July 25, 2013

Summer in the City

St Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, with Andrew Jackson front and center
For a switch from our usual rural views, we made a quick trip to New Orleans last week.  St. Louis Cathedral, pictured above, is in the heart of the French Quarter.  The statue is of Andrew Jackson, U.S. General in the Battle of New Orleans, January, 1815, where we whipped the British soundly with the help of Jean Lafitte and his pirate crew.  Unfortunately, the battle took place after the peace treaty had already been signed.  Communication was way too slow in those days.
The purported purpose of the trip was a reunion with my siblings and some cousins we had not seen in 40 something years.  Here we are in a restaurant in the 9th ward.  The restaurant was buillt by a well-known local Mafia boss and is still owned by his family.   
We had fun visiting, laughing and walking the streets.  My sister likens our group to seaweed, drifting around with no apparent purpose, moved by the tides. 
This statue on the riverfront is a memorial to Italian immigrants.  My Italian ancestors arrived in New Orleans in the 1860's.  The German side arrived in the 1830's.  Descendants of both groups still live in the New Orleans area. 
We took a trip downriver on the steamboat Natchez, where we passed the Chalmette battlefield (Battle of New Orleans, 1815) and viewed a lot of big freighters and tugboats traveling the Mississippi.
Here's the riverside view of Domino sugar refinery (second largest in the world, built in 1909 and still in operation, although I trust they're not operating out of the ancient building with the broken windows!)  The scent of brown sugar wafted in the air near the building.  Sugar cane is a big crop in Louisiana, making a refinery on the Mississippi riverfront a natural for receiving raw product and transporting the finished goods.
This building intrigued me.  Turns out it's the Holy Cross School, built on a former plantation in the 1880's.  The school was in operation until Katrina, after which it moved to a new location.  Plans are still in the works for rehabbing the old structure. 
Cafe du Monde

We meandered through the French Quarter, stopping for beignets at Cafe du Monde, consuming some tasty seafood and cruising down Bourbon Street.
Good old American Airlines cancelled our flight home and rescheduled our departure for a day and a half later.  After an hour or so on hold on the phone, we were able to re-book for a more reasonable schedule.  We heard various claims for why the flight wascancelled. Weather. Mechanical.  Unable to specify. 
It wasn't weather.  The flight we actually took left less than an hour earlier than originally scheduled and didn't encounter any weather at all.  The cancelled flight was probably underbooked.  Gotta keep those CEO salaries up.  To Hades with the customers. 
No problem.  We won't be American Airline customers ever again. 
Home again and back in the saddle.  Summer in the city is good for reunions and sightseeing, but our favorite summer days are spent in the mountains, soaking up blue sky and wildflowers. 

24 comments:

  1. Looks like a good time, you guys did a lot in a short weekend trip! Hard for much to compare to the scenery you can find in the mountains, the last picture is gorgeous.

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  2. Looks like a fun time! Thank you for sharing...no fun on the fight being canceled

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  3. That's great that you were able to go to the family reunion and get together with your siblings and cousins. Wonderful photo of you all together. I haven't been to New Orleans in 30 years. I still remember how good those beignets at the Cafe du Monde tasted and how unusual I thought the Chicory Coffee was. Watched a riverboat race on the Mississippi, all good memories. All were great photos but oh my, the last one and your header, absolutely magnificent!

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  4. It looks like a good trip. I agree, though, a little time in the city and I long for open space, free of the press of humans.

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  5. It looks and sounds like a fun trip except for the cancelled flight! I had a similar experience with American Airlines, a cancelled flight not due to weather, rescheduled for three days later. The last picture is so beautiful and peaceful. :)

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  6. Time spent with family is always great fun but there is no place like home.

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  7. Your header is such a knockout, simply gorgeous!

    I have heard friends say almost the same thing you did "We won't be flying (fill in the blank) ever again." Sad story. Glad I don't have much occasion to fly!

    Cheers,
    Jo

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  8. Never been to N'orleans, but I'm just not a city gal. And although it's good to see family, I'll bet you were glad to get back to the country.

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  9. I'm glad you had a great time in New Orleans with your family, even if American Airlines did mess up your return trip. I enjoyed your pictures and the information. Betsy lived in New Orleans and has promised to take me there, but we haven't made it yet.

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  10. such a lot enjoyable trip with happy family. each pictures looking nice but last is more delightful. thanks for sharing your experience.

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  11. Great shots of New Orleans. There is a virtual cache at the monument you photographed.

    I love the city for visiting. I'll take Tulsa thank you to live in.

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  12. Glad you got to go to the reunion --but I wouldn't want to go to New Orleans in SUMMER... (I lived there --off of St. Charles Ave.) for 5 yrs.) AND--we hate to fly. Sometimes you have to---but there are so many stories from ALL of the airlines about the one you have told... So sorry you had to go through that....

    I'll bet you are much happier being right there in your mountains on a beautiful Summer day.... (I would be.)

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  13. Great-looking family you have! Nice that you were able to attend the reunion and at least got there before hurricane season grabbed hold. We've been to New Orleans once (20 years ago) and that was enough for us. We enjoyed it but just not our cup of tea. We'll just say, the West is best! ;-)

    ~Lindy

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  14. Looks like you and your family had a good time in New Orleans. It's fun to take time to catch up with family. Mr. J and I have gone to New Orleans twice. The beignets at Cafe Du Monde are delicious!. And I took a cooking class while we were there and brought home a cook book with me. I've made a few things, but they don't taste quite the same. We also enjoyed a crawdad boil while we were there. My favorite food were the mushrooms, the best I've ever tasted. I'm glad you are back home though riding through the mountains of Utah. I always enjoy your posts so much.

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  15. What a nice getaway for you! I can certainly tell who your Sister is in the group shot. :)
    Too bad about AA....customer service is so important.
    Glad you are back in your stomping grounds.

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  16. You're a long way from your roots, Janie. But, like me, I think you've put down strong ones in an area you dearly love. That last photo says it all! Glad you had a chance to visit with relatives. I've never been to New Orleans.

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  17. I love New Orleans but not in July! Glad you enjoyed the trip and glad you are back home in the mountains.

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  18. I'd take the mountains too but would like to see The Big Easy sometime...:)

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  19. The city looks delightful for a visit but I much prefer the countryside for "real life" activities. ;)

    I see you have a similar feeling as I have about some CEOs and their relationships with their customers. Hmmmm.

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  20. New Orleans is such a beautiful place with much history & character..from the descriptions of LA, NY and NO, I am attracted to visit NO most when in US!!

    and yes, a family reunion is always fun!!!

    http://www.myunfinishedlife.com

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  21. Looks like a great time. A lovely series of photos.

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  22. Fantastic reportage, beautiful photos:) Greetings

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  23. Time in the city is good but it's so much better out of it.

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