January 16, 2015 New Orleans, Louisiana

Wow, the sun was out all day. Looks like it will be for the next week. Finally. The high was 55,  but in the sun it felt much warmer. Had to take off my coat. I even got to wear my sunglasses, can’t remember when the last time was.

The bus at Bayou Segnette. We took the ferry as walk ons across the Mississippi to New Orleans. This is a street scene in Algiers where we caught the ferry. They don’t take cars on the ferry anymore and it costs $2 per person, or  $1 for seniors each way. Used to be free for pedestrians.

Downtown New Orleans seen from the ferry. Our first stop was Harrahs casino to use the bathrooms. I stopped in Penny Gras to gamble. I put in $5, won $6.10. John told me to cash out while I was ahead. Later I lost $5 out of my pocket. Easy come, easy go.

We spent hours walking around the French Quarter. Even though the city is mostly French the French Quarter is built in Spanish style. The Spanish were here before the French. This is the old historic downtown. The original settlers built this on the only high ground. The rest of the city is below sea level and has been destroyed by many hurricanes, but the quarter has survived. John in music legends park with Chris Owens.

 

There is free music on every corner. Tony  Moran’s Italian restaurant, Tony is no relation to John.

  

Andrew Jackson in Jackson Square. John walking down Bourbon Street. It is where all the brothels were in the old days. John is walking under the sign for a gentleman’s club.

 

Some street signs. Prohibition bar with Huge Ass Beers, and old street sign and on Bourbon Street someone changed this one way sign to Gone Gay.  Street art by the French Market.

Seen at the French Market, swamp dogs and famous gator on a stick, plus real alligator heads. John at lunch at Nola’s. Emerils restaurant. John had a pork cheek po boy and I had fried boudin and a salad.

St Louis cemetery. With the high ground water they cannot bury coffins in the ground, so they put them in above ground crypts. Families use the same ones, piling bodies on top of each other,some of them are 4 –5 graves high, others have them all in one, not sure if they are cremated, or just piled in. After that we went to Louis Armstrong park, which is the Jazz National Historic Park. A jazz band sculpture.

 

This artwork is made with cast glass tiles and there was a nice walkway and bridges around the lake in Louis Armstrong park. A man was playing a guitar next to the Louis Armstrong statue. He is from North Carolina and her on a band gig, he said it was such a nice day he had to be outside.

  

Back at Jackson Square there is live music, paintings for sale, tarot card readers, magicians and museums.  On the ferry on the way back this paddle boat past us.  They have scenic river tours on them. 

  

  This is a fema emergency pick up point.