Well, the French Quarter does brim with tourists, and these walking speed bumps weeble and wobble while they carry their "huge ass beers" and "hand grenades". But, they are part of the "charm" that is New Orleans and and maybe not as much of a hinderance as New Yorkers may consider the tourists that stand...and get in the way. No, the tourists of the French Quarter are themselves like street performers and what is different here than in NYC perhaps is the acceptance and the interaction between natives and tourists. Yes, they are a nuisance, but they are greatly appreciated by the citizens of New Orleans.
Indeed.... This is the second time the VFH crew has visited New Orleans since the notorious hurricane Katrina and the people of the Big Easy are enthusiastic and happy that people are returning to their city. Head chefs at restaurants have come up to the table to thank us for visiting again and I know that some musicians receive a stipend to peform for the tourists along rue Royal, which is closed to vehicular traffic during the day, or in Jackson Square, but they genuinely look like they're having fun performing for their fellow street performers. It is one big party and it is fun, even if others wobble when I weeble..... Of course, it is easy to have a complacent attitude and everyone seems to be nice when you're visiting a place for just a few days. Perhaps things would be different if we immersed ourselves in this culture for a longer period of time, although my daughter and her boyfriend have been living in Meterie for awhile now and are having a great time. But, New Orleans was always for the young.
Well, today we were tourists in New Orleans and I fear that all my previous words about the mingling of citizens and tourists are hollow. Apart from the people working the boat, and my daughter, everyone was from somewhere else. Different languages and accents warbled all around us fighting the steam whistle for prominence as we waited along the quay so we could board the Natchez. According to their brochure, the Natchez is the last remaining steamboat operating on the Mississippi. We had been hearing the calliope tootling over the Quarter for days and decided to take a two hour cruise on the river. I was able to get a discount because of my AAA membership that amounted to $7.50 for the three tickets purchased. A lunch was available but we opted out of it. Total price for three tickets was $66. I have to say it was worth it, for nothing could replace the feel of this proud ship churning swiftly down the Mississippi, overtaking barges trying the negotiate the curve at Algiers point. Although later on I learned that ferries crossing the river are free to walk ons and if our intent was to simpy get on the river if only to cross over to Algiers, albeit briefly, then this would have been enough. There is a walking tour of the Algiers neighborhood: http://www.algierspoint.org/
No, it was quite enjoyable sitting on the prow of the ship with the sun spilling on us and a sometimes stiff breeze keeping us cool. We watched with interest the machinations of the crew preparing the ship to leave the dock and listened to the commentary offered by the captain about the ship and the neighborhoods and industries that we passed. The trip was two hours and took us all the way to the Chalmette Battlefield, about 7 miles down river from the Quarter. This is where the final battle of the War of 1812 was waged which resulted in devastating losses for the British against only a handful of casualties by the Americans. The sad part about this battle is the war was technically over and a truce had been drawn up, but it did not reach the forces involved by the time of the battle. There is a reenactment each January. Interesting information about visiting the battlefield can be found at: www.atneworleans.com/brody/battlefield.htm.
Another ship, the Creole Queen, that was much smaller than our craft, stopped at the battlefield for a walk on the grounds. Although it looked like a paddlewheel boat like ours, the captain of the Natchez pointed out that it really ran on diesel fuel, not steam like our ship. Again he pointed out that the Natchez was the last remaining steam paddleboat operating on the Mississippi. But, then again, the captain repeated everything.
When the great Natchez wheeled around just south of the battlefield for the return, we decided to walk around the ship. There were three decks and we were allowed into the engine room, there to see the massive pistons working with a deliberate cadence to turn the massive paddle wheel in the aft of the Natchez. After walking around the Natchez we returned to our chairs and basked in the afternoon sun. My daughter pointed out different sights when the Natchez cruised past Canal Street and the apartments along the river where she had attended parties.
Earlier in the day we decided to go to Johnny's Po-Boys where they famously declare that even their failures are edible. There was an interesting mix of tourists and locals waiting patiently in a line that stretched the length of eatery. You may ask what the hell is a po-boy? It is basically a submarine sandwich on french bread and the ingredients can be anything from fried oysters, to alligator to meats like roast beef. The meaning some say comes from a group of labor strikers being provided free sandwiches by a sympathizer. The strikers were called poor boys, and the name was shortened to po-boys. The girls had seafood gumbo while I dove into an expansive Muffeletta, which is is a submarine on Italian bread. Although the Po-Boy originated in New Orleans, it can be found all throughout the south. The Muffeletta is the sandwich associated with the city and features an olive salad slathered on all the meats. The girls watched wide-eyed as I finished the huge sandwich.
http://www.johnnyspoboy.com/
That evening my daughter's boyfriend had business to attend to and could not meet us for dinner. We ate in the Warehouse District, an artsy area west of the Quarter. We ate at an upscale cajun restaurant, that entertained the trappings of "downhome" style food. i.e. we sat on wood slat chairs. Janet had seen a segment about the restaurant on the Travel Channel that explored the troubles the owners of Couchon endured in the aftermath of Katrina. The food was very good. We shared an appetizer of gator in a garlicy hot sauce. My daughter had a brisket, Janet a fish and I had a couchon grill, which looked like a crab cake, but was a succulent pork. We were all satisfied with our meal.
http://www.couchonrestaurant.com/
This was the first time in all the years I've traveled to New Orleans where I did not eat in a restaurant in the French Quarter. Port of Call was more of a bar that served hamburgers.
No comments:
Post a Comment