Sunday, January 30, 2005
After a week of not blogging, it feels incredibly difficult to begin a new post. Especially since I've departed, experienced a new place, and returned to Chilliwack life within the entire period of not blogging. Nevertheless, a new post begins...
New Orleans is mind-boggling, if not other-worldly in the sense that it operates entirely on its own time. It is a living carnival city. Though it is recognized as the tourist centre of Mardi Gras, its identity is truly built on being a Mardi Gras.
Bourbon Street is the definition of Mardi Gras, replete with to-go-bars, gentlemen's clubs (though, in this case, I would beg to differ on the meaning of 'gentlemen'), pearly-beads and feather-masked souvenier stops, and always jazz floating throughout the party-hollering raucous of makeshift kareoke and rock n'roll cover-bands.
The French Quarter is absolutely beautiful, at every corner a tourist postcard shot was waiting to be snapped complete with overgrown plant-life and ornate winding-vine-steely balconies. We stayed at Hotel St. Marie. The hotel was fantastic and by far exceeded our expectations, since the rate was so affordable and directly adjacent to Bourbon Street. We spent a great deal of time walking the entirety of the French Quarter, becoming familiar with the cafe life, the quality jazz opportunities available nearby, and the creole and gumbo veggie restaurant options (Oh the joy of being a veg-head in North America!).
Some highlights in the French Quarter:
Maison Bourbon - This spot, which declares the purpose: For the Preservation of Jazz, turned out to be our music highlight. Previous to our tour of New Orleans, I had envisioned myself, a beverage in hand, at a wee table of a dumpy, smokey, hole-in-the-wall joint, listening to authentic and fantastic jazz. Maison Bourbon proved to fulfill that vision. On our first night, we happened upon this place, maybe a block from our hotel, and listened to the Jamil Sharif band. For the price of an over-priced beverage, one can listen to this talented band in New Orleans, on Bourbon Street. Absolutely amazing! We went to Maison Bourbon every evening, save one night at Preservation Hall. Though the setting of Preservation Hall was authentic and worth checking out, the musicians (on that particular night) couldn't hold a candle to Jamil Sharif and the Maison Bourbon experience.
Cafe Du Monde - As many of you know, I'm all about the cafe experience. I love the cafe, its like my heart is only truly complete when I'm at a cafe. Cafe life, to me, equals inner reflection, dynamic conversation, coffee, a bustling atmosphere, a congregation of people voluntarily disregarding the classes we tend to put on the world population to simply have coffee together, journalling, and the circle of regulars and employees bantering about great and small topics. Cafe Du Monde is the ultimate of all of the above, not to mention, a really amusing uniform of paper hats, black bowties, and cafeteria style service (though a customer does not ever file through the line to get served, rather the waiters and waitress do, who then pay for the order to the cashier out of their own pocket, bring the filled order to the customer, and then the customer pays up to the server). The beignets, which incidentally can be said anyway you like with relative understanding, were obscenely fatty and sweet but wonderful, unique and absolutely neccessary when paired with a cafe au lait.
Flakes - On imdb.com, this movie is called Live Free or Die, though on the movie set it was renamed Flakes. Angelo and I ended up as extras in this movie, which is set entirely in New Orleans. We happened to be wandering by the movie set and stopped to check it out when a crew person invited us to be tourists in the scene. Well, since we were tourists and were wandering the streets as the scene required, we felt capable of the task. Fingers crossed, we intend to see ourselves in the movie when it releases next year.
The French Quarter proved an excellent fit for our N'awlins (don't say it properly, 'New Orleans' it is just outright wrong) adventure.
More highlights to come, including the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, Magazine Street, and more...
New Orleans is mind-boggling, if not other-worldly in the sense that it operates entirely on its own time. It is a living carnival city. Though it is recognized as the tourist centre of Mardi Gras, its identity is truly built on being a Mardi Gras.
Bourbon Street is the definition of Mardi Gras, replete with to-go-bars, gentlemen's clubs (though, in this case, I would beg to differ on the meaning of 'gentlemen'), pearly-beads and feather-masked souvenier stops, and always jazz floating throughout the party-hollering raucous of makeshift kareoke and rock n'roll cover-bands.
The French Quarter is absolutely beautiful, at every corner a tourist postcard shot was waiting to be snapped complete with overgrown plant-life and ornate winding-vine-steely balconies. We stayed at Hotel St. Marie. The hotel was fantastic and by far exceeded our expectations, since the rate was so affordable and directly adjacent to Bourbon Street. We spent a great deal of time walking the entirety of the French Quarter, becoming familiar with the cafe life, the quality jazz opportunities available nearby, and the creole and gumbo veggie restaurant options (Oh the joy of being a veg-head in North America!).
Some highlights in the French Quarter:
Maison Bourbon - This spot, which declares the purpose: For the Preservation of Jazz, turned out to be our music highlight. Previous to our tour of New Orleans, I had envisioned myself, a beverage in hand, at a wee table of a dumpy, smokey, hole-in-the-wall joint, listening to authentic and fantastic jazz. Maison Bourbon proved to fulfill that vision. On our first night, we happened upon this place, maybe a block from our hotel, and listened to the Jamil Sharif band. For the price of an over-priced beverage, one can listen to this talented band in New Orleans, on Bourbon Street. Absolutely amazing! We went to Maison Bourbon every evening, save one night at Preservation Hall. Though the setting of Preservation Hall was authentic and worth checking out, the musicians (on that particular night) couldn't hold a candle to Jamil Sharif and the Maison Bourbon experience.
Cafe Du Monde - As many of you know, I'm all about the cafe experience. I love the cafe, its like my heart is only truly complete when I'm at a cafe. Cafe life, to me, equals inner reflection, dynamic conversation, coffee, a bustling atmosphere, a congregation of people voluntarily disregarding the classes we tend to put on the world population to simply have coffee together, journalling, and the circle of regulars and employees bantering about great and small topics. Cafe Du Monde is the ultimate of all of the above, not to mention, a really amusing uniform of paper hats, black bowties, and cafeteria style service (though a customer does not ever file through the line to get served, rather the waiters and waitress do, who then pay for the order to the cashier out of their own pocket, bring the filled order to the customer, and then the customer pays up to the server). The beignets, which incidentally can be said anyway you like with relative understanding, were obscenely fatty and sweet but wonderful, unique and absolutely neccessary when paired with a cafe au lait.
Flakes - On imdb.com, this movie is called Live Free or Die, though on the movie set it was renamed Flakes. Angelo and I ended up as extras in this movie, which is set entirely in New Orleans. We happened to be wandering by the movie set and stopped to check it out when a crew person invited us to be tourists in the scene. Well, since we were tourists and were wandering the streets as the scene required, we felt capable of the task. Fingers crossed, we intend to see ourselves in the movie when it releases next year.
The French Quarter proved an excellent fit for our N'awlins (don't say it properly, 'New Orleans' it is just outright wrong) adventure.
More highlights to come, including the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, Magazine Street, and more...
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Sooooooo Jealous!! Keep the New Orleans experience alive in your blog for me!! I can't wait to see pictures! I'm glad you had a fabulous time!
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