Day 274
New Orleans
We had debated as to whether we should divert and see New Orleans, but everything we read and everyone we spoke to said the same thing, GO!
So off we went, an easy and relatively quiet ride took us right into the heart of New Orleans, thanks Komoot. We rode to our hotel through the French Quarter, buskers were playing, the sun was out, we couldn’t wait to unload our kit and explore.
New Orleans, in Louisiana, sits by the banks of the Mississippi, nick named the Big Easy, it was originally founded by the French in 1718, the capital of French Louisiana, and only became officially part of the USA in 1803 as a result of the Louisiana Purchase. The city has become a melting pot of different cultures which has resulted in a fantastic mix of people, food and music. We arrived on a Sunday but though not too busy, Bourbon Street was a riot of different styles of music even at 4pm. We just strolled along taking it all in. I tried Absinthe for the second time in my life, fortunately it didn’t affect me quite as much as last time! The mix of architecture was fascinating. As we glanced down a side street, a vast cruise liner sailed past. There was a whole shop devoted to Tabasco sauce, a mecca for Tom, thankfully his son Jim was not there to be challenged to a taste off. My wonderful friend Jax had spent some time here when she lived in the States many years ago. She is appears to have left her mark judging by the number of shops and even a beer that bear her name! Ha! We ate fish and Jambalaya and stopped and listened to some talented musicians. A girl that sang like Ella Fitzgerald, a guy that could sing and sound the same as anyone you requested. A loop-station violin player that defied description, endless groups of young kids making plastic buckets sound better than the best drum kit, then finally we ended our evening listening to two guys, on a trumpet and a sax, play some of the best live music we had ever heard. New Orleans had woven it’s magic and we were hooked.
