Today was all about New Orleans and the visual wonder it is. The city itself is beautiful, old and truly unique. We loved it with all it's diversity and history. More to be seen tomorrow but so far so fantastic - except for certain part of mega-tourist land on Decatur St. in the French Quarter.
As has been our mantra: "Think out of the ordinary and seek out the more offbeat first" guided us to resist the "regular" sites. We tried to find an outsider site but alas based on the condition (either brand new or beyond hope) of the neighborhood, we fear it was lost in the Katrina debacle. Kind of a challenge to locate but all for naught.
Next in what can only be described as Rodney vs the GPS, detours and lack of signage, we finally found the "Mardi Gras Museum". This colossal structure dwarfs many airplane hangers. The price was steep and we almost resisted but thankfully we ventured forth. Once again, there were only a couple of other visitors. The guide was a bit corny and the Hee Haw humor wore thin but eventually we set free for our own explorations. This is the place where 80% of the floats for the Mardi Gras parades (there are 52 separate parades over a week) are designed and constructed. There were hundreds of them from the various "krewes" and in different phases of construction. We saw a few artists at work but mostly they ignored us. The scale of the pieces will be lost in these tiny photos. And again, the space itself is gargantuan. It was yet another photo-thon. Below you will find a very small sampling of what fell upon our childlike eyes...... oooh.......ahhhh!
Then it was off to the "Voodoo Museum". This is in the French Quarter and finding a place to park was a bit like the quest for the Holy Grail but we finally got our parking mojo (how appropriate) working and got a meter one block from this quirky entity. This place is as small as the last place was huge. It is a converted residence and according to the sign, it continues to be the home of devotees that live upstairs and are available for consultation. Fortunately we didn't have to sacrifice a chicken to get in and we gladly forked over $5. It was dark and wonderfully odd (seems to be a theme here). Kind of spooky and kind of mundane. Neither of us felt a strong urge to clip each other's hair (good luck on that one Susan) for spell use. The photos do not accurately capture how dark it was in there. The flash was required to capture anything but much was lost in the process. The dust was also impressive. Quite the site just blocks from the shiny bead and fleur de lis happy festival.
We left with all of internal organs intact; so far anyway. However, Rodney is looking a bit tired tonight and has a faraway stare.
We then kicked into the tourist mode ourselves and just began the walking snoop around journey in earnest. Found many interesting shops and yummy smelling food venues. A highlight was the luck of stumbling upon a temporary gallery showing the work of Chris Roberts-Antieau. We both liked all three of the artists being shown but especially loved Chris' fabric sew/drawings.
Check out her website: www.chrisroberts-antieau.com
The website is great and filled with much to see. Take the time to look it at it all; worth every minute. It is hard to see the amazing skill of these stitched wonders. She has a wonderfully twisted sense of humor. It was treat to see her work and an honor to meet her.
The time for food had arrived. Not having much to go on on but growling stomachs (Rodney seemed willing to explore options other than the trance induced cannibal tendencies) so we asked a couple of shop owners. Amazingly they both recommended the same place a few blocks away. We found "Coop's" and were immediately smitten - was very real and non-touristy. Lots of locals in a small dark bar/restaurant. Our hopes soared. The people watching was great and the food was awesome. Rodney's pasta jambalaya was spicy nectar of the gods (Neptune in particular with some serious sausage in the mix). Coop's get a "8" for the grub and ambiance. MMMMM burp (ooh even the burps are good!).
Thats the news.
Love and wild visions of forming our own "krewe",
Rodney and Susan
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