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The French Quarter of New Orleans

 
I have been to New Orleans three times now - I guess you could say I kind of like it!!   New Orleans was founded in 1718 by French Canadian naval officer Jean Baptiste Bienville on a grid of 70 squares,   Today this is prime tourist turf called the French Quarter.

In this post I will be highlighting the French Quarter as that is where most tourists hang out . When I left New Orleans I thought "okay three times should be enough"  Guess what...it isn't!!!  Someday Nawlins I will be back but after three trips in January I think I will choose to go at a different time of year. (not summer though!) 

So here are some of the photo highlights of this very busy part of the Big Easy. 



St Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square - the original church was built in 1727. 

With statue of Andrew Jackson in front

At the weekend the square is filled with artists selling their wares as well as all kinds of fortune tellers
Let's visit the French Market!

Hmmm...maybe not...I did try alligator sausage at the buffet in Biloxi - one bite was enough.  It tasted okay but I could not get past the idea of eating an alligator. (ewwwww....) 


They sell everything here from beautiful handcrafted jewellery and pottery to cheap t-shirts and keychains.  A fun place to visit.
Oscar got quite a bit of our money - we ended up going to see him every day and purchasing something.  Very unique jewellry!  And he has quite the unique personality as well.  A local treasure.  
Let's stretch our legs a bit and walk along the Mississippi...usually there are paddleboats on the river but not today
The Immigrant monument


Okay I think it's time to take a breather at Café Beignet on Royal St. and have a beignet or two... with a café au lait...

 

Now that we have a serious sugar high going on let's do some serious wandering around the streets of the Quarter....particularly Bourbon Street.....
 
 






There is always music playing in New Orleans - a band will set up and start playing on a corner or some fellow will do the following...have some dollar bills in your pockets! 




They even get their dogs in on the game!!! 


 
There is a never a dull moment in the French Quarter! 
 
Here are a couple of examples of the architecture found in the French Quarter...the wrought iron "lace" balconies are stunning.
 

Yes you can take a carriage ride around the Quarter as well - but be prepared to pay big bucks!!!
 

This place sells some pretty wild stuff including voodoo dolls and all kinds of things I can't even begin to understand, sadly photography was not allowed. 
And you can't spend time in the French Quarter without experiencing one of its many bars.  At night especially the music beckons you through the doorways.

We opted for the very touristy Pat O'Briens and enjoyed the dueling piano players and singing along.  I think we were there for about four hours at least and got through a couple of big hurricanes - rum and fruit punch, etc.  (my motto is "rum is yum")

Monty looks a little worse for wear on his second Hurricane.
 While you won't see the real New Orleans in the French Quarter it is a fun place to hang out and as I always say to people...if you want a party town forget Las Vegas, go to New Orleans!!!  Culture, scenery, river cruises, cool cemeteries,  music, food, shopping - and plantations and swamps an hour or two away...what more would you want? 

Comments

Unknown said…
Fantastic, Laurie.. I enjoyed every minute of my trip there with you.
February 25, 2014 at 1:26 PM
Sammi said…
It looks awesome, Laurie. I really want to go to New Orleans
February 27, 2014 at 4:04 AM
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