Today was a wandering day. We managed to get brunch at this fairly small place called Cafe Soule. Really great Louisiana / French food. So good. We explored the French Quarter a bit more, then found a very cute dress shop. Damage was done. Next up was Carousel Bar, where I got to taste a Ramos Gin Fizz (sorry bartender). It was pretty good, although too flowery for my palate.

Dinner was the highlight of the day. We ate at Commander’s Palace, which is known for being just fantastic. And it was. It was a leisurely dinner with fantastic service, great drinks and even better food. It’s a huge place and clearly the kind of restaurant where people go to celebrate anniversaries and such. Afterwards we wandered our neighborhood some more, stopping for a drink by Jackson Square, then popping into a jazz club for a couple of sets. Sunday night, 11 P.M. and it felt like a Saturday night at 10 P.M. anywhere else. Apparently they have to close Bourbon Street to traffic every single night. Fascinating.

We have nearly two full days left, and we have a lot on the schedule. A couple of museums and a steamboat ride are in our future

It’s easy to be lazy here. It isn’t so hot at this time of year (thankfully) that we can’t move, but the place we’re staying is comfortable, so there was no need to race out the door. But once we were out, we were ready to take on the day. First up was Cafe du Monde for beignets. Delicious fried bits of heaven covered in tons of powdered sugar. They are open 24/7, so we might have to visit later one of these nights. You basically stand in a line (that moved surprisingly quickly), grab a table, they come and clear out the dishes before you and you order. The only options are beignets and either chickory coffee, black coffee, OJ or cocoa. So they can churn this stuff out pretty quickly. They deliver the food, you pay right then (cash only) and then start down the road towards a sugar coma. They are delicious.

We walked over to the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar after and hopped on for a very nice ride to the park. Then we turned right around to walk back. The homes on that street are ridiculous. Just ginormous, with huge porches and manicured landscaping. The sidewalks are not well-kept, however; we have running assumption that one of us will twist an ankle by the weekend’s end. But the walk was gorgeous and it was nice to be out in the world. After a break to rest we went out to a brewery and then dinner at Cafe Giovanni, a delicious Italian spot.

I’m really enjoying this city. The architecture is gorgeous and its so easy to walk around and just get lost. Also, the drinks are delicious 🙂

Because of the work I’ve done for the past eight years or so, I (sadly) associate New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina. I’ve read three books about New Orleans this year; one was a guidebook (which is being very helpful I must say) and two were about the hurricane (Five Days at Memorial and Zeitoun). I know there is so much more history here, but in my mind when I saw that dome as we drove in from the airport I didn’t think about the Saints, I thought about people needing to be evacuated.

But I’m getting past that. We arrived and made it to our rental quickly, and it is lovely. It’s a small self-contained apartment with a kitchen and sitting area downstairs and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. It’s got just enough furnishing to feel comfortable but not so much that it feels like someone else’s house. We were 50/50 on the Air BnB thing before this trip; now we’re 2 out of 3 in the plus column, so that’s good. We’re set far back from the street just a block from Bourbon Street, and that’s fantastic, as we have this great courtyard along with two sweet cats who look like they’ve been beat up on the streets. Seriously, ugliest cats I’ve ever seen in person. But still SO SWEET.

Bourbon Street is narrower than I imagined, but just as raunchy as I expected. Even more so, actually. There’s the Hustler Club, the Penthouse Club, and something featuring ‘barely legal’ dancers which, I have to say, should not be appealing. What is their tag line – feel like a pedo without that nasty lingering fear of arrest? Yikes. It also seems that every other storefront is a daquiry/pizza joint. That exact combination is repeated throughout the street. Odd.

The rest of the French Quarter so far seems pretty awesome. We found a bar (21st Amendment) that had this little room we managed to commandeer. It felt like where the head mobster would meet and grant favors to his men. The drinks were delicious, and the bartender recommended a restaurant nearby to try out. St. Lawrence had very tasty food and a good drink selection. I couldn’t finish mine, but that’s okay, because you just ask for a to-go cup and they pour it into one for you to take away. Wow.

We wandered the streets a bit then found Fritzel’s, which was featuring a really great brass band. Fantastic jazz – the kind I really like, that sounds almost like a big band but not quite. They also had a bumper sticker that I must find:

“New Orleans: We Put the Fun in Funeral”

I’ll be back in Friday. Until then …