“If I could put my finger on it, I’d bottle it and sell it. I came down here originally in 1972 with some drunken fraternity guys and had never seen anything like it – the climate, the smells. It’s the cradle of music; it just flipped me. Someone suggested that there’s an incomplete part of our chromosomes that gets repaired or found when we hit New Orleans. Some of us just belong here.”
– John Goodman
Few friends from all different parts of the country and the globe decided to meet up at New Orleans, Louisiana. The city of art and culture, the city of music and great food, the city of colors and lights…and above all, the city that spreads love and freedom. Instead of describing the pictures, I thought, let me walk the places and events in my memory, and show the city, the way we did.
Day 1 : Of Jackson Square and Bourbon Street
Friday night started off with the famous Original “Cafe Du Monde” Coffee Stand’s beignets and coffee. A cafe that stands tall and bears the history on New Orleans since since 1862 at the heart of French Market, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, only closing just on Christmas day. [http://www.cafedumonde.com/]
Right opposite to to Du-Monde, you can see the iconic St Louis Cathedral at Jackson square, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest cathedral in the United States, a testimony of history and culture dating all the back to 1718.
Right past the cathedral, Jackson Square, is filled with bright colors, people, music, artists, great architectures and love. There’s something I heard before, but we didn’t know what this meant until we stood there in Jackson square.
“New Orleans is the only place I know of where you ask a little kid what he wants to be and instead of saying, I want to be a policeman, or I want to be a fireman, he says, I want to be a musician.” – Alan Jaffe, Jazz Musician and Founder of Preservation Hall
Rarely have I been to a place that has such an amazing melting pot of architectures, cultures and colors. A simple walk on the street can be such treat for the eyes. We kept walking until we hit Bourbon Street.
Friday night for us was Bourbon Street night…one of the most happening places in the planet. From the colorful parades, the amazing music, the quirky interesting bars, the new drinks…let’s just say I don’t want to go to Vegas anymore. This street gave “lively” a whole new meaning.
Day 2 : Of City-tour, Museum of Art and Frenchmen Street
Second day for us started with an iconic tram ride to the Museum of Art. The amazing clouds, the colorful trams and the smell of history made it a perfect frame to capture
You don’t realize how much trams are a part of New Orleans until you’re there…it’s a part of their culture, the image and the face of the city. The red trams with single light infront, crawling between the huge old mansions like serpents in the rain drenched roads, gives the sort of magical look this city has. We spent the whole day in city tour from the Museum of Arts to St Charles Mansions to the alleys all over the city, wherever these mysterious creatures would take us.
Our second night, we had the pleasure of being in Frenchmen street. Now, that’s precisely the moment when you realize why it’s the Jazz capital of the world. And if you like music, you’d feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven. Live jazz music on both sides of the street, in every club, people singing and dancing away to glory and for a moment, you forget, that there’s a world outside this. Everything feels so beautiful and right. The night ended with us partying and dancing to jazz in Frenchmen until we lost our shoes. Every one of us, when we were dancing, was lost in their own thoughts…which is amazing in itself. So many feelings and emotions and memories…it’s hard to describe in words.
Day 3 : Rain drenched waterfront and good-byes
Last morning in New Orleans, we decided to re-visit the rain-drenched jackson square, have breakfast in our favorite place and take a walk by the river…and that’s exactly what we did. Rain gives a whole new glaze to the city.
One of the most iconic buildings of French Quarters that we walked past several times, looked from all different angles and and still feels like we didn’t see enough. And probably one of the most photographed landmarks of the city.
It was then time to say goodbye to Louisiana and get back home. Like every trip, this was the hardest moment and yet, an essential one. For the next one to begin. Here’s to more of such places, more of such spirits.
This is so true about New Orleans…the least we can do is take that spirit home and live life in our own terms.
“We dance even if there’s no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we’re suspicious of others who don’t.” – Chris Rose, 1 Dead in Attic, 2006
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