The drive into New Orleans was horrible, it's all built up and getto looking. The roads make our spaghetti junction look like a piece of cake, so where we were going to stay outside the main tourist area but we quickly decided that would be a bad idea. Straight into Canal Street where we found a Quality Inn hotel that had a room that we could check into straight away, as it was only 11am. Once checked in and car park sorted we headed into town.
Canal Street is a lively busy street that takes you down to the Mississippi river, which is where we headed as we wanted to book a paddle streamer boat ride. Slight detour into the 24hr casino, paddle streamer all booked for tomorrow. Onwards to the French Quarter where it's just how I pictured it with its tall buildings with balconies full of hanging baskets.
Had to stop at the famous Du Monde cafe for a coffee and their even more famous dough nuts. We then came across the market where the locals are selling mainly home made jewellery and voodoo dolls but the best part was the band playing real old rag time/blues music. I loved this and could off sat there all day listening to them playing their old instruments and singing away without a care.
Further along the street a large band were playing and singing more up to date songs, it just seems there were groups setting up everywhere, it was great. The French Quarter was very atmospheric and full of character, I just loved it. We then came across Bourbon Street as we headed back to the hotel, it was kinda what I expected but it wasn't. The music in the bars was a great disappointment as it was everything but jazz or the blues which is what you expect to find in New Orleans. We did find a street group with a black lady singing, what a voice she had, amazing.
Back at the hotel we chilled for a bit before we went out to get something to eat, that was a task as everywhere was fish. Anyhow we did find a place where Sally had catfish and I had a very nice cheese burger. The city came alive at night but it reminded me of the programmes on TV on Ibiza or Kavos as it was just full of bars selling cheap booze and sex shows.
Walked around for awhile then headed back to the hotel satisfied we had done a good day of sight seeing.
What a difference a day makes as we woke up to a really bad thunder storm with very heavy rain. Went out after getting the hotel to store our bags and got soaked through, not nice. The Mississippi wasn't there any more as the rain was so heavy you couldn't make it out anymore. We decided to cancel our trip on the paddle streamer and got a refund which was lucky. Had a lovely wet walk around Louis Armstrong Park, this place was a tribute to him and to slavery, where they say it all started from.
Rain was really heavy so we took a walk around the Cathedral, heading out into the rain again as by now we were so wet it didn't matter anymore. After a coffee we both decided we had seen what we had come for and decided to head off as this weather front was here for a couple of days. Disappointed about the paddle boat tour but there's always a next time.
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