NEW ORLEANS.. WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT!

I just got back to my hotel room from one of the best days of this trip. WOW!
I love New Orleans. BIG TIME!
I am for sure coming back here alright. I think it would make a nice place for my bachelor party... haha... IF I'm ever going to have another one. I might just have had it with the "in sickness and in health,.. to death do us part" stuff. But then,.. you never know!

We took the ferry to Algiers and back to enjoy the view of the skyline (nothing compared to the big city skylines though..), then a walk along the riverfront, checked out some souvenir shops and took a very touristy carriage ride through the French Quarters. I am so glad we did that! With my aunt's foot injury walking too much through the quarter wouldn't really be an option, so this came in handy.
As I said.. it's pretty touristy, but the "driver" treated us to an extended history overview of the quarter and its buildings. Quite a lot of explanation. Beside all the "famous" buildings and balconies, we also got to see the house Brad Pitt bought (as if that interested us,.. but it got my aunt carried away!)

The walk through Royal Street and Bourbon street was an experience itself. Some great brass bands were showing off their talents on various corners of the streets. Amazing musicians!

We went for dinner at Sammy's. The food was pretty good, but nothing exceptional: Rib Eye Steaks.




The rest of the family went back to the hotel before I did. I ended up in the Preservation Hall... THE place to be for original, and traditional old style jazz.
I caught two sets by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and had a great evening! Can these guys play! And improvise. The Preservation Hall is only a small venue, but the atmosphere is fabulous!


I strolled up and down Bourbon Street some more to experience some of the partying going on. This place is definitely boozed up at night. I couldn't believe the number of beautiful women there, most of them with the N.O. famous "Hurricane" cocktail in one hand. And then of course their reactions to the beaded necklaces that were thrown from the balconies. The tradition is they show their boobs first in order to get one of those necklaces. And do they did! NICE! (Well... not all of them of course!)


To conclude the evening I enjoyed a $6.75 draft beer at the "Maison Bourbon", where trumpeter Jamil Sharif and his band were playing. Again,... great music all around! he asked every table where they were from too. Apparently he liked Europe because he talked a lot about the visitors from overseas.

Enjoy,

HK