New Orleans Adventure: Day 1, Easy in the Big Easy...

Perhaps out of guilt from the night before, mom and I woke up and headed to the gym (and in much agony) before heading back to the Quarter to eat at pretty much the first decent-looking restaurant in town, Pierre Maspero's for crab cakes and barbeque shrimp. Num nums!

We then headed to the French Market, browsing the beautiful art near Jackson Square. One artist was selling skeleton art, my first purchase of the day. The last several times I visited New Orleans I was very upset by the death of the French Market, but today I was thrilled to see a produce section up and running - small, but it was there! Also the Market had expanded with vendors to the entire designated area, something I hadn't seen since Hurricane Katrina. Mom and I bought a dress and a skirt from one of my favorite vendors, an old black man who chain smokes and has the most beautiful selection of sun dresses. We had never talked but today he talked to my mother and me for quite some time. As if he were a psychic, he started telling me that with my beautiful face, good heart, and stubborn personality, I should go into public health. He then proceeded into boasting about his knowledge of history until a customer thankfully pulled him away and we escaped. So strange...

Art outside Jackson Square


We then went to my mother's favorite art gallery in a building near the end of the Market while I explored another street in a heated haze, lured into any shop that had a good air conditioning. On Ursuline near the furthest end of the Quarter, we wondered past the Beauregard Keys House (which I've always been strangely attracted to), and to Royal where we treaded all the way up to the other side, stopping at a cute little place called Royal Blend Coffee House for some coffee and a marbled chocolate loaf. The place had a nice little patio and, best of all, an uncrowded and well air-conditioned room.

Mom consuming some coffee at the Royal Coffee Shop

The evening was relaxing. Mom decided to head to the casino and I for a solo walk through the French Quarter. It's amazing the group of characters you'll see on any given night. I love the street performers. There are those who are very charming and great entertainers despite the amount of talent they really have. There are those who are totally in their own world with only a hat out for money as recognition of the people walking by. There are always occasions going on in the city... such as a church group, a wedding, the obvious Bachelor Party group with beer and 'grenades' in hand by noon. There are the employees who slip right out the front door, who can finally ignore the tourists and shout to their friends across the way about plans later that evening. There are the slowly dwindling goth scene and a slowly rising bohemian scene with people dressed in century-attire 'costumes', drawing the attention of the passerby.
Then there is the tourist... the tourist who can taint the backdrop of the beautiful city with fanny-packs and visors. The tourist who keeps the city ALIVE with business and curiosity. I am a tourist, though not so obvious.

The evening was very relaxing. We met up with my cousin at Pat O'Briens and tried fried Alligator and secretly her and her friend some of our Hurricane. Melody decided to have her fortune read next door at Marie Laveau's Voodoo Shop. She told us later that evening the tarot card reader was spot. on. Apparently Melody should have a future in the paranormal. ;-)