Ole Man River - Dinner on the Mississippi

After such a great tour around the New Orleans earlier in the day we set off around 5 to go to the dock to join the people on the Steamboat Naches for and evening dinner and cruise up the Mississippi.

 

Great dinner menu

 

On our way walking through the French Quarter we again were able to take in some of the colourful scenery.

 

 

 The Artist above was painting in 3D-- she had managed to build the layers to make the tree look like you could see round it -- very clever and to do it in front of thousands of people a day is remarkable to.

 Managed to get Lynda past this without stopping for more than a picture -- not sure how I would react to some Voodoo Queen in New Orleans, know things about us or predicting things that we don't even know yet.

 Havnt seen one of these yet and especially one like in Live & Let Die-- that guy in the white face that comes out of the ground--not sure about that

Musicians everywhere and very inventive with how they mix a variety of instruments together

Then you walk around the corner and bump into the extremely exotic -- they were filming but not sure what it was all about -- maybe that's how they graduate down here.

 

Not sure if adorning the car like this below actually worked but I guess it couldn't do any harm to ward off any unwanted jay walkers or those who might stop a little quickly.

 The painting above was one of my favourites on the walk around

 A really cool gallery and shop above

 This was clearly a bunch jamming together from completely different backgrounds and they were pretty good.

And as for the guy above -- well, even I have to admit he was pretty fit. So to a quick selfie with Andrews Jackson

 

 

 Finally got to the boat-- and after a bit of an issue with the tickets -- always bring all your paperwork with you -- Risk Aversion rule number 1.

I wasn't being moody -- I thoroughly enjoyed the Roast beef dinner- and another bowl of Gumbo -- oh and a nice chat to a couple from Hannover.

A beautiful sky and a beautiful lady--they compliment each other

 The Mississippi is a busy river and we saw plenty of other ships and riverboats.

 I guess that it was inevitable that we would see images of the storm Katerina as well -- it was so devastating that it will still take a long time till there is nothing visual left and only the memories.
One of the great things is that in the market place there are huge volume of stalls that have recycled material and turned it in to jewellery and art.

This tower crane was left standing but everything around it was destroyed so it was like a beacon in the water and I guess that the power plant below was one of the largest structures to get hammered and this was devastated and will never work again.

 

Difficult to really capture what you see from the boat but you get the drift.

 A very good jazz band and some strange people.

So finally back to the city after a really wonderful evening--

 Not the best pictures to show the skyline at night but cant have everything

Oh , and still we see a musician holding court on a corner in the French Quarter-- she was good.

 

Think that this is what I will come back as -- if I get to come back that is - Maybe that fortune teller could ----

 

 

 

Sunglasses & Earplugs with your Bourbon

Not sure we ever would have really imagined what the City of New Orleans was going to be like and still don't know how it separates the business and culture from the madness that so many flock to take part in.

For Lynda and me it was very much about the music and to be here with the start of Jazz festival was always the goal.

We started with a great send off from Navarre---

 

And just so we didn't feel we were missing out - along the way were still "Many Rivers to Cross"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the way down to NO - sorry that's native talk for New Orleans -- and even in the city itself there are all manner of bridges crossing the Mississippi.

The Royal St Charles is a really nice hotel but we are just about to change rooms after kicking up a bit of a fuss about the fact that they have internal facing rooms with no windows, so we get one in the next hour with a view and a window well we did come half the way round the world -- Ok exaggeration-- to be here for a short time.

 

It continues to conjure up all manner of book or movie titles -- A streetcar named desire being one of them.

Time for some tourist walk around's -- keep checking for dolls in Lynda's bag but so far so good .

Tonight we are on this little beauty for a jazz and dinner trip-- gonna be good.

 

 

So after a tidy up it was out for dinner and I guess trying Gumbo was definitely on my list of things to try.

It's the one with the rice on -- really liked this and the fried green tomatoes.

So the following is a selection of the gentle stroll down Bourbon street among the folk out having fun -- let me tell you that it was really worth it for viewing this---

 There were a number of the3 mounted police here but very friendly

 A visit to a hand rolled cigar store for two non - smokers

 A selfie has to be done at this time

 This was Larry Flints Hooters Club

 The best Jazz being played in Bourbon street was at the Musical Legends Park

 These guys were really good doing their street music session

 

And back to Canal street and to the hotel.

 

Been a busy day .

And there is tomorrow yet to come.