Saturday, August 04, 2007

Incredible NEW ORLEANS and the FRENCH QUARTER!!!!!

WOW…..a beautiful day was outside when we awoke and made ourselves get out the bed. Jeremy had left earlier to go to work and after I showered and the 1st Lady and I got ready, we went downstairs to a wonderful deluxe continental breakfast: great waffles that you cook yourself, eggs with cheese wrapped inside, all kinds of pastries, cereals, juices, FRENCH ROAST COFFEE, fresh fruit……..and it was fresh and very good! Some Comfort Suites do all of this and others just give you’re a donut and coffee…….we LUCKED OUT!!!

Returning to the room, we packed and left around nine for New Orleans. Took just over an hour and then when we exited I-10 for the French Quarter, we had to make a couple of extra turns since I missed the first one. Finding the Hotel St. Pierre was simple, but finding a place to park on the street to enter and register was not as easy. Finally, after driving around the blocks a few times one became available next to the hotel. Since it was sooooo early 11AM to check in, I wasn’t sure we could get our room. My goal was to get registered, even if the room was ready and then get parked in the VERY TINY parking area across from the hotel. I reasoned that those leaving the hotel had to check out by 11.…and therefore, we might be able to grab a vacant spot. There are only about 10 spots to squeeze…..errrr,….SQUEEZE…into. I had called earlier this week to confirm about parking there and that is what the receptionist had told me. She WAS correct……but, it all worked out as I had hoped/planned and we got a spot for the car. Otherwise, we would have had to park in a pay garage…..UGH!!!!

Ok…..this little French hotel is soooooo great, sooooo full of atmosphere, and soooo like being in France!!! It is a maze of small little cottages that have been made into hotel rooms with tiny little courtyards between the buildings…….the courtyards have soooo many plants, palms, foliage that they are wonderful. There are two small pools within the courtyard maze……and it is just so cozy!! We LOVE it!!!!! And…..even better, the average price for the three nights is only $70, with a complimentary breakfast each morning. Free wifi is available in the breakfast room, which overlooks one of the pools and so that is great, also. We are only two blocks from Bourbon Street……a great location.

After getting settled in…..we have a two room suite with bath….we ambled towards Bourbon and then wandered around and then on to the French Market. Well, they are re-doing the area and canopies that cover the open stalls…..and there just aren’t as many stalls with vendors there as in the past. I was looking for a certain item…….a type of pen that always buy here…..and there was no one selling them this time. DAMN!!! That was to be my BIG purchase while here.

From there we just window shopped(some VERY interesting things to look at here…..heehee) and then slowly made our way to Café du Monde where I had some coffee and we had three beignets(a French donut smothered in powdered sugar). UMMMM……so damn good!!! Always sooo hot that they can’t be picked up immediately, even though you try, get covered in powered sugar…and burn your fingers! But……they are great. People watching is THE thing to do as you sip the dark roasted coffee that also has chickory in it…….some type of an herb, I believe, that gives it such a unique flavor……the “Nawlin’s” taste!

We continued to wonder around, went to Jackson Square and hung out there as they were preparing to make a part of a post-Katrina movie/documentary about N.O……and it was very chaotic as they tried to get all of the extras ready…..all of the entertainers that are on the streets/squares in N.O. were there, fortune tellers, psychics, musicians, artists were placed in prime spots for the filming, trucks unloading camera equipment, miles of electrical cords, etc., etc. What a job for one scene of this film!!!!

We stopped in at a few art galleries on the way back to the St. Pierre, and then arriving back there, I checked my email, etc., etc. and following that we spent a couple of hours in one of the pools. Wonderful way to get to know some of the other guests here as we sat around with our drinks enjoying this warm ambience of the hotel.

Jeremy is in town for a few political meetings and plans to spend the remainder of the weekend with us. He finally gave us a call around 6:30.…said he had another meeting at another hotel here in town and would be meet us around 8pm or so.

Finally, he called and we met and went to The Gumbo Shop for dinner. OMG…….OMG….OMG!!!!! What a excellent choice we made……..of course, it came highly recommended in several guide books and Zagat’s Restaurant Rating’s book for N.O. Not having really had any REAL gumbo, I asked the server what she recommended? Chicken Andouille Gumbo! Soooo, that is what the 1st Lady and I each ordered. Jeremy ordered the Jambalaya. We began with an order of Grilled Boudin with Creole Mustard…..wonderful, wonderful. And then with the third loaf of French Bread, we received our orders. Absolutely incredible!!! The gumbo had slices of the andouille sausage, small cuts of okra, and small bites of chicken in it with a large scoop of rice in the center of the bowl. There is no way I can recommend this highly enough!!!! Just sooooo damn good. TRY IT!!!!

From there, we walked to Bourbon Street and strolled along people watching and getting out of the way of thousands of people who were all enjoying themselves on Bourbon St. We finally got into the Maison Bourbon Club where a great jazz combo was performing…..and what a great musical group!!!! We were there for over an hour just listening and sipping our drinks…..and losing ourselves in the music. A great place for some great jazz!!!!!

Returning to the St. Pierre, I gave Jeremy a small tour and he was quite impressed by the quaintness and the wonderful ambience this small hotel has. The lighting on the foliage and plants is spectacular!!!!

There is NO place like New Orleans!!!!! I just love this place more and more each time I find myself here……which is NOT often enough. The French Quarter is alive and breathing strong…………it is back from the Katrina disaster!!! Tomorrow we plan to drive through some of the parts of the city….the 9th Ward…..that our wonderful Bush Administration, along with FEMA have not done anything for/to, so to speak. I can speak more to this after we drive around in the devastated areas…….Jeremy has already been there many times and still soooooo damn upset about the lack of anything happening there.

But………even with these areas and the people still not having homes there……..for us, and I find myself getting upset by saying this, but….

Life is GREAT…..and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!

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