MONDAY’S MAGICAL MOMENT: NEW ORLEANS, LA
Ah, New Orleans, LA or NOLA! I never thought I’d enjoy it as much as I did and now can’t wait to return! The 2 signs below epitomize the city….KEEP DOORS CLOSED, yet in 5 days, I never saw that door closed. By contrast the sign at Willie‘s Chicken Shack, en anglais, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, says it all! The rules are fluid, alcoholic beverages are allowed in open containers on the streets, the music is vibrant and diverse, as is the population.
Besides the French Quarter, with all its unhealthy behaviors from drinking to sex, drugs and rock n roll as well as beignets, the rest of the city offers an incredible range of delights. To name a few, St Charles Avenue Streetcar through the Garden District and Tulane, the Riverwalk with its Aquarium, numerous sculptures and memorials to the Holocaust, to Immigrants, to Children and on and on………….absolutely fascinating to walk and see not only the riverboat restaurants, but the working ferries and freights, reminding one the New Orleans is one of the most import ports of the South. The World War II museum is very well done and well worth a half day visit for a very modest price.
Having been in turn ruled by French, Spanish and British, I’m so glad it’s part of the United States. In fact, during the Famine Years in Ireland (1840-50), it was the 2nd most active port receiving Irish immigrants (after New York). And their lead up to St Patrick’s Day rivals Dublin’s, second only to the Mardi Gras celebrations!
So, visit the Bead City and laissez le bon temps rouler!
(I’ll still be featuring all-Ireland blogs at www.IrishCustomTours.com so come visit me there, too)
Copyright 2013 Mary Jane E Clark
