Louisiana | Taking Our Time

Nov 19 – Another sunny day with a high of 80 degrees. Fine shirtsleeve weather, breezy and not hot enough to make you sweat. We walked through the French Quarter again today, taking note of the buildings that hug the streets.

The St Louis Cathedral was open, so we popped in to see the inside. It was bright and airy with a painted ceiling.

A feature of the buildings here are the many cast iron columns and railings – more ornate and more brittle than the wrought iron used elsewhere

We overheard a tour guide say that when the US asked for people to donate their iron to make munitions for WWII, the people of New Orleans said, “we will send our sons, but not our iron.”

As we walked north, the buildings got smaller and more colorful

In the Tremé district we found Louis Armstrong Park, built on the site of Congo Square

In the early 1800s, enslaved and free Black people gathered here by the hundreds on Sundays, enjoying their afternoon off dancing and making music together

Tremé became an area known for jazz. Jon Batiste was born here!

There are statues of many jazz greats here, including Louis Armstrong…

…and Mahalia Jackson. The Mahalia Jackson Theatre is just behind.

For today’s authentic New Orleans meal, we sought out NOLA Po Boys, where all the food is spicy! If you can’t handle the spice, ask for it “Yankee” style.

The grilled shrimp po boy did not disappoint!

Nov 17, 2025 – We usually use this blog to record international adventures, but a trip to New Orleans feels like an opportunity to experience a different culture, so I think it qualifies. Want to come along?

Jim booked us a direct flight, which takes about two and a half hours. Easy breezy! We left home in the afternoon and expected to be in NOLA for a late supper.

Without the excruciating details, let’s just say our plane did not pass muster, and the airline had to dispatch another from Louisiana. Our friendly representative cautioned, “I’d rather be on the ground wishing I was in the sky, than in the sky wishing I was on the ground.” Wise words.

Eight hours later, we were airborne at 1am. Our plan to hop on a city bus to get to our hotel had to be amended, as buses don’t run at 3am. One taxi ride later (the cabbie wisely quoted the exact same price as Uber) we were able to rest our weary heads. We are here!