Day 4 – 2/20 – Literature and Music

First of all, we’re fine.

We got back to our room really late this evening so I’m still downloading pictures. I’ll add them later, along with more of an account of our day’s activities. Until then, here’s the outline:

Breakfast – Check

Lecture on Literature related to New Orleans – how the city shaped the authors and how the authors shaped the city. Some very interesting stuff. The lecturer was really engaging. – Check

Early lunch – Check

Lecture on the development of Jazz in New Orleans (and, by extension, the world) by a music prof from Tulane. Good stuff, excellent sound and video clips – Check

On the Bus – heading for the old Mint.

Jazz concert by the rangers from the Jazz National Historical Park – they do this every Tuesday. They were really good.

Free time:

We walked back to Jackson Square and the Cathedral

Jackson Square in the front, Cathedral in the center, Cabildo (seat of the Spanish colonial government) on the left, Presbytere (former residence of the bishop) on the right

Andrew Jackson in the center of the square

We had vouchers for the museums in the Cabildo and the Presbytere so we started at the latter. Upstairs they had an excellent exhibit on Carnival parades including:

Costumes (this is a costume worn by a queen of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club – an African American Krewe.

“Throws” – it isn’t only beads. Float riders throw all kinds of stuff. One Krewe is famous for “throwing” coveted painted coconuts. Another hands out hand-decorated shoes – also highly coveted.

Following the museum (which closed at 4:30 we wandered thru the French Market,

Checked out some of the tourist crap:

and stopped at Cafe du Monde for Bignets – an iconic (if not really good for you) New Orleans treat

We paused for a picture or two

This is Joan of Arc – patron saint of New Orleans, also known locally as “Joanie on the Pony”

Our goal was a restaurant/bar/venue named Snug Harbor. We had 6:00 dinner reservations but arrived (it was closer than we thought) early. So we continued on to a neighborhood park where we hung out and watched a group of jugglers practicing

Following dinner we moved to the bar for the show

You’ll have to imagine that there’s a trio on stage (they have a “no photos or recordings” policy. It was guitar, bass, drums. They were excellent!

As good as the trio was, it wasn’t really what Cheryl was hoping to hear. So we took our time wandering back thru the French Quarter, listing to music spilling out of bars along the way and stopping to enjoy this group performing on a street corner.

I’m sorry that size limits prevent me from posting a video. These guys were a lot of fun (with 3 tubas how could they not be?)

Bed – Check

Tomorrow we do it all again!

laissez le bon temps rouler (“Let the Good Times Roll”)