Days 3 and 4: New Orleans, Saints and Sinners

 We woke again before dawn (3rd day in row) and left our budget motel in Alexandria, LA (home of the icy fog - that's not a drink, that's actual icy fog) and we drove south-south-east for New Orleans. I had to scrape frost off the car windows before we left.

The highway was pitch black and mist occasionally drove visibility down to the point where I had to slow far below the speed limit. There were few cars on the road so not really a problem, though the few that passed us disappeared quickly into the mirk.

The landscape was flat and there was little until we reached Baton Rouge. The highway converted to elevated causeways lined with cypress and ferns in the fens alongside. The temperature hovered around 40.

Brief Summary of New Orleans Day 1 and 2:

1. Stay at Hotel St. Marie in the French Quarter
2. Saints vs. Falcons in the Superdome
3. Charred Oysters and Jambalaya at Desire
4. Cafe au Lait and beignets at Cafe Du Monde
5. Tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1, get rained on
6. Shrimp po'boy, shrimp and grits at Cafe Fleur des Lis
7. Folk/Jazz trio at Fritzels

We reached our destination as expected around 10am.  We dropped out luggage in our room at the Hotel St. Marie in the French Quarter ('cawtah') and took advantage of the dearly priced valet parking. We walked the mile or so to the Superdome, following the growing crowd of football fans.

Our nosebleed seats were excellent. The stadium was not full, but it was still pretty loud. There are no bad seats in the Superdome, unless you are afraid of heights. The Saints beat their rivals the Falcons and we cheered alongside the hometown fans. "Who Dat!" "Move Dem Chains!"

Then we walked back to the French Quarter which was slightly less crowded than expected because of the chill and I think the Falcons fans, being depressed, had already started leaving town. We went to a cafe called Desire (think Streetcar named...) and had charred oysters and jambalaya.

This made an early evening for us.

Monday was supposed to be rainy and stormy later so we woke early and headed to Cafe Du Monde on Decatur. It was already half full at 7:30 and a ragtime trio was blaring music at the entrance. We had cafe au lait and an order of 3 beignets covered in a half inch of powdered sugar for $11.

While sitting, the threatened rain appeared to hold off so I booked a tour of the nearest cemetery - St. Louis Cemetery #1 for 10am. 

We walked north across the French Quarter, stopped for a serendipitous look-see at a ceremony in Jackson Square to commemorate the ending of the Battle of New Orleans on January 8th in 1812.  https://usdaughters1812.org/sites/chalmette/  A very nice couple took pity on our confused looks and explained everything to us. 

In the cemetery, though it did pour buckets for a few minutes while we waited under a tent, it was dry for most of the tour. The interesting points included Nicholas Cage's impulsive purchase of plot where he now built a pyramid shaped sarcophagus where he may or may not be buried. And the grave of Homer Plessy, of Plessy vs. Ferguson.

We then went to Cafe Fleur des Lis in the French Quarter. I had shrimp and grits. Binh had a shrimp po-boy. Too good. 

That evening we took advantage of a rise in temperature and walked around a fairly deserted Bourbon street. We ended up at a small jazz club and listened to a folk trio for a while, sipping our drinks.

A good two days in New Orleans.