Date: 11/09/2013
Day: 44
Location: New Orleans, LA
Miles Today: 44
Total Miles: 9962
In New Orleans; The French Quarter, Seen on the Road; How Many States? Tomorrow
In New Orleans
Other than the absence of the Mrs. Colonel, this was a splendid day. Perfect fall weather, no long drive to make and an interesting new city to explore. FEMA, by the way, has declared an official weather disaster due to cold and storms in South Dakota. We slipped through on The High Line, by golly.
Another Oz-like view of New Orleans rising in the distance. It is a bigger city than the Colonel realized. The population, at 350,000, makes it smaller than Oakland, but it is surrounded by perhaps a million more people. Most of the grain and coal that is exported from this country passes through here. It is the fifth largest American port in terms of shipping volume.
There are plenty of pictures on line of New Orleans back in 2005 in the grip of hurricane Katrina. No real need for them here; like all disaster pictures, they are sad. You have to look to find the remaining damage. There is some, probably buildings that were actually or nearly abandoned when the storm surge water came.
The house above looked like it had character when the picture was quickly taken. That toilet out front is a surprise and more character than strictly necessary. Since there is a chain link fence, let's assume the place is being worked on.
The house below was clearly abandoned and shows hurricane and storm surge damage.
Three photos of streetcars. They are well patronized. The next time we visit here, we will arrange to stay where we can ride into town on them. The Colonel did not see a streetcar named Desire because the Desire Line ran from only from1920 to 1948. "They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at—Elysian Fields!"
If you look closely at both these pictures, you will see strings of Mardi Gras beads hanging from the power lines.
This looks like a house plopped down on top of a building. Now that would be flood damage!
No one goes to new Orleans to look at the fire escapes, but there they are. These things end about 30 feet above the sidewalk with no way to get to the ground but a hard, fast parachute landing fall.
In the French Quarter
This must be one of the best places to walk at random this side of Paris. It is extensive and, on this beautiful Saturday, full of people having a good time. And we found parking for free on the street! What follows are a number of street scenes.
A rule, (not a One Lap rule but general, proper behavior, one) requires that if you walk into an independent book store, you must buy something. For some of us, the unmistakable smell of moldering books is comforting. We bought a book of poetry by the French-Rumanian Dadaist Tristan Tzara for MM of SF. How often do you get a chance to do that? For that matter, how often do you get to write "French-Rumanian Dadaist Tristan Tzara ?"
A patrol of Segues, following their leader lemming-like.
Many of the intersections in the French Quarter have these classy ceramic tile signs indicating their previous name, back when the Spanish were in charge. Note the funky surface on the wall; they seem to like the decaying look here as they do in Venice.
Lots of tourists, so lots of jugglers, clowns and various performance artists. With a wide range of skill levels, of course. The balloon clown lady ? So-so, but the kids always love it.
Cool. And quasi-Venetian.
The pictures above, Republican and Democrat presidents around a pool table, are well done and all the guys seem to be having a good time with one another.
This is the Mississippi, more than 100 miles from the gulf. It looks like the Oakland estuary, a slice of the sea rather than a river. That is a serious sea going vessel in the distance. Remember the little bit of dampness we saw in Minnesota a month ago? That was the embryonic Mississippi. This is the "get out of the way or I'll drown you right here" Father of Waters.
At some point this stuff becomes subject to the chemical weapons ban, does it not? A gallon Jug of Tabasco?? Why???
Stuff grows on anything not moving. This is the Tropics.
A statue down a small alley, on cinder blocks in a very tiny garden, hidden behind trash cans. Who is this a statue of? Who put it is such an unprepossessing place? There is a story here.
Do you suppose this is a warning or a desirable feature for which they charge extra? Is such notification a required part of real estate transactions in New Orleans? This is Code Napoleon territory, not a proper Common Law place, so who knows?
Finis Shelnutt? (A real guy and, judging form the comments on line, a colorful character.)
We don't make this stuff up.
The Patio Planters support an annual Christmas carol fandango and generate funds with this large scale garage sale. The Colonel bought 5 paperbacks for a dollar and met some nice people.
The music, for better or worse, had not started when we were there.
This is Mrs. Doreen Ketchens. She has a contralto voice reminiscent of Cass Eliot's but more interesting. And she plays the hell out of that clarinet. The Colonel is not knowledgeable about American popular music, but he stood transfixed for a good long while, put some money in the bucket and bought a CD you are welcome to check out. Mrs. Ketchens sings Dream a Little Dream of Me, so someone else has noticed the resemblance.
Great music in New Orleans. Bad music in Key West. This is true, but why?
Not every building in the French Quarter looks well kept. This one looks dangerous.
These are The Drunken Catfish Ramblers, trying just a bit too hard to be picturesque. They look like extras from Oh Brother Where Art Thou. They play good, though.
Lots of cooking stuff stores and cooking schools in the Quarter.
This is always there, in the background. Like a toothache of the soul that will not go away.
These guys, the Colonel did not get their name, do swing music and even come with pretty good, certainly enthusiastic, dancers. They perform in front of the Louisiana Supreme Court building, with their audience on the steps.
On the way back out of town:
One more well patronized streetcar.
The refurbished Super Dome looks very much like a flying saucer. How did the Men in Black guys miss this?
How Many States?
Yesterday we asked you to guess how many states this iteration of the One Lap project will pass through. The answer?? Thirty-two:
1.
California
2.
Oregon
3.
Washington
4.
Idaho
5.
Montana
6.
North Dakota
7.
Minnesota
8.
Wisconsin
9.
Michigan
10.
Ohio
11.
Pennsylvania
12.
New York
13.
Vermont
14.
New Hampshire
15.
Maine (Just barely)
16.
Massachusetts
17.
Rhode Island
18.
Connecticut
19.
New York
20.
New Jersey
21.
Maryland
22.
Virginia
23.
North Carolina
24.
South Carolina
25.
Georgia
26.
Florida
27.
Alabama
28.
Mississippi
29.
Louisiana
30.
Texas
31.
New Mexico
32.
Arizona
Tomorrow
Our goal for Sunday is to get to state 30, stopping for the night in Houston with a possible mid morning stop at Avery Island Louisiana to check out the home of Tobasco.
Wellington Boot, Col.
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