 |
| The Mississippi At 7:00 In The Morning |
 |
| PJ's Coffee Shop |
 |
| A Man And His Dog |
I am sitting in PJ's Coffee Shop, next door to the French Market Inn, where we are staying until Sunday. It's the third time we have stayed there and we like its old French Quarter feel, across the street from the Mississippi and steamboats moored. As I am sitting, I just witnessed a young kid buy a bagel and drop it off on the table where a homeless guy is sitting, the kindness of strangers.
 |
| Cafe Du Monde Beignets And Chicory Coffee |
Thursday was an easy drive to New Orleans from Orange Beach, Alabama although once we got on RT 10, it was busy, with lots of trucks. It's the main route west along the southern United States. We arrived just after noon, checked in to the desk, and Evie took our bags upstairs while I drove off a couple of blocks to a garage, part of the Inn. We unpacked and relaxed a bit but were anxious to get to the Cafe Du Monde, a ten-minute walk, where they served amazing chicory coffee and beignets dusted with tons of powdered sugar. It's always busy and we were happy to see that the Asian staff was back, taking orders, and serving the beignets. We were there in 2021 during Covid and we had to order at a window and pick up our coffee in throw-away cups. To say Evie was happy, would not be an exaggeration.
 |
| Group Singing And Dancing |
 |
| Having Fun |
Outside the cafe, on the walk, musicians usually entertain and yesterday was the same, as a group of kids gathered around the musician and sang and danced for 15 minutes before going on their way. Once we finished, we dusted the powdered sugar off our clothes and walked to Jackson Park, the center of the French Quarter with Andrew Jackson's statue (still standing) and the Basilica Of St. Louis. We then walked the streets until we tired, wishing there were more street musicians rather than kids pounding on plastic buckets for change.
 |
| Jackson Square Gang |
 |
| French Quarter Balcony |
 |
| Street Poets |
We did see a couple of groups next to the cathedral and loved the four people sitting behind typewriters, willing to write a poem. By 3:00, we were bushed, headed back to our Inn and napped, read, then showered getting ready for our evening. I did get in a quick walk while Evie showered, checking out the street entertainers and a couple of restaurants we might like.
 |
| Busker |
 |
| With Mates |
 |
| A Hard Way To Make A Living |
The last time we were here, we tried to find a seat at the Hotel Monteleone's Carrousel Lounge but did not have the patience or luck to wait for a seat. This time we found one seat at the bar and the guy sitting next to Evie gave up his seat so I could sit down.
 |
| Carousel Bar |
It's amazing how kind we have found people on our trip. We ordered ten-dollar beers as we circled the bar, three or four feet deep with people standing, waiting for a seat. It's quite a place. We were wondering how the bartenders got in the bar when a guy next to Evie asked her to move slightly and he bounded up on the bar and jumped into it. He was the washer of glasses and when done, he bounded out, solving our question.
We knew we wanted to get oysters at Felix's Oyster House, a recommendation of the guys from Texarkana. There was a line waiting to get in but I spied a couple of seats at the counter and made sure no one in line cared if we took them. It was a good choice because Terrence became our waiter and oyster shucker.
 |
| Terrence At Felix's Oyster House |
We struck up a conversation as he was shucking and he kept adding another oyster to our dozen until we must have had two dozen. He did it with a smile. We talked with a couple from Chicago, here to celebrate their twenty-second anniversary. I wasn't sure what to order next, asked Terrence whether he would order the shrimp and grits or jamalaya. I decided to order the shrimp and grits but he also brought me a small serving of the jambalaya as well. We couldn't believe it was just after 8:00 when we finished and we left leaving Terrence a very good tip. Again, we were struck by how kind we found people on our trip.
 |
| Oysters, Compliments Of Terrence |
We walked home through streets, bars, and restaurants still bustling with action although we just wanted to get back to our Inn. We literally collapsed on our beds and turned the ligths off by 9:30, hoping for a good night's sleep,
No comments:
Post a Comment