Easter Visit to Harry in New Orleans (April 4-6, 2010)

For a great variety of reason, mostly ‘cuz he missed Harry, Noel flew to New Orleans, LA Easter Sunday for a short visit with Harry, where he was working with Americorp. Flights both ways were uneventful, as all plane travel should be . . .

The time we had together was very “eventful” however! We drove around, a lot, as that is an activity we both enjoy. First stop was the house Harry and his crew has been working on. Lots of damage and lots of rebuilding and Harry enjoys the work muchly. We then tried to go to his favorite Po-Boy (sandwich) shack but were closed for Easter L

House that Harry (and others) are working on. The half with the iron door is inhabited.	Inside the house . . .

Next was an afternoon in the French Quarter. What a marvelous place! We happened upon a parade, ate shrimp, alligator and catfish in an open air restaurant complete with Dixieland band. (Dixieland sounds, mostly live come from every other doorway in this section of town)

Looking down one street in the French Quarter	Dixieland band in the restaurant we ate lunch	Aligator nuggets	Harry at lunch	The Big Muddy with a paddle boat ship along the Quarter side	Balconies in the Quarter
Folks just wondering the street	Looks like Boulder!	Beginning of an Easter Parade (one of four today)	Carriage in the parade	Dancers . . .	The actual name of this parade
Noel under the Bourbon Street sign	A shop in the Quarter	Looking down another street	Street performer standing like a statue until tipped. Then she plays the trumpet (rather well, too)

Later we drove around the Garden district (great, old, architecture) and found our way into a cemetery from 1823 (though some markers showed deaths earlier – how does that work?) No wakes about L I’d forgotten that all graves were big “tombs” so to not wash away during the inevitable floods. During Katrina, though some did and the bodies in the caskets never identified. Inside ID now is included in all burials . . .

Entrance to one of the cemetaries	Looking down a row of "tombs"	Another set . . .	An especially ornate one	Sign telling about this cemetary's establishment	Another tomb . . .	A different kind of entombment
Looks like someone/something escaped and was sealed back in . . .	Becoming overgrown	Another tomb . . .	Another of the row style	One of the Garden Districts homes	Cable cars running to the Quarter

We then picked up some popcorn and pop, a microwave meal for Harry and headed to the airport Motel6. Turned in early, readying for another day of adventure.

Monday we found a Krispy Kreme “factory” and devoured a dozen fresh off the line donuts. Mmmm, good! Next a couple hour drive south to the extreme southern tip of Louisiana. Cool ships and bogs. We travel along a ½ mile wide strip jutting miles into the Gulf of Mexico . . . pretty cool.

An old ship being strip of iron	An old paddle boat in the same "junkyard" being stripped down	Harry standing on a levy watching huge tankers moving along at 40kts plus . . .	The southern-most tip of Louisiana	An example of the bogs along the roadside in this area

Back to the city and lunch at a Hooters so we could watch the Rockies game. No, really! It was opening day and they won! So there! (and great wings, I hear J

Then we just wondered about . . . found the Lower Ninth Ward where the worst of Katrina hit. Maybe 10percent rebuilt. 20 story building abandoned and hundreds, maybe thousands of small house half gone but still standing.

Harry went back to his prison mattress (No, literally. Mattresses made in a local prison, for prisoners, is what they are given to sleep on) and I to my hotel to rest for our respective early starts the next morning. Parting was tearful, for Noel anyway . . .