How does one write “New Orleans”?. It’s lots of letters and more than one word. Certainly an abbreviation in order. “NO” is not a good abbreviation for obvious reasons. In reading a guide book, I saw the term “NOLA” — New Orleans, LA. One can even say it as a word. And that’s what I’ll be using.

Haloween Parade

We arrived about 6 PM Saturday. Transportation to downtown is not so good, so we grabbed a taxi to our hotel. The ride took longer than I thought. Traffic on Saturday evening was a mess. Our first night was at the Comfort Inn. (There were no rooms at the Sheraton.) When we got there, we found ourselves in the business district, bereft of tourists and tourist eateries. I found a possible place on the internet, but when we got there, one look through the window convinced us that we didn’t want to eat there. So we just started walking down the street. We saw a nice-looking eatery before long. About the time we found it, we heard police sirens and saw people lining up. So we went over to watch the NOLA Halloween parade. It was a blast. They had quads, bands, equestrians, floats, music, and dancers. Most of them were throwing stuff to the kids — candy, plastic cups, frisbees, even beads. We were standing in a shower of “stuff” with kids scrambling around our legs picking it up. Taking a pic of moving people at night with a cell phone camera doesn’t work very well, but here’s a pic that might help give an idea.

After the parade, we went back to the eatery and had a NOLA sampler: gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, fried green tomatoes, remoulade, and the best biscuits I have ever had. One order was plenty for both of us.

This morning, we got up “early” (for NOLA). We wheeled our suitcace to the Sheraton then walked over to Cafe du Monde for those wonderful beignets (NOLA donuts covered in powdered sugar). The cafe has a large outdoor dining area under roof. When we got there about 8, the outdoor tables were closed. There was a small indoor area and we sat down right away. By the time we left, there was a long line waiting to get in. After Church, the outdoor tables were open and completely filled, and there was still a line. Next up was a historical walking tour of the French Quarter, followed by lunch (genuine NOLA Po Boy sandwiches). Then a tour of the Cabilido (the antebellum seat of power in Louisiana). Finally, we sat down and listened to a brass band doing a street performance. All of this was right around Jackson Square, the focus of the French Quarter. I didn’t take any pictures. There are a zillion pictures of the French Quarter. I couldn’t possibly come close to what everybody has already seen. As much fun as it is being here, I must say that there is one advantage of looking at pictures over being here — you can’t smell anything in the pictures. NOLA is filthy.

View from Room

It was time to check into the Sheraton. The hotel is amazing. We have a room on the 31st floor with a beautiful view of the river. Just as we got into the room, they had another parade. This was a small parade with two high school bands. This time, we were content to watch the parade from our room.

Well, it’s getting to be dinner time. We’re going to try Olivier’s Creole Restaurant — “Elegant but casual bistro serving classic Creole dishes made from old family recipes.” It sounds like good food and good fun.