Another wonderful day in New Orleans. An incredibly humid day where, once again, I had to take a break and go back to the hotel to get out of the humidity. It was also the day of the big Halloween parade. I was at the show, so I didn’t see it, but masses and masses of people were in town to watch it and celebrate. If I’ve learned anything here, it’s that New Orleans loves a party.
More wonderful buildings:
And hidden beauty:
Amazing wrought iron:
Old advertising:
Poets for hire (these guys had manual typewriters and would write a poem for you.)
Full service occult:
Music everywhere:
I need to stop for a moment and talk about this woman and her fellow musicians. In addition to their incredible talent, they bring that gift to the streets of the French Quarter. There were many people gathered around listening to the beautiful music – including Don and me. When she sang What a Wonderful World, I looked around at everyone – all ethnicities, from all over the world – smiling, nodding, completely entranced, and I thought “This is what matters. This is who we are. This is what I believe, what we believe.” I had tears in my eyes and a woman who stopped and talked to me after the song said she cried as well.
It was a soul healing experience.
I went to see the show last night and it was great. Lots of changes, but all for the better, I think. The Saenger is GORGEOUS. More on that later.
I found a bookstore that has risen to number 1 in my favorite bookstores list. I’ll write about that tomorrow.
And tonight, after Don’s show, we’re going here.
I’ve wanted to hear jazz here for years.
Can’t wait!
More tomorrow. I have so many photos!
Happy Sunday.
I think I’m enjoying your trip as much as you are! Let the good times roll!
We are!
I agree 100% with Shanna! I was so glad to see that you posted today in my e-mail! Only fun & worthwhile e-mail I received this am. Thoroughly enjoyed today’s – as always – and am looking forward to learning more about the spots you’re going to write more on later! What a town – like no other spot in the country! A real original. Have fun tonight at Preservation Hall! Peace. 🥂
# Resist
PS – at that full-service occult place: What, no voodoo?
There truly is no other city like it – that’s for sure! I’m grateful for this opportunity to explore it.
Love seeing New Orleans through your camera lens Claudia. I can just imagine the music and the feel of it all. Thank you!
One thing I’ve noticed over the last year, with all that is happening and has happened, is how often we find ourselves in a crowd, at an event or just in passing, or seeing the stories of people helping perfect strangers in weather related events or terrorism, and how we all seem to look at each other as if we’re thinking “this is the real message, this is what it’s all about” …. in the end, the terrorists think they’ve won, T thinks he’s the king, the weather will keep destructing but it is the human spirit that reaches out, provides comfort to each other, rebuilds, stronger and better, and in that sense, we have won. I’m so thankful for your story within your blog today. It does make us stop and think about this wonderful world.
Wishing you a beautiful day. Enjoy your jazz experience tonight!
I’m off to landscape for the day ….. Winter is coming!
X Chy
The human spirit, the core of who we really are, is good. That will win out in the end, Chy. Thank you!
Well-said, Chy. May the Force be with us all! 🌟
I have never seen corn on wrought iron! I always expect pineapples! Does corn have a significant meaning, such as the pineapple?
Have an amazing night listening to jazz!
I have no idea if it has a meaning! It’s just cool!
one of the owners added the cornstalk fence because he wanted his wife to feel better … she was lonesome for her home state of iowa.
kathy in iowa
Ahhhh! Beautiful! Have fun! :-)
Thank you, Regula!
Claudia, Great photos. I love all the ironworks. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
Thank you, Susie!
Thank you for sharing your trip with us. It must be so good to be with Don again.
It is. Thank you, Joan!
Oh…the architecture…the people…the wrought iron! The wrought iron is incredible…and with corn? Very unusual, but beautiful. I got emotional myself after your description of the woman musician…I could almost hear her in my mind. Real live jazz tonight? Enjoy!! ;)
I posted a video of her playing on Stories yesterday (Instagram). She was amazing.
Yes she was!
Amazing. The colors!! I’m sure you are on sensory overload ~ every sense seems to be included! Is Don off on Monday so you can spend the day together ~ or with only a week in town, do they not have a day off?
I find I tear up at the “simplest” of things now. Not that amazing music is simple…. but to hear a song, I think I hear the words and their meanings more deeply now since our world changed. More so at your story, as that is the song to which I danced with my son at his wedding.
Hope you have an amazing Sunday!!
Well, remember that Don has been here for two weeks already. Yes, he has a day off on Monday. I don’t know what we’ll do, but we’ll celebrate our anniversary in some small way.
Lovely that you danced with your son to that song. I heard it on the radio last week and it moved me, as it always does. But yesterday’s performance? That was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
I am so happy you are enjoying New Orleans but oh that humidity is awful for sure. So much to see and experience. I’ve been to Preservation Hall once and it is truly a thrill. So glad the show is going well as it tours before Broadway bound. Great photos!! Hugs.
Show is going well. The audiences are loving it. There are a lot of Parrotheads in New Orleans!
The city is the best, but the humidity is – as it is here, farther along the Gulf Coast – killer; Don won’t get any relief from it in Houston. Galveston has a cornstalk fence, somewhat different from the Cornstalk House’s. So glad you got to experience a second line parade as seen on your Instagram feed, and that you shared that wonderful woman with us there. There is an enjoyable architectural walking tour of the Quarter that includes a visit to the 1850 House Museum, one of the Pontalba apartments. The Ursuline Convent is also worth a tour as is the Beauregard-Keyes house just across the street from it. And the Cabildo. So much to do.
So much to do, but I’m just going to do what I can. It’s important being here and I’m truly enjoying it, but I also want to spend time with Don when he has a few hours free. I love the French Quarter and the Garden District is definitely on my list. Then we’ll see what else I have time for.
glad you are having so much fun … and taking breaks from the humidity.
go early to get into p-hall. even on a sunday night there can be a line. and bring something cool to drink!
kathy in iowa
Yeah, we talked to a guy who works there yesterday and he told us to get there about 45 – 30 minutes before the show. There is apparently always a line.
You sure are having a great time. New Orleans is a city of joy and happiness. The people seem so filled with joy.
Marilyn
They do seem happy, Marilyn.
SO happy to know you’ll get to Preservation Hall! When we had a visitor from Moscow, way back in 1992 when folks were just getting here from there, we took her to the Hall, and an understanding crowd let her have a seat right up front. Of all the things she did for those two weeks, her night there was her favorite memory. (Well, that and Alligator Annie’s tour…).
Loved your music video. There are a lot of ‘Resisters’ in Nola, and in this case, they were ‘re-Sisters’, healing us all with music.
Have fun prowling the Quarter—and welcome to the 3-shower-a-day club….urgh…
Peace, Leslie P
Loved, loved, loved Preservation Hall. A key life experience for me.
All of the beautiful wrought iron and the house with wrought iron corn!…I’d say New Orleans is very colorful and I love color!..That song makes me cry too…this is a wonderful world…it is the greed of some people that makes it seem bad!..You and Don enjoy the jazz tonight…I’m sure it will be amazing!
It was. Oh, it was.
I love the poets with the manual typewriters!
I know! One of the guys in line last night had just had a poem written for him!
Wow! Never been there. But you bring it to life for me! Awesome pictures! Love them all. I allway’s love your letters too. You inspire me! Thank you! Have fun. Love the old fencing and the colors!
Thank you, Sharrie!
New Orleans is such fun! Our family was there three years ago for a family wedding and we loved exploring the French Quarter. I HIGHLY recommend The Coffee Pot in the FQ and their amazing Calas Cakes. I was introduced to the Coffee Pot restaurant 36 years ago and have been making their rice calas cakes every New Year’s morning since. Family tradition! Have fun exploring, Claudia – can’t wait to see your new favorite bookstore. I have a hunch it may the same one all my children spent hours in when we were there, and bought so many books we had to have them shipped back to Wisconsin! Hugs, Martha
I’ll check The Coffee Pot out, Martha. Thanks! (I may have to ship my books back, as well!)
Interestingly, Don just said “Hey, I’ve found a restaurant for breakfast.” And it was the Coffee Pot. So we’re headed on over there.
Claudia – Thank for re-igniting my memories of New Orleans. It is truly a city like no other. From music to architecture, food to craziness in the French Quarter, you can see it all in that city. So happy you are having fun!
It’s simply stunning here – no other city is like it.