Out and About around New Orleans

Now we are getting quite practiced at pram wheeling, on Wednesday,we took C for a long walk down to see Simon's Bead Dog and back up Magazine St, to La Boulangerie for coffee. S came and met us there, but by the time she arrived all the 'fun' was over. When we arrived all the power in the street was out as a large lorry had brought down some cables, so there was no specialty coffee, just filter from the flask! But nevertheless, their cakes were mighty fine! C was extremely well behaved, although was beginning to get a little hungry by the time Mum appeared. Luckily we could all have cappuccinos and lattes with more tasty delights as C tucked in to his bottle! When D came home in the evening we went off to the Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar, a restaurant on St Charles Avenue that has been threatening to open even since last year. This was C's first evening restaurant visit and he was great, just sleeping through all the clatter and noise, so his mum and dad could enjoy their food.

French Quarter Festival began on Thursday, and we all went down to meet D for lunch and take in the amazing scenes along the riverside. There were foodstalls all along the area with different 'theatres' for music, just like Jazz Fest. The Calliope on the Natchez played for a while, then the bands started playing, all different types of jazz, with some Zideco music, too.
This Friday D was working, so S, C and A and I walked down to the Maple Street Patisserie and bought some delicious goodies for lunch which we ate with coffee at PJs. There is a covered outside terrace which is ideal for this and of course, C enjoyed the fresh air and eventually some refreshment of his own. After lunch, S took us back via the universities (Tulane and Loyola) to spot their Bead Dogs. They are very beautifully decorated. D was home by the time we got back, and we all went off to Wholefoods for the weekend shop.

Saturday saw us taking an earlyish trip to the mall for a general look about, and we were in to Barnes and Noble rootling through the books and indulging in Architectural Lego! I wanted to look at t-shirts and so went next door and the others went off to Gap. We got back to the car, and having put our parcels in the back I went to sit down only to find a 'forgotten' bag on my seat. Encouraged to open it I found a 'onesy' with' Grandma says yes' written on the front! Very cute. Then we all got back in the car, only for A to find a bag on his seat. Repeating the performance, his 'onesy' says 'Grandpa's favourite', which is very true! So now D drove us off to Madisonville, a small community on the Tchefuncte River. It is a very pretty little place and we parked and strolled along the riverside, where they seemed to be having a sort of music festival with lots of people coming together to make music. There was a band of lady dulcimer players, including two hammer dulcimers; various country groups; jazz and even a harmonica player with a case of a dozen or so harmonicas of different sizes. There were also some amazing boats moored along the riverside, and over on the opposite bank, there was a collection of magnificent houses of the 'country club' size! We popped into the Friends Cafe for some snacks that included Alligator Nuggets and chips! The lemonade was so refreshing and we were cooled by a gentle breeze from the river.

Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar
French Quarter Festival
Madisonville
Friends Coastal Restaurant