Les Bon Temps Keep On Rolling!

French Quarter Tour

I am sitting outside in our shared courtyard, enjoying the gentle rain falling on the old bricks. I can tell you lots about the typical New Orleans French Quarter courtyard after our walking tour of the Vieux Carre yesterday.

The courtyards were much more than pleasant places to enjoy some quiet and sip morning coffee. They were private spaces away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but they were work spaces as well - places where laundry was washed and cooking that wasn't done in the kitchen was undertaken. Children played here. 

Typical Creole Cottage

We learned about the history of the area and about important characters who played pivotal roles in the development of early New Orleans. We also learned that most of the houses did not waste space with interior staircases - those were outside in the courtyard. As you can imagine, the streets were a little yucky, so people drove their carriages into the courtyard and got out on the brick and used the doors located there to enter the house.

It is a wonder that the French Quarter is here at all because most of it burned down twice in the late 1700s!

Rob's Second Breakfast

We have been continuing to eat our way through the trip. We had First Breakfast before we left the apartment yesterday morning, then stopped for Second Breakfast in the French Market. 

 After our Walking Tour of the French Quarter we went back to the apartment to put our feet up for a bit. Then we walked a block north to Louis Armstrong Park. It is under renovation so other than the construction not too much was happening there. So on across the street to Basin Street Station Visitors Center we went. It had some interesting exhibits and information about the French Quarter, as well as the other neighborhoods of New Orleans. We then walked over to St Louis Cemetery #1, but it was closed.

Back to the apartment to change and then we were off to meet the bride's sister Leslie for a drink. We ended up going to The Columns Hotel in the Garden District. It is immense! What is amazing is that it was originally built as a single family home in 1883.

We ate dinner late and I finally got lots of vegetables! I had a huge salad with lots of spinach and some hummus. It is actually quite hard to find veggies to eat here!

The forecast today called for lots of rain, but the slice of sky I can see from our courtyard looks to be clearing. I will go awaken sleeping beauty and see if he wants to go for a run. I think we will plan on touring museums today just in case the monsoon does decide to come!