Travelogue-New Orleans (Day 2-The Rest of the Day)

The walk continued down the along the riverfront back to Canal. 

This was one of the warmest nicest days while I was in NO. 

The succeeding days were more overcast than sunny.  20%-30% forecast of rain turned out to be 100% on some days while 50% forecast was not so much.   The Riverfront streetcar does not come by very often so it was faster to walk back than just wait for the next streetcar.

A short way down from Cafe Du Monde, one of the two paddlewheelers is docked.  the natchez has two sailings during the day, 11am and 2pm.  Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, later, a tale of a fateful trip.  Later I set sail for a two hour tour.

The river is a busy waterway.  Tankers and barges lumber up and down the river.  They come in empty and leave loaded or vice versa.  A cruise treminal nearby affords large cruise liners a place for those inclined to embark/disembark.

I found this sweet shop on the internet and decided I should pay a visit.

They offer pastries, candy, gelato, and coffees.  The shop that I visited is located on Magazine St. 

They have one or two other locations that you can discover on their website.  I was interested in their french macarons.  They have seasonal flavors as well as their standard repetoire. 

I left with a collection of their regular flavors. A set of 15 macarons consisting of 8 flavors. Fortunately, I had a refrigerator in my room to keep them cool during my stay and for the trip home.

Travelogue-New Orleans (Day 2-French Quarter)

I start my day, as I do practically everyday while I was in NO, by making way down Canal either by foot or by streetcar

The streetcar is symmetrical front to back with controls at both ends so it does not need to be turned around.

When it comes to the end of the line, they cover one fare box, move the seatbacks, then uncover the other fare box.  Now its ready to go back the same way it came.

The Algiers Ferry was already running so I hopped on board for the free ride.  Currently, the crossing is free both ways.  Ive read that they may begin to charge a fee to help fund and keep the ferry running.  Operating hours last until approximately after 6pm on weekdays and just after 8 pm on Fridays and weekends.

Its a short ride across the Mississippi, no more than 10 minutes.  Great views of the skyline from Algiers Point.  I dont bother to disembark.  I sit tight and awaight the ride back to continue my preplanned itenerary for the day.

Once ashore, a quick hop onto the Riverfront streetcar up to Ursuline to explore the French Market.  There are two distinct sections of the market.

At this, the eastern, end a flea market occupies the stalls.  Craftmakers, artisans, retailers, etc. can rent space to sell their wares.  There is a wide range of goods from souvenirs to handmade items to food such as gator on a stick and gator jerky.

Part of the space is given up to food counters that serve up local fare as well as standard american fare. 

On one side, most of the market runs along Decatur.  Decatur merges and diverges from North Peters St as it runs from Canal toward the east

The other portion of the market has more permanent residents with solid walls and proper doorways and entrances.  Many of the shops sell souvenirs and that sourthern confection, the praline.  At the far end is Cage Du Monde.

Cafe Du Monde is famed for its cafe au lait and beignets.  Coffee and donuts.  The coffee is laced with chicory.  The beignets are french donuts showered with ungodly amounts of powered sugar.

The coffee can be had black but I prefer it with milk a la cafe au lait.  A standard order of beignets.  Lastly, a cup of iced coffee to help fuel me as I would continue my walk later.  Beignets are fried dough like regular donuts.  The samller of the three was lighter and airier and much more to my liking.  The other two were denser and heartier and provided more exercise to the jaw muscles.

Ah the remnants of my snack.  The copious amounts of left over sugar lie on the plate.  I shook off as much as I could before digging in.  There are other places to get coffee and donuts of this sort or of the more usual kind.  But, this places is open 24 hours to sate your craving no matter what time of day.

Across the way is Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral just beyond its far gate.  Horse/mule drawn carriages line the Decatur side of the square.  These converyances provide a romantic interlude as the day slips away and the evening splendor illuminates the area.

Named after President Andrew Jackson, the guy on the $20 bill, a statue of him upon his steed stands proudly in the middle of it all.

Back at the entrance and croos the street on Decatur, a tree has been erected for the Christmas season.  Lights adorn the ornamental display and alight when the dusk breaks.

A few blocks down from the square and Cafe Du Monde is another local point of interest.  Central Grocery is an italian food store that sells a sandwich of its own creation, the muffuletta

The muffuletta is a round sandwich of italian meats, swiss cheese, and olive salad.  Available only in two sizes, half and whole, and cut into quarters.  It is a good sandwich if you like the meats within and the olive salad is good.  I was not blown away by it myself.  Having been weighed down by some beignets, I was only able to finish a quarter while the remainder was left for later.

.

At many of the candy and souvenir shops, pralines are abundant.  Of the candy shops, they all proclaim the freshness as they are made on site and proudly display the cooling confections.  Made from nuts and sugar syrup, they are very sweet.

To walk off the muffuletta and the praline samples, I stroll through the quarter to observe the local architecture.  Balconies are a staple of the buildings in this area.  During Mardi Gras, they provide a great vantage point to observe all the goings on at street level while being at a safe distance from the hordes of humanity who can become unruly.

Plus, on a nice warm evening they provide a great place to dine al fresco while taking in the warmth and fresh air.  Some of the restaurants take advantage of this and have seating and tables on the balcony.

Along with restaurants, bars, and strip clubs, other shops line many of the streets around Bourbon.  Antiques, jewelry, and crafts can be found on Dauphine and Royal which run parallel to Bourbon.

Travelogue-New Orleans (Day 1-New Orleans)

I drive the two hours back to the airport to drop off the rental and take public transport into downtown. On weekdays, this would involve a single bus. On the weekend, a transfer is needed as the airport and New Orleans, NO, are in differenct parishes. Since it was getting late in the day, I opted to walk around to get a lay of the land.

I am staying on Canal St and a streetcar runs the length of the street.  Canal terminates at Harrah's casino and near the river and convention center.

I've walked a few blocks down and have found that certain streets start on one side of Canal then the streetname changes on the other side.  That side being the border of the French Quarter while this side is in the Central Business District.  By this time, I have passed Bourbon  St and Magazine St as I approach the riverfront

At the terminus, the line intersects the Riverfront streetcar line as well as an aquarium and a ferry port.  This trolley line runs up to the French Market and down a couple of stops towards and just past the convention center

The Algiers ferry runs back and forth from here to Algier's Point across the river. For the time being, the conveyance is totally free in both directions. However, during my research, there was mention of looking for funding and a fee or toll may be applied. I dont take a ride this day but I will be back

Following the walk leads you toward the French Quarter. Along the way, there is Jax Brewery, Jackson Square, Cafe du Monde, Central Grocery, and the French Market. One of the two paddlewheelers, Natchez, is docked along the walk. Either ship provide 2 hour tours up and down the Mississippi.

I start to turn back as the sun began to set. As the sky blazed in the setting sun, I took this picture. Later, while watching the local news, someone else had the same idea, posted it, and the anchor made mention of it. The pictures were quite similar. Anyway, the sun seems to set pretty early in these parts and they set fast. Before I knew it, artificial lights brightened the streets and buildings.

The onccoming darkness signaled a break for dinner was near. Close by is a restaurant that many people talk about, Mother's. Its known for it's homecooking of local favorites.

As you enter, someone hands you menu and tells you to line up and place your order. As it was slow and there was no line, I was a bit confused. So I went up to the steam tables ready to place my order. At this time, it was made known to me to line up at the register to place my order and pay. Once seated, they come to get your reciept, fulfill it, and bring it back to your table.

I like to try a little bit of everything so the combination fits the bill.  It includes potato salad in the middle, red beans and rice at 3 o'clock, jumbalaya at 6 o'clock, and crawfish etoufee at 9 o'clock.  The one chosen side item at 12 o'clock is cabbage.  The cabbage tasted like a mild warm saurkraut.  I found most of the items on the plate to be somewhat bland.  I was not sure what to expect as I never had "authentic" New Orleans fare but I did not expect this.  I strongly resisted the urge to dump some hot sauce all over.  I have found over the years that jumbalaya, while I can accept it, is not one of my favorties of the cuisine.  This did not change my mind.  Of the items provided, the etoufee would have to rank as the most liked

All that is left after dinner was to walk back to the hotel.  Along the way, I could not help but stop by Bourbon St.; this being the epicenter of Mardi Gras partying.  The entrance at Canal St greets you with Krystal diner and Hustler sex shop.  But, thats not the first thing one notices as you turn into the street.  Many a party past, present, and future lingers on the road, walls, and in the air. 

Drinking holes and establishments line either side as you walk.  Restaurants co-mingle with the bars and strip clubs are scattered thoughout as well.  Its fairly empty due it being early and a Tuesday night.  Later, a police presence is clearly visible and the the street is blocked off to cars so pedestrians have the run of the place.  In New Orleans, patrons are allowed to walk out in the open with alcohol as long as they are in plastic containers.

Travelogue-New Orleans (Day 1-Tabasco Visitors Center and lunch)

McIlhenny Co, the makers of Tabasco brand pepper sauce, has a facility at Avery Island that is open to the public.

Some info to guide your choice on whether to go out of your way to stop by for a look. You need to manage your expectations.  This is mainly a bottling facility. While there might be other things going on at this site, the bottling is the only thing the general public can view. While some peppers are grown here, the majority are raised in South America. South America is also where the bulk of the peppers are mashed and mixed with salt then shipped here. The guide mentioned the pepper field may be opened up to tours next year.

From the entrance, just left of this shot, to the second outcropping is the breadth of the touring facility.

As you make your way in, you pass by a giant replica of the modern day container of the sauce.  A short history is presented by the guide as they touch on previous incarnations of the container to la petite baton rouge.  The original  sauce was poured into a perfume bottle.  La petite baton rouge, little red stick, is a short piece fo wood painted the color of the ripened chili at its peak of juicyness.  We were given miniatures of some of their pepper sauces as we entered to watch a short video presentation.  At its conclusion, we make our way into the small hallway.

A plexiglass window seperates you from the machines and the workers.  Bottles are filled, capped, labeled and boxed for shipment.  Packaging only occurs Monday to Thursday.

These shipments go allover the US as well as the world.  These are getting readied to be forwarded to France.  This concludes our tour.  We exit the tour and enter an educational room with further info about the company and its mainline product

The mash is stored in white oak barrels obtained from the distillers of Jack Daniels whiskey.  The barrels are enclosed and capped with a layer of locally mined salt.  The salt allows gases formed during fermentation to escape while keeping impurities out.  Once its fremented and aged, the results are mixed with vinegar, filtered, then bottled.  Simple, right?  Peppers, salt and vinegar

In a motion-activated display model, a mixer gently stirs a portion of mash underneath a clear plastic lid.  The lighter portion gets rotated while the darker red mash is never disturbed.

A diorama provides an overview of Avery Island on which the complex stands.  The island is named after McIlhenny's wife's maiden name.  A bird sanctuary was established to protect the snowy egret.  In the top left is where the visitors center is located, just to the right of the white circle.

The souvenir shop is the parting shot to your tour.  While not connected to the tour area, it is but a short walk.  The edifice is modeled after a general store you would find in the country.

You can find almost anything you could imagine that contains the sauce or has its name and logo branded on to it.  Edibles and wearable goods abound among cookbooks to novelty items

There are currently seven varieties of Tabasco pepper sauce.  You can sample them to see which tickles your fancy and find a way to go home with you.  Other sauces and condiments are available to try out and purchase as well.

Soft serve with flavors that they have concocted are offered for tastings.  The raspberry chipotle is a sauce they make available for purchase.  It is incorporated into ince cream.  The initial sensation is a sweet raspberry flavor on the front of your tongue.  Slowly, the heat builds in the back of your throat and you cannot ignore it any more.  The ice cream, I believe, has a bigger kick than the sauce.  Jalapeno hits you almost immediatly with the flavor of the pepper.  I hardly noticed the sweetnes as the jalapeno flavor took front and center.  As with the other flavor, the heat works it up stealthfully.  An unappetizing creation they had was the Tabasco soda pop.  Thnakfully, they dont put this out for sale.  It is pretty nasty and all they do is mix cola with Tabasco.

As I left, some of the snowy egrets were spotted in the waters that surrounds the island.

I relied on Yelp to help find a place to have lunch in New Iberia.  There were high marks for this place in the center of town, Bon Creole Seafood/lunch counter.

The counter offers the staples of the area: po-boys, seafood, gumbo, etc.  To one side is counterspace for noshing while there are tables in the next room for a more relaxed atmosphere amongst the deer heads, marlins, and other trophies hung on the walls and cieling.

I ordered the seafood po-boy.  Deep fried sandwich fillings can also be purchased in plate form with salad and french fries.  This po-boy comes dressed(lettuce, tomato, and mayo) with fried shrimp, crawfish, catfish, and oysters.  Upon reflection, I failed to taste any oyster and they may have been left out.  Later, in local news shows, it was report that oyster harvests are down and there could be a shortage for the upcoming thanksgiving holiday.  Anyway, the breading was crispy and light without the heavy handedness of the frying oil.  The flesh of all the seafoood tasted fresh and juicy.  It was so big that eventually I left the bread behind.

To the right, potato salad comes with the sandwich.  It was ok but not worth finishing on a full stomach.  Seafood gumbo accompanied my meal.  White rice is provided with an extra bowl to mix the two together.  The gumbo had a nice mildly muddy flavor with plump pieces of small shrimp and crawfish.  I am no gourmand and no food critic, but I knoow what I like and what tastes good to me..