NoLa Part Deux

The fog!

The day began eerily, a thick fog covering the entire city and making visibility low, to say the least.


We woke up slow and walked through the streets towards Cafe Du Monde.

It was probably 8:30 or so when we got there and already the place was busy, but not quite packed. After having our beignets and cafe au lait, we skithered about and decided to walk towards the river and maybe towards the ferry.

However, with the thick fog still very much so apparent, we decided to forego the ferry ride and instead spent some time sitting by the water just talking. It was nice! Chilled, quiet, and serene looking out into the nothing. My kind of way to get lost in a conversation. :)

The French market/ flea market was finally in full swing around 10:00. We delighted in the different vendors and variety of goodies. I even got to try my hand and "negotiating" prices and succeeded, which was fun. However, one guy told me that he didn't speak English after I asked if he would take $10 for a shirt, instead of $20. He declined and walked away. We laughed. Well, I guess I didn't have to give him any of my English money either... lol.

We walked up to Bourbon street and back down Royal, around the back side of the St. Louis cathedral, and kept going until we found a spot for lunch. We did, and it was fabulous. A restaurant on the corner called "Pere Antoines". The walls were lined with tall doors that stood open on the fine afternoon. Every table was filled with parties and couples lost deep in close conversation. The food almost seemed like a side-dish to their lives... accentuating the atmosphere and quality of the restaurant, but not overtaking the main point of fellowship. That's one thing I've noticed... the food is amazing here, and it just seems to make the quality of the conversation, the atmosphere, the city that much better.

We spent the afternoon on the St. Charles streetcar, traveling through the Garden District and back to the Central Business District. That was a cool experience! It was good to get out of the French corner and see some of the awesome houses, churches, and schools that lined the famous street.

And then it was time for the parade. It was the first official parade of the Mardi Gras season, and it was scheduled to begin at 6:30pm. So, around 5:30pm we decided to head over to Jackson Square, grab a Lucky Dog for dinner, stake our claims for our viewing spot and then wait.

Two hours later... the parade was finally progressing towards us. Apparently, they are notorious for starting late. lol.

It was a parade all-in-all. Nothing too extravagant, not quite what we had imagined, but a parade nonetheless.
And there was plenty of people drinking and enough scandalous outfits to justify the spirit of Mardi Gras, even if it is a few weeks early.

It was a busy day, but a really good one, and as we settle down for the night, we smile. :)