittedly, it was all a tad too much for us out-of-towners so we happily ate our lunch in the upstairs dining room alongside other less spirited locals.

And, because we both have a sweet tooth, and the beignets were outstanding, we visited Café du Monde more times than I care to admit during our time in New Orleans.  There's good reason this place has been in business for the past century and a half.

Café au lait is the perfect accompaniment to delicious beignets

Photo: Chronica Domus

I shall miss beautiful New Orleans and its vibrant culture and friendly people.  With so much to offer, the Crescent City is well worth a repeat visit.  I look forward to that day not only with pleasure but with a little pep in my step (yes, I can still hear the sound of all those jazz bands playing in my head). 

In the next installment of this three part series, I look forward to showing you around a historic house situated along the banks of Bayou St. John.


Nota bene: I am neither paid nor do I receive recompense in exchange for applauding products or services within my blog.  I do so because I enjoy them.  If you are a kindred spirit, you too enjoy recommending nice things to fellow good eggs.