The final days

On our way we passed The Swannee River Music Park dedicated to the famous old song (for those of you old enough to remember). I didn't realise that the river was in Florida - I thought it was more in the Deep South !! 

We arrived at the airport Car Rental  Return and couldn't find a gas station  to fill the tank.  Our trusted Garmin brought us to a station nearby but we had to quit the airport.  As stated previously, petrol is so inexpensive here at €2.50 per gallon but as we went west, it reduced to €1.89, so our 1800 or so miles cost us very little in fuel . In fact one could fill the tank for c €20!!  

The shuttle took us to La Quinta hotel, nearby The Holiday Inn but we thought we'd have a change. We checked out International Drive outlets in the afternoon  and ate at at the usual Fish on Fire which serves, as aforementioned, excellent local fare.

It had a great Blues band last night and the locals were out en famille. It was noticeable how little people drink - most people drank water even though there was  a well stocked Bar. The over 21 rule is strictly enforced. The Floridians?? eat early and the restaurant was all but empty by 10 pm. 

The people we met varied - some wonderfully friendly and others off-hand. Yesterday, for example, we asked the female bus driver question: how long a journey to the outlets ? reply: depends on traffic, question: will you let us know when we arrive ? answer: you can't miss them and she didn't !! However on the way home the driver ensured we got off right outside the hotel. As I sit here awaiting our transfer to the airport, the receptionist asked if we'd like the TV on and gave us the remote control . In addition the  driver, who drove the hotel free airport shuttle, took us on a detour to show us alligators in a lake nearby and even though I had already tipped him, he was amazed that I was willing to roll my own case into Reception and ran to the door saying: The least I might do is open the door. 

It proved an interesting trip. It was lovely to see Maria and spend New Year's Day  with her friends even if we did sleep through New Year' Eve. ( Sorry Maria)  New Orleans did not disappoint - the French Quarter was most interesting but the cold the cold the cold..... We had not anticipated the near freezing temperatures.....

Addendum - left the hotel to cross the parking lot to guess where to  Fish on Fire. It's Sunday and all the locals are out. the band is playing inside. The  neighbours....I only wanted to photo their beer but they asked if I wanted them in it ... What could I say??!

The locals are amusing themselves trying to get  a ring onto a hook!! 

I had one  pound of excellent shrimp and my companion has a burger- excellent as usual 

Dear reader, If you are taking the children to see Disney etc it might be more inexpensive to book a hotel near airport and get a taxi to Kisimee rather than pay their expensive hotel prices....

We're sitting outside in the sun -  the 80s was promised today. As it rained earlier, I was dubious ,,,, but it's the warmest weather to date and we're homeward bound ...... 

Return to Orlando

Today, we left Le Richelieu to retrace our journey back to Orlando. We left Louisiana, passed through Mississippi, into Alabama and thence to Florida where we visited The Navy Museum in Pensacola, which aviation enthusiasts would enjoy. It was about  20 miles from the exit. 

As we could not complete the journey in one day, we took exit 258 off the I-10 and stayed overnight at Days Inns. There was a Denny's next door which is an improvement on Mc Donald's 

Looking forward to a glass of wine after a long days driving, we were informed that this county of Florida had just become a wet county (alcohol could be served in restaurants!!) but the owner of this particular Denny franchise was against the county becoming wet, therefore no alcohol was served. I thought I had left this lack of alcohol on the Baptist belt when we drove Route 66 two years ago. 

French Quarter Day II

This morning, we awoke to a bitterly cold morning. As well clothed as our wardrobe would allow,  we set off for breakfast. The wind chill factor was high. We were freezing - and multiple cups of coffee made no impression!! 

We purchased a Jazzy pass for the street cars - $3 for the day. We decided to use this means of transport to see the city and remain warm.  As we boarded, a group of teenage students and their teacher boarded too. Immediately, the driver informed them that they would have to give up their seat if anyone over 35 got in!! One smart Alec asked if the person was 34 at which time the teacher replied if I give you the eye, you get up. Dublin bus / Luas take note! 

The first journey took us along the main hub of the modern city - Canal street - final stop the cemeteries !! Next we journeyed along the Mississippi - very scenic .  

We took the next journey to the Amtrax Depot to indulge the transport enthusiast among us. 

Finally, we took a trip along Charles Avenue. This had been recommended as a journey through upmarket New Orleans and indeed it was.... Huge houses, as one would see in the best southern movies, graced the former plantation, with their rocking chairs on the veranda. It is so cold today that many of their garden plants were covered in plastic to protect them from the frost. The area wax graced by many private schools andLoyola  University. 

It was interesting to observe that most of the people gracing this area were white while the population of the city as a whole is predominantly black - I assume descendants of the African slaves, who once worked the plantations hereabouts. 

They claimed  the Charles Ave street car, which commenced service in 1835, was the oldest continuous suburban railway in the world but they are mistaken .... Dublin to Dunlaoghaire (formerly Kingstown) has that honour,  as it opened the year before in 1834 ! 

Having completed our tour of the street car system, we returned to the hotel. 

Tonight, we left for the Red Snapper Gril. On the way, we stopped in at The Old Absinthe, a former forge, is reputed to be the oldest bar in N. O.  We met a couple from Oklahoma, who informed us that tonight was the bi - centennial of the defeat of the British by the French in N. O.  We had seen a fireworks display earlier in the evening and suspected so. 

Another, man joined us - he was from Ohio and was dressed in the French Infantry uniform of the period. He had driven from Ohio with a cannon and a number of uniforms. His wife had flown down to join him. He and his friends are re-creating battle scenes tomorrow - unfortunately we must depart early tomorrow.  

We were  to go to the Rooseveldt Hotel, the oldest hotel in NO  to sample the original sacerdote cocktail devised. For research you understand, dear reader,  I tasted the Planter's Punch cocktail at the Absinthe but on arrival at the Rooseveldt, though it was a beautiful hotel , neither of the bars had the ambience to attract one to sit and enjoy the cocktail. 

We adjourned to our hotel.    

Exploring the French Quarter and a visit to WW11 museum

This morning we breakfasted at the hotel and then took a walking tour of the French Quarter. 

As we left the hotel, we were wearing jackets / the temperature is akin to Dublin - 6 degrees. On the last occasion I visited here, it boasted a hot and humid September, with the temperature in the 30s and the humidity 100% I thought I'd never leave the place quickly enough as I was not used to humidity at that time. 

We commenced our exploration with a visit to the first convent, with its beautiful church, to be established in the city - the Ursuline convent, where girls and orphans were educated. President Jackson wrote them a letter of gratitude; their prayers having saved the city from the British! 

We continued along Royal Street (Calle Real) admiring the beautiful buildings with their wrought iron balconies ; festooned for Christmas.

We came across the precursor of the Irish pub but established earlier than its present exports.

It had a piano bar so we thought we might go there for a drink tonight. 

Further along Royal Street, we came across a band playing in the street - the first of many. 

 

We proceeded to the cathedral, reputed to be the fisrt in the US 

and after that repaired across the road to Cafe Du Monde where we partook of cafe au lait and beignets - a donut delicacy of French origin.  

There is a wonderful ambience here and it is delightful to stroll around in spite of the weather. The people are friendly and very laid back. 

We then set off - out of the French Quarter and into more modern New Orleans, which continued to exhibit fine architectural specimens inherited from their European masters - to the WW II museum. En route, we came to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal - an pressure building 

Earlier, we saw the Distrct Court building 

The War Museum had a excellent exhibition of artifacts and an excellent chronological history of the war.

We took a Street Car back to the French Quarter and then walked down the famous Bourgon Street.

 

As we travelled along Bourbon Street, the famous street was preparing for the night ahead - the bars were getting into full swing and the restaurants were preparing for dinner

And other naughty signs which I will not assail your delicate constitution with, dear reader!!

We adjourned to the hotel and prepared to make an expedition in the sub zero temperatures ( the wind chill factor is lowering the temperature.) The wind, we were advised, was coming from the north, where temperatures are historically low, and not from the Mississippi. 

Later we set off and arrived at Pat O Brien's place to find it in full swing - an almost full house (though we did manage to find a table) and two excellent pianists playing requests for tourists as far away as Maine!! Being in the South,  I had to partake of a Mint Julep. It was really excellent - much nicer than my first taste of one in Prague!! 

 

We adjourned to the Oyster Bar on Bourbon St for dinner. The aim was to find a warm spot in the restaurant and it appeared to be everyone else's too! The waiters were even wearing outdoor jackets and the heat was on.  We shared a plate of excellent baked oysters followed by an oyster salad for me (ya I know I said it was cold) but it was excellent as my companion partook of crab cakes. The fish is so good and so plentiful here, we're spoilt. 

On our way home we took in an excellent Jazz session at a Bar where I foolishly ordered an indifferent Irish coffee; made without sugar and with squirts of cream from a can!! 

What did I expect you might say and you would be correct. We returned to the hotel.

To New Orleans

HWe departed Panama City Beaches aft the usual breakfast.  We drove along Beachfront Road in the mistaken belief that we would be hugging the shore - not so dear friends, we soon realised that the beaches were on average 14 miles from the road.  We weren't making much progress driving through town after town and as they all appeared to be the  same, we joined I - 10 and progressed towards the Alabama border.  

The borders are spectacular areas as each State is divided from the next by a very impressive bridge traversing a massive inlet. 

 

At each state line, we were to discover a Welcome Centre which provided travellers with maps and information about the state . All I had known about Alabama were words from a song I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee... - for you dear readers old enough to remember!! 

On entering the Centre the following notice accosted our eyes - unusual by our standards but as we know the gun lobby is powerful  in the USA 

We continued towards Mississippi (I remember learning to spell it at school)?) again we crossed a spectacular bridge into the state  and again stopped at the Welcome Centre 

I don't recall being in either state before  but I possibly slept through as, as a student,  I traversed the US from

Pennsylvania to Niagra Falls across the Mid West to Vancouver, down the West  coast to Disneyland and San Francisco over to New Orleans; to Little Rock, Arkansas (does that little town ring any bells?) And thence to Wasington DC  and NYC - all in 21 days for $99 rambler Greyhound bus ticket!!! 

Onwards to Louisiana 

and as we crossed the bridge into the state, we were treated to a spectacular sunset.

The lady at the Welcome Centre had stayed in our hotel Le Richelieu and recommended it highly. It had been recommended to us by a neighbour and it had the advantage of being situated in the French Quarter while having secure car parking. We were given hotel directions at the Centre which was useful as the sat nav decided to lose satellite connection once we arrived in the French Quarter. A kindly passerby directed us - we were nearby but as it was dark, the street signs were difficult to see- luckily we spotted Chartres St. ; the hotel's location. 

We checked in. It is a beautiful, characterful hotel teeming with antique furniture and festooned for Christmas

 We hurriedly went to our room and quitted it within minutes as the procession in honour of Joan of Arc's birthday (January 6th) was about to commence and would pass a block from our hotel. 

It was a spectacular sight reminiscent of the Easter processions in Spain, with Joan of Arc siting astride a horse. 

The town was a buzz. It is as if all the hippies retired to here- though of a younger generation than the 1960s vintage. People are hanging about the streets drinking , dancing - all in good spirits. We adjourned to Coops 

recommended by the hotel and a former pastor, now turned carpenter whom we met while watching the procession.  Coops served traditional fare - I had Jumbaliah and my companion had a tasting plate of Creole food. Unusual for the States no dessert featured on the menu. I had remembered Jumbalaya 

as mentioned in a song and only now did I realise it was a dish. 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Homemade_Jambalaya.JPG

It is a creole dish  akin to a Spanish Paella but French Provence has a similar dish so it appears an amalgam of the two traditions. It was delicious if a little spicier than the Spanish paella.  France controlled Louisiana, then the Spanish, then the French again until it was sold to the US so the influences of both European rulers influence their food, architecture and street signage. 

The streets were alive. It was a Mardi Gras  atmosphere. We retired - it had been a long day driving!