I rode a horse when I was 12 and was thrown off. Need to get back on one and stay on.

Went snorkelling 6 years ago and hurt myself. Need to face my fears and try again.

The list goes on, but I will tackle it one step at a time.

Wish me luck!

However bittersweet it may feel, I am truly fortunate to have my sister this time round. We spent quality time together during our trip and also it was nice to have someone waiting at home with a delicious meal when I came back from work. Now I know how Arch used to feel when he came home to a cooked dinner (or lack thereof).

Indeed the family values and soul cooking of the south has taught us a few good old fashioned values and lessons. Never take any of your loved ones for granted and make sure you tell them that you care about them.

Looking forward to seeing you again baby sis and have a good semester when you go back. xx

After a quick cup of coffee and playing with Bubba and Nipper, we took off to town to catch the beautiful rays of sunshine. The plan for the day was to visit the Garden District. At Floyd’s recommendations we also decided to venture north to the City Park.

Walked down Decatur street again and here’s what greeted us at Jackson Square:

The sun is out and business is brisk. Street artists, as usual, never fail to amaze me with their awe inspiring creations- like little diamonds adorning the fences of Jackson Square.

We decided to try the River’s Edge Restaurant this morning for breakfast. Be warned- the queue can get quite long here and unless you’ve had a bit to bite, I would not recommend waiting here for your breakfast.

We both had the Louisiana Omelette served with garlic potatoes and Creole sauce.

It is worth mentioning that our server, a lovely lady commented on what a nice camera my sister had, and upon chatting further, we found out that she was a former high school photography teacher who was laid off her job during the financial crisis. We see inspirational, resilient people everyday here in New Orleans- not one to dwell on the past, she went around serving tables with a huge smile on her face. I made sure that I left her a decent tip before we left.

Tummies filed up and we are good to go. After making some enquiries and obtaining a complimentary map of the Garden District, we joined the queue of presumably tourists waiting in line for the next St. Charles Avenue Line Streetcar to arrive. It was getting progressively hot and I suppose I understand now why public transport is not the most favourite mode of transport here. On average you can expect to wait for up to 25 minutes for a streetcar to arrive.

Tip: Wait at the Carondelet/Canal street stop in order to get a seat in the streetcar. If the streetcar gets too full the driver will not stop for you and you will need to wait for yet another 20 minutes for the next one to arrive.

St. Charles Avenue Line is the oldest streetcar in New Orleans. Service commenced in September 1835 and this is the longest route of all three streetcar lines.

Fares for streetcars are relatively cheap- hop on for $1.25 per journey, or you can buy a Jazzy pass for $3.00 which enables you to hop on and hop off any Streetcar for the entire 24 hour period.

Our first stop was Washington Avenue, where the famed Garden District is. The large, stately h0mes in the Garden District were built circa 1835, and used to belong to wealthy Americans who did not want to live with the Creoles in the French Quarter. Here are some pictures of the houses:

The ballgown style staircase has an interesting history. In the past, men and women had to ascend the steps from separate sides as men were not allowed to have a view of women’s… ahem… ankles.

Lattice trimmed roofs are a distinctive architectural feature of the houses in Garden District.

This is the Commander’s Palace Restaurant, a prominent gastronomy stop in the Garden District which serves good food. We did not have lunch there as we were still stuffed from breakfast!

Directly opposite the Commander’s Palace Restaurant is the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

If you are a fan of Anne Rice’s novels, well this is for you. 1239 First Street was Anne’s home- note how the roots of the oak tree in front of her house have completely damaged the pavement directly in front of her house. Eerie yet mysterious. I would be inspired to write a novel if I were staying here too.

There are several other houses in the District which are worth visiting and also I hear that Nicholas Cage, Brangelina are also buying houses in this area. However houses are best viewed with your own eyes- photographs did not do them much justice and hence I have just inserted a couple of them here. You know what you have to do- a visit is absolute must!

After having tea at the Rink (a converted 19th century skating rink) we took the streetcar back into town:

Unmistakably vintage- check out the green colours on the streetcar!

Our next venture was to take the Canal Street Line Streetcar to New Orleans City Park.

The main feature of the City Park, is the New Orleans Museum of Art:

A tip for you art buffs out there- the museum is free on Wednesdays! It was a Tuesday so we decided not to go in (with all good intentions to return the next day but sadly, we didn’t).

However, the Sculpture Garden behind the Museum, is free all year round and here are some shots for your viewing pleasure:

The LOVE sculpture which is also available in New York and several other cities in America.

A Venetian moment, with gondola and all. Beautiful.

Oak trees line the garden -these are known as “Duelling Oak”. Imagine walking in the park at night, seeing all these cascading leaves sure gives out an eerie aura.

A stately gander stares in the distance. Penny for your thoughts mate?

Having spent enough time traipsing and relaxing in the park, we waited for the next streetcar to arrive (a good 30 minutes wait) and take us back to town. Of course there had to be a bit of drama. Our driver proclaimed that as his relief driver had not arrived in time and he was finishing his shift soon, he said he would send us to the nearest stop, which was the St. Louis cemetery No. 1 so that we could catch the next available streetcar back to town. Whilst not really appealing there wasn’t much we could do, so we hopped in the streetcar and awaited our fate.

As fate would have it the driver received a call and then pulled the streetcar to a stop, proclaimed that he would take us all the way back to town and all of us applauded!

We were rushing when we got off the streetcar at Bourbon street as I really wanted to make it for the 8pm show at the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on St. Peters Street.

Trip Advisor advised that there would be a long queue so be ready to queue up as early as 7.15pm or 7.30pm. We finished coffee and cake at Antoinne’s Annex on Royal Street (Acme Oysters was closed as there was a huge party going on) and decided to walk leisurely to St Peter’s Street. We got there at 7pm and lo and behold, look how long the queue was:

Mind you the hall is really small and probably would not fit more than 100 people (seated and standing up) so I was beginning to get a bit worried. Since when did tourists in the western world became so kiasu?

As far as our adventure goes, tonight was truly a treat. A family of 5 from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania were queuing right behind my sister and I, and we started a conversation. They had three lovely girls who told us what they had been up to in the Big Easy for the past couple of days. I was really happy to meet this family and we took photos for them and even exchanged email contacts. I also recommended Mulates to them as the mother had, read a misleading review about Yo Mama’s being family friendly- and was stopped right at the door when she tried to bring her girls in for a meal.

Pat O’Briens, the creators of the legendary Hurricane cocktail wasted no time in sending their dapper waiters in green suits to take orders from people waiting in the queue. Of course it helps as well that in New Orleans you can pretty much drink any alcoholic drink on the street as long as it is in a “to-go” cup. My sister bought a Hurricane which we shared. Now if you have not tried one before, be warned. There are at least 10 shots of rum and goodness knows what else in there- so one glass or cup of Hurricane equals about 6 cocktails in a regular joint elsewhere in the world.

I obviously did not know that.

Finished our first Hurricane and I sent my barely of age sister (just kidding) to get us another Hurricane. Unfortunately the first Hurricane was beginning to take its toll on me (I be lightweight as they say it here in the Big Easy) and by the time we successfully squeezed into the Preservation Hall, I was feeling quite nauseous. Nevertheless I managed to have a good time listening to the traditional Dixieland Jazz and the legendary Shannon Powell, King of the Drums was playing that night.

Absolutely no flash photography or video is allowed- so this was the best picture we had of the performance. It was truly an amazing 45 minutes of live music and I was exhilarated. The locals at New Orleans will tell you that this is overrated and catered for tourists, but personally I think it is worth the queue and also well worth your $12 entrance fee, to see for yourself a part of the history of music in New Orleans. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band also tours around the world.

No fancy seats, no expensive drinks, just pure enjoyment of traditional Jazz.

After the show ended we were both starving, so we decided to take a chance at the Coffee Pot restaurant (just next to Pat O’Briens) for supper. Being quite tipsy from the Hurricane I was confused at this point as I genuinely thought the Coffee Pot restaurant was the same establishment as the Gumbo Pot cafe (which turns out to be a few doors down).

The accidental mistake turned out to be a great one. We had one of our best meals ever at the Coffee Pot restaurant. This is what we had:

Barbecued shrimp with French bread: Do not be fooled by the name, the shrimp is not barbecued but rather the sauce is. This is absolutely delicious and a must try if you ever visit the Coffee Pot restaurant.

Seafood gumbo- crabs, shrimp and everything that belongs to the sea. Divine!

For dessert we had “Lost Bread”- po boy bread deep fried and sprinkled with icing sugar. Simple but so… delicious.

And we also polished a red velvet cake

Like I said, one of the best meals we had and definitely tops my list for Barbecued shrimp.

We called it a night and cabbed it back to Marigny. I fell asleep in no time!
 

A quick weather check today showed that rain and fog was on the way.

Not wanting to let anything get in the way of sightseeing, we left the inn early and went on to take a walk along Decatur Street again. I simply love walking in the morning- seeing the market vendors start about their day and arranging their wares for sale, shops opening up for business and the smell of fresh coffee is just plain bliss.

We started our day by having breakfast at the Market Cafe on Decatur Street.

This is poached eggs in Creole sauce. Absolutely delicious and the biscuit is totally to die for!

I had a shrimp omelette with grits. Never thought grits could taste so good!

After that hearty breakfast we took off to walk in town.

On the way I saw that Central Grocery Co. was open and the legendary Muffalettas were on display. This is how they look like:

We had planned to take at least one carriage ride whilst in town, and I was still debating whether or not to take one that day given that the weather had been quite awful since we started our journey. A kind gentleman waved to us and asked if we would like to join his tour, as he was loading his carriage up and would be leaving soon.

Turns out that we were in for a historical treat. Howie, our tour guide is a retired history professor and now takes tourists on carriage tours, assisted by his mule, Scarlett O’Hara. They share a very close bond and we couldn’t help but look in awe at how Scarlett obeys the traffic lights (and also mischievously slows down whenever she thinks Howie is not looking). “Beat the light, beat the light Scarlett” Howie growled when we were a few seconds from the lights turning red, sending all of us into peals of laughter.

Some interesting facts:

-Under the law mules must be used instead of horses

-Mules carry a lot more water than camels, and are resilient to the heat compared to horses

The tour lasted an hour and we cobbled through the well trodden paths in the French Quarter. The tour also included a guided tour of St Louis Cemetery No. 1. Amongst the interesting facts we found out from Howie during the tour were:

-Louisiana was named after King Louis XIII of France and his wife, Anne of Austria;

-The origins of Jazz and Storyville;

-Early versions of jazz music were played in brothels to provide entertainment for clients;

- Mardi Gras masks were invented so that people of different classes could go to each other’s balls, unnoticed

-Slaves in New Orleans had rights not to be shackled and abused, they had Sundays off and also, most importantly, the right to buy their freedom.

St Louis Cemetery, also known as city of the dead is worth visiting with a tour. Try and avoid visiting the cemetery on your own as the neighbourhood can be a bit rough in that area.

Amongst the famous people buried there, include the renowned Voodoo Queen- Marie Leveau. Her tomb is marked with signs for good luck and also offerings.

The highlight for me was obviously an empty plot purchased by Nicholas Cage:

We really enjoyed our tour with Howie and it felt like we were having a history lesson with a difference. I would have paid a lot more attention to my history lessons if they were imparted on a horse carriage!

The heavens poured upon us once the tour ended and we took refuge in the serene surrounds of St Louis Cathedral. I had wanted to enter the cathedral since the day I landed but due to the festivities the cathedral was closed. As my sister said third time’s a charm and we managed to go in and admire the spendlour and grandeur of the interior of the cathedral.

St Louis Cathedral is one of the few cathedrals with a fusion of French and Spanish influenced architecture.

A sense of calm engulfed me as I entered.

Lit a candle- I always do, whenever I am in a new city.

We had to take refuge momentarily on the streets when the rain got a tad too heavy- I was beginning to feel a bit worried that the wet days would potentially ruin our trip. Oh well guess I was getting ahead of myself as today was the last day the heavens opened. We had glorious sunshine for the remainder of our trip.

We walked to St. Peters street to check out whether the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was playing tonight. Turns out there was a match (that explains people shouting “Who Dat” on the streets and wearing All Saints jerseys) and therefore the band would take a break that night. Oh well- might as well grab a bite then whilst we are at it.

We went for lunch at the Gumbo Shop, and this was what we had:

An alcohol free strawberry daiquiri

A chicken andouille gumbo

Seafood Okra Gumbo

I have to say, it is Day 4 and I have yet to have a lousy meal in New Orleans. Either I am not that much of a food snob, or food is just good by default in this city.

Tip: There are two Gumbo shops which look pretty similar along St Peter’s Street. One is just next to Pat O’Briens (the creators of the Hurricane drink) and one is another shoplot away. Both are good but my preference is probably the one near Pat O’Briens.

The skies cleared a little and we carried on walking around town, after lunch.

We also tried the pecan pralines, a local sweet treat.

I could about manage half a slice before the sugar rush hit my head- clearly not for the faint hearted!

As it was quite wet the whole day we ended up walking in the Riverwalk Marketplace along the river. There was a lot of fog on the Mississippi and this added to the eerieness in the atmosphere.

Finally hunger pangs hit and we went to K Paul’s Louisiana for dinner.

K Pauls Louisiana kitchen is owned by renowned celebrity chef, Paul Prudhomme.

As luck would have it we were one of the earlier ones in line so when the doors opened for dinner service we didn’t have to wait too long for a table.

The interior was very warm and welcoming:

This was what we had:

From the bakery- an array of mouthwatering bread which included: Jalapeno bread, bread with molasses, regular bread and corn bread. Yums!

Deep fried frogs legs with onion rings. I thought Mulates served better frogs legs

I had the Eggplant Pirogue with Seafood Atchafalaya, this was very good!

This is deep fried veal with seafood atchafalaya, the veal was exceptional!

And to finish off we both shared a dessert- bread pudding with hard sauce:

Verdict: Great tasting bread, disappointing frogs legs, exceptional mains and also lovely dessert. Might come back but we will see.

And having had enough of the rain, we cabbed it back to Marigny and called it a night.

Merry Christmas everyone!

It was a chilly day, the sun was still nowhere to be seen but that sure did not dampen our spirits. Went for breakfast at the kitchen and was in awe at the spread of food available for Christmas lunch later that day (yes, they started really early).

After breakfast we decided to explore the neighbourhood of Marigny, where the B&B was situated. This is a quaint area where each house is uniquely designed and has its own colour scheme.

Here are some pictures we took as we walked along the well trodden paths:

Art exists everywhere in New Orleans.

West of the Marigny neighbourhood, if you walk along Chartres street you will pass by the Frenchmen Street. This is where the locals hang out and enjoy good music and drinks. The Praline Connection which serves southern soul food comes highly recommended by local residents and we were glad that we came for a meal later in the week.

One of the music clubs we went to later in the week was the Spotted Cat Music Club- this comes highly recommended!

Jack Laine also lived on Chartres Street in the Marigny neighbourhood.

As we walked along the streets we were greeted by friendly locals who were on their way to attend Christmas luncheons- and it was nice to be part of the community spirit even if just for the day.

A lot of the photographs taken today were shots of me and my sis so apologies as they will not make it to this page today!

All that strolling worked up a good healthy appetite, and boy were we in for a treat when we got back.

Most of the guests had arrived at the house and started a round of merry drinking. We started with the nibbles and this comes highly recommended:

Dates and walnuts wrapped in bacon. Heavenly combination!

Nipper the Jack Russell terrier looks ready to dive in his food too!

Christmas was definitely in the air, with table decorations in order, and the food laid out- we were ready to dive in. There were about 20 people in the house, guests and friends of the host.

This is what we had- well halfway through lunch my sister went to take photographs of the buffet spread. Turkey, ham, lamb, seafood dressing (savoury version of bread pudding which contains oysters and artichokes), Mac and cheese, greens, potato mash, gravy, we were in for a real treat!

A close up of what looked like on most of our plates:

If you thought the main course was a feast then the dessert spread was even more amazing, this is what we had:

Bearing in mind we were invited as guests for the luncheon, it was out of pure generosity, hospitality and kindness- and we had an amazing time mingling with the other guests. Community ties run deep here and neighbours come along for visits, meals and gatherings. We met a young lady who has plans to study Chinese medicine in Beijing. Everyone took a genuine interest in my sister and I- our background, interests etc. It was a refreshing experience as we could just be ourselves around everybody. There was no need to pretend to be posh or indeed, trying too hard to fit in. This is the real New Orleans experience- where people accept you for who you truly are no matter where you are from or what you do.

After that heavenly meal, at the recommendation of another guest from New York City, we decided to walk into town to see how the city would be like on Christmas Day. Having spent Christmas in London for the past few years I have got used to quiet cities, non existent public transport and essentially just experiencing what one would call a real day of rest.

A walk into town and I was surprised to see that a lot of pubs were open (this was a little after lunchtime) so New Orleans truly is the city that never sleeps!

Here are a few shots we grabbed of the town on Christmas Day:

This is the Central Grocery Company, and as the sign explains it- the origins of the Muffaletta. The shop sells an array of old school canned food, books and appears to be frozen in time.

This is the famous Cornstalk Fence Hotel, a building of architectural interest on Royal Street. Take a closer look at the fence and it will explain the namesake of the hotel.

This is every party animal’s paradise- Rue de Bourbon, or Bourbon street. Where there are no last calls on alcoholic drinks and ear blasting music goes on all night long. During the day it looks perfectly harmless and docile, the landscape transforms into an abyss of excessive drinking, partying and anything naughty during the night.

On the east end, the cusp of  Bourbon Street lies the oldest pub in the United States of America- the Lafitte Blacksmith’s Bar. Still lit by candlelight inside, the Lafitte has seen celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Nicholas Cage etc. go in for a drink hoping to be incognito, what with the darkness inside I shouldn’t think there was much difficulty achieving that purpose. The building is of historical interest as this is the only surviving original building in the French Quarter which was built in the 1700s.

There are three streetcar lines in New Orleans. The Riverfront Streetcar is one of them. This takes you along the scenic route of the Mississippi River.

And this concludes Day 3 of our trip- very well fed, made new friends and also more snapshots for the album. Bliss!

After a very informal breakfast at the B&B and playing with the resident dogs, Bubba and Nipper (Nipper is named after the Jack Russell terrier in the famous “Dog and the Gramophone” Photograph), we decided to hit the streets and explore the French Quarter.

Lion’s Inn is situated in a perfect location as you are not too far away from all the action and fun. It is also peaceful enough for you to enjoy a good night’s rest so that you will feel fully recharged for the next day.

The first stop we made was the French Market, just 5 minutes walk from Lion’s Inn:

The French Market sells all sorts of souvenirs, clothing, arts and crafts and also herbs and spices which you can purchase to replicate Cajun and Creole cooking in the comfort of your home.

We also walked past the statue of Joan of Arc, the patron Saint of New Orleans.

The mission for the day was to try out the famous Chicory Coffee and Beignets at the renowned Cafe Du Monde, just opposite Jackson Square on Decatur Street. It is open almost 24 hours a day (heck I think it is) and there seems to be a perpetual queue outside the cafe. A tip for newbies who wish to partake in their coffee and doughnuts- you will not be seated by the waiters so as soon as you see a table available, go and grab it.

We arrived at about 9.30am and the queue was reasonably short. We got a table within 15 minutes.

This is what we had:

What can I say? Delicious!

After filling up on caffeine we walked around Jackson Square. Given that it was Christmas Eve a lot of places were operating half day services (especially restaurants) so we were keen to sample some local fare before they took off for the festive season.

This is Jackson Square with St Louis Cathedral in the back. The mule carriages provide historical tours of the French Quarter. Each tour guide has their own unique tour and take on the history of the city. We went for one two days later but more on that in my next post.

St Louis Cathedral has a unique architecture which consists of French and Spanish influences.

As we walked on Decatur Street, St. Peter’s street, there were street musicians everywhere and you couldn’t help but start walking to the beats of the music. This is what New Orleans does to you- it slows you down and gets you in a relaxed mood. Whatever stress and worries you had before you arrived, instantly melts away.

It was a cloudy day (very unusual for New Orleans as I have been told) and we decided to walk along the bank of Mississippi River. As we strolled along the scenic bank I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in Mark Twain’s mind as he wrote the stories, based on the Mississippi River. So many artists were born here and took inspiration from this city for their creations. If Greece is the cradle of civilisation surely New Orleans must be the crib of modern day American art and literature.

Today we decided to have lunch at Brennan’s, the original creator of Bananas Foster- a lovely dessert. A three course breakfast at Brennan’s will set you back $36 (and extras if you decide to have more expensive items on the menu) but I would highly recommend it, just for the experience. Served by waiters in dapper coat tails I felt like we were transported back in time dining in a fine establishment. What was missing obviously was me in Victorian dress and smoking a long thin cigarette ala the rich tai tais in the past. Again another sensation unique in New Orleans- how things are done here does not seem to have changed, and no matter where you are from and what you used to do- when you arrive in New Orleans you just swing with the beat.

Here’s what we had in Brennan’s:

Our starters were turtle soup with sherry, and Oyster soup respectively

Turtle Soup with Sherry

Oyster souph

Eggs Hussarde- a Brennan’s Original.

Eggs Shannon- with fried trout at the base.

I have to say, the food was exceptionally good and the entire dining experience was phenomenal.

Here’s what we had for dessert:

No, we did not have him for dessert, but dessert is prepared in front of the guests and involves a flambe of ginormous proportions!

My sister had the Bananas Foster:

Bananas, Cinnamon Powder, Sugar, Banana Liquer flambed and served over vanilla ice-cream. Sinful yet so good!

I had the Crepes Fitzgerald:

The crepes had cream cheese inside! The strawberries were macerated in sugar and champagne overnight before being flambed in strawberry liquor and poured over the crepes. Heavenly…

This was a really good meal and we lapped up every moment of it.

After that food coma inducing goodness we decided to walk it off and took a leisurely stroll down Royal Street, past Canal Street and into St Charles Avenue.

Royal Street ranks the top of my favourite street in the French Quarter. It does not have the hustle and bustle of the bars on Bourbon Street, but exudes an air of elegance with its quaint antique shops and also street musicians.

Being the ambitious duo we were we thought we could easily reach the Garden District of New Orleans (Beverly Hills equivalent, where all the rich and famous live). However walking on St Charles Avenue was quite an unnerving experience. Once we passed Lafayette Square the neighbourhood started to look dodgy. We did manage to get all the way to Lee’s Circle but decided to bail out and walked into Camp Street where the Civil War Museum and World War II museum is located. However two girls walking on a semi deserted street in the CBD is not a good idea- so we ended up cabbing it back to Faubourg Marigny, back to the comfort of our B&B.

We did not do much in the evening as we were still very full from Brennan’s. Floyd our lovely host reminded us not to forget to attend Christmas lunch the following day and we got totally excited just thinking about it!

We arrived in New Orleans a day before Christmas Eve.  Having heard so much about this city from friends and also from reading articles online, I had a mixed bag of emotions about the place- wasn’t too sure what to expect!

It was good to meet my sister at the airport- although we had met up almost a month ago, I couldn’t wait to see her again.

Here’s a couple of tips travelling from Louis Armstrong International Airport to downtown. If you are travelling together with friends then it is worth sharing a cab amongst the 2, 3 or 4 of you (just bear in mind that each extra passenger costs a dollar each and there is also surcharge for luggage and tips at the end of your trip). It should not cost more than $33 exclusive of extras and tips. However, if you are travelling solo then it might be worth taking the airport shuttle which would take you to most of the hotels downtown. This shuttle costs $20.

We decided to take a cab given that there were 2 of us. Our cab driver, Herman was very friendly and when he found out what I did for a living, got really excited and told us about his year long study for a postgraduate diploma in Notary studies. Having studied for a masters whilst working full time, I completely understood the challenges which a working adult faces whilst trying to study and work at the same time. More so for him, I thought given that his day job involved driving for long hours on end. It was at this moment that I felt immense respect for him. Not having the opportunity to go to university earlier on in life did not deter him from pursuing his goals. During our 40 minute drive to the B&B I also found out that he planned to study for a law degree once he had obtained his diploma in notary studies. What stark comparison, I thought to myself as I recalled some friends who rested on their laurels once they had achieved what they deemed as a milestone in life and then either go downwards from there, or just stay complacent.

Upon arrival at the Lion’s Inn, our B&B, we were in awe at how pretty the house was- and we were ushered into the house with a warm welcome by the owner of the B&B as well as his two cute dogs! Yes if you are not a dog person this may not be a suitable bed and breakfast for you, but if you are- like both my sister and I are, we were in seventh heaven. We arrived just in time for the daily wine and cheese session, and had a lovely chat with Floyd, the owner of the B&B and his great team of staff.  We stayed in Room 4 which overlooks the quaint Fauborg Marigny part of Chartes Street, just a few blocks away from the action in the French Quarter.

The Lion’s Inn’s contact details are as follows:

The Lion’s Inn

2517 Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70117

PHONE

504.945.2339

TOLL FREE
1.800.485.6846

FAX
504.708.2688

E-MAIL

We then went out for dinner at Mulates in Julia Street for some good original Cajun cooking. The next question you will be asking is probably what on earth does Cajun mean, and also what Cajun cuisine consists of. This will require a bit of history narration here so do bear with me.

Cajuns are an ethnic group, descendants of mainly Acadian exiles- i.e. French speakers from Acadia (now known as the Canadian Maritimes- this includes Nova Scotia, eastern Quebec and Northern Maine). Refusing to swear their allegiance to Britain, the Acadians migrated after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763.

The rest of course, is history. What has not changed is a legacy of incredibly delicious, flavourful soul food recipes handed down from generation to generation, which survives to this very day.

Here are a few pictures of the food that we had in Mulates during our first visit (you guessed it, we came back for more!):

Photo Credits: AlexisFam Photography www.alexisfam.tumblr.com

Crawfish Etouffee, served with a side serving of rice. Absolutely divine!

Photo Credits: AlexisFam Photography www.alexisfam.tumblr.com

For the mains we had the Cajun Sampler- consisting of frog’s legs, alligator bites, stuffed mushrooms, tilapia bites, meat pies, crawfish tails, fried calamari and boudin (Cajun sausage). Favourite of the lot? Frog’s legs!

We were seriously stuffed by the time we were done with only halfway of the platter, so had to get this packed in a box to go. However, like any other self respecting girl on a vacation there is always room for dessert, so we finished with these sweet endings:

Caramel cheesecake

Key Lime Pie.

Mulates also provides live Cajun music from 7pm onwards and if you are keen to step up to the dance floor there is plenty of room for you to dance the evening (and your dinner) away.

We also went for a walk around the area after our heavy dinner. As the saying goes what goes on in New Orleans stays in New Orleans (I believe the same stays true for Vegas as well). Safe to say we had to ward off  a couple of good natured drunks in order to capture some nice night shots!

All in all we had a great evening and also looked forward to the following 7 days of good Big Easy fun!

Thanks to Eddie’s suggestion- both my sister and I decided to make a trip to New Orleans- affectionately known as “The Big Easy”, “The City that Care forgot”- but it will forever etch in my memory as a city that truly demonstrates a high level of resilience, tolerance and passion for life.

Founded by the French, colonised briefly by the Spanish and then purchased by America as part of the Louisiana purchase, New Orleans has seen much in her time. This rich historical heritage, coupled with the huge influx of migrants contributed to a unique culture that one can never quite find in other cities in America.

The birthplace of Jazz music, the cradle of Cajun and Creole cuisine, the origins of the annual Mardi Gras is but a few of the distinctive features which gives New Orleans that special touch and alluring appeal.

I met random strangers on the street who, like us, visited New Orleans in the past, fell in love with this city and decided to make it their permanent home.

We stayed in a B&B where the owner treated us like a member of his family and gave us all the inside tips on where locals would normally hang out for good music and great food.

We have been so well taken care of it really felt like we were home for the holidays. The hospitality of New Orleaneans, the diversity of the people living in this city and their hearty, soul food which in many ways mirror our philosophy on food (eating all body parts of the animals, and making a great dish out of leftovers)- this is a success story of how all migrants came together in this city and made it the amazing gumbo pot of cultures it is today.

Walking down the well pounded streets which are almost three centuries old, it is almost unthinkable that not too long ago, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina prompted the government to make a decision to shut down the city. It was the local people who stood up to the challenge of rebuilding the city and bringing it back to where it was, pre Katrina.

The people of New Orleans are truly resilient, tolerant, passionate and understand what it means to live life to the fullest.

As we ventured day by day, admiring what this city had to offer- we came to realise that New Orleans is not just about Bourbon Street and alcohol in to-go cups. It has so much more to offer, if you look hard enough.

In the following days I shall endeavour to write my thoughts and feelings as my sister and I pounded the streets and captured the essence of New Orleans, through photographs and also words.

2011 has been an incredible year for me and certainly my other half would agree, for him as well. Our life started to change after Chinese New Year- I interviewed for a job which took me out of London and indeed around the world. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity and hope my career takes off on a higher level in 2012.

I also met up with my sister twice this year which is no easy feat given that we had tried to meet up for the past couple of years to no avail. Also at the recommendation of the Cookengr we finally decided to go to New Orleans for our Christmas break. This is the best decision I have made in terms of holiday plans for the last quarter of 2012. More on New Orleans in the next posts but safe to say we had a jolly awesome time!

As we grow older time seems to fly. I do not plan to make any resolutions for 2012 apart from the fact that I want to stay healthy and happy. The rest will follow once I have achieved these two goals

Have a great New Years Eve and may you achieve all that your heart desires in 2012!