NEW ORLEANS DAY 3

Went to Café Beignet for breakfast – another busy place. Trish and I had a croissant with eggs and bacon and a café au lait for me and a juice for Trish. Don’t think it was as good as Café du Monde, but it was still good. It was quite crowded and we shared our table with a couple from Rhode Island – it was good to share some tips with them as they had just arrived.

Then we went to Decatur Street to find the last of the souvenirs that we were looking for. It was a nice walk on a beautiful sunny but cold morning. Have I mentioned that the temps here are near record lows for this time of the year? Enough to freeze the balls off (see picture).

Actually colder than home and always a cold wind too really chill you to the bone. Arghhhh and we have sandals and capris – thank goodness I wore my Canada sweatshirt on the plane on the way down – it has saved me from freezing to death.

Found the stores that we were looking for and picked up the last few trinkets. I was madly taking pictures to make sure I had enough. We both decided that if we were starting this trip over again, we would stay closer to the French Market and Jackson Square. That seems to be the location for the best shopping, best eateries, best street music and it is the place where we have headed to each day. You can still walk easily to Bourbon, but you

don’t have the smell…the garbage and yes the rats…..ewwwww. We came almost eye to eye with one that was on top of the garbage can during our walk in the morning. Close enough to see that he/she had one blind eye but was staring at us with the good one. Trish made me walk by – I sort of did my girly shrieky thing and wanted to cross the street, but nooooo I had to walk by.

Came back to the room to pack up and we had a nap and then out to dinner about 5:30 Omg I just want some vegetables and unfried food. The closest we came was a little spot down far enough on Bourbon Street to leave the nastiness behind. We had “dinner” at the Clover Diner. It was old and the food was plain, but the closest I got to vegetables was lettuce and tomato on my grilled chicken breast burger. They placed the raw breast on the grill and flattened with a heavy skillety thing.

Then out comes a hubcap that covers the breast, a water squirter, lots of steam happening and a piece of leather comes out to go on the bun. Trish had a hotdog that wasn’t what she was hoping for – she thinks it was even deep fried and the bun, if you can call it that, was plain, untoasted but at least fresh...oh – but the onion rings were delicious!

We walked back up Bourbon Street and stopped at a bar and order a $2 margarita TO GO. Yes you can do that here. I didn’t want to leave N’awlins without ordering a to go drink and walk down the street with it. They even have Margarita and Daquiri drive throughs. My goodness – who knew – but it is against the law to drink and drive, so you are supposed to wait until you get home…..GIVE ME A BREAK!

Bourbon Street certainly gets loud the darker it gets and there are so many strip joints that we were glad to turn to turn the corner and get home even though it was only about 7:30. Didn’t feel unsafe, just wanted to get away from all the hustlers trying to coax you in the bars and the other joints.

So tomorrow we bid New Orleans adieu. It was a great trip and a wonderful time everywhere and with each other. Home and our own beds are calling now and the sound is sweet and inviting.

Til next time…