June in New Orleans

Just a few images of New Orleans during our last week or so. It was mostly family things including visiting French Quarter and Magazine Street, not to mention a rather splendid afternoon tea at the Windsor Court Hotel, complete with pretty ballerina who wandered about chatting to the participants. We rounded off our stay with a trip to the open air screening of Frozen at the Audubon Zoo.



Café du Monde
La Boulangerie
Windsor Court Hotel
Breads on Oak
Audubon Zoo

Our May Dining experiences in New Orleans included breakfast at 'Another Broken Egg',  quatre-heures at 'Sucré' and a birthday dinner at 'R'evolution'. All wonderful and different venues.



Another Broken Egg
Sucré
R'evolution

A misty day down by the Mississippi and an interesting visit to the Insectarium

Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium

National World War II Museum, New Orleans

An interesting outing to see the planes with the little boy.


National World War II Museum, New Orleans

Audubon Zoo

It is a great place to visit with the family, but the facilities for food were a bit limited.


Audubon Zoo

Thanksgiving

Today it is Thanksgiving in the US and a day off, so we had a great family outing to Audubon Park and then home for turkey dinner with a little champagne starter.

Birthday Dinner

Birthday dinner at Stella, in New Orleans.This is the restaurant of Chef Scott Boswell, one of the star chefs of New Orleans. Our food was beautifully presented and tasted delicious. The service was excellent.

Restaurant Stella

New places in NOLA

With the party over, we could relax and do some fun stuff with little C. Our first outing was to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and C had a wonderful time. He loved the fish swimming overhead as we entered the Aquarium; the penguins that swam down to check out this little body who had come to visit them; trying to reach the fish when Grandpa held him over the top of one of the tanks; and popping up in the middle of a tank in the special children's area.

We also went into the aviary where he was fascinated by the budgies landing on Grandpa - all over Grandpa in fact and C tried to touch them, but they were just too fast and flew away! It was massive fun and Mummy and Daddy say they will take him back again when he is a bit older. Grandma and Grandpa had a whale of a time, too.

Not such a new place is Audubon Park where we walked with C and watched the turtles and birds on the lake.
Our last day and D took us across the ferry to Algiers Point.This is one of the oldest places in New Orleans and we had a lovely time wandering around the houses and up on the levee - dodging showers and seeing a great party of people celebrating St Patrick's Day (a bit early). We had some great coffee at the Tout de Suite café before driving back the long way round over the bridge.

Back in NOLA

This trip was mainly for C's first birthday, but it was lovely to visit some old haunts and some new places, too. To start with, we wandered down to Magazine St. and found some recent remnants of Mardi Gras as well as a couple of benches we missed last time.

 After helping with making C's cake and celebrating his birthday with the family, we had a day looking around the French Quarter, again. It's always fascinating with wonderful shop signs and interesting places.

There was a party in the park for all C's little friends and we got to and made loads of dinosaur biscuits to go with a beautiful dino cake Mum & Dad ordered from Whole Foods. There was coffee for the parents and fruit drinks for the littles. The weather was beautiful and lots of families came to join in the celebration. We all sang Happy Birthday and C 'blew' his candle out!

Last days in NOLA

On Thursday, S booked a spa session and we took C to Sucré for a delicious coffee served with one of their amazing cakes. C has been before with Yaya and Mum, so is well known at this special venue! They have wonderful macaroons that are famous all over New Orleans.

 After coffee we made our way across to The Rink, a lovely shopping area on the Garden District which has an excellent bookstore, The Garden District Bookshop; as well as a baby clothes shop, Mignon; and some exclusive interior design boutiques as well. We were lured into the baby shop with its promise of beautiful things for C, and we succumbed to a lovely outfit in pale blue with little monkeys embroidered on it. We also found an outfit for the baby boson, and as we don't know the flavour yet, it is a sleep suit covered in little green frogs that can be buttoned up like a sleeping bag or as a suit with legs - clever! We had hardly looked in the bookstore before S found us and as she was starving, we repaired to the coffee shop, Still Perkin, and managed a little light lunch. This was followed by a walk around the District, coming back to The Rink via the art shop on the corner. Here they had the sculpture of a baby's head called Baby G - just like our little C!

Trying on Tri stuff in a camping fitting room!

Friday came and D had to sign up for his IronMan Triathlon. We met up with him at the Hilton Hotel, then walked him across to see the Wasp that he missed on Wednesday going back to work. The selection of gear on display at the Tri sign-up is amazing and D did buy a nice T-shirt, though other stuff wasn't in his size.  He tried stuff on in a portable changing room with its  'look-out' in the top!
While we were out looking at the Wasp, the Blue Angels came screaming overhead - a taste of what they will be doing on Sunday.







Saturday was a relaxing day for our athlete and we went down to Audubon Zoo to show C the animals. Not a very warm day, we needed jackets on and cups of coffee to keep warm. But there was plenty to see and we had a lovely easy walk around most areas before it was time to go back home for a huge (for D) pasta dinner and a relatively early night as D had an early start on Sunday.

D went off at around 5am to get to the pick-up for the tri. The swim was cancelled, so he had a run/bike/run race, due to the high winds making the lake too choppy for the swimmers. We all drove down to the race a little later and found a good spot in the middle of the second run area where we could watch D go by on both sides. C had his cheer-leader onesy on and we all cheered and rang the little bell to encourage all the runners, but especially when D went by. Soon we had to move over to the Finish line and waited there for him to come through. Not a bad time, and he was glad of a seat on the folding chairs when it was all over. Plenty of water and a good rest, before we followed him across to the food area where he managed a couple of platefuls of food to replenish his energy reserves. The airshow was cancelled because of the bad weather, which was a bit disappointing, so there was little point hanging around and we decided to leave. Some folk were still running when we eventually made it back to the car and home.


So Monday D went to work and in the late morning S, C and we went off for a little coffee before meeting up with D and driving to the airport. We hated saying goodbye to them all, but especially to the little one who will grow and change so much before we see him again in July.



Sucré
The Garden District Bookshop
Mignon, baby shop
Still Perkin'
Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans Triathlon
Blue Angels
Audubon Zoo

Tortoises and Tall Ships, New Orleans

On Sunday D & S took us up on the offer to look after C while they went out to brunch. So off they set and we did too, to Maple St. The Patisserie was not open, but we did encounter a Giant Tortoise going for a walk with her owner. This unusual pet is about six years old and already rather large. The owner says she is very good at keeping the grass down, no Sunday mowing the lawn for him! After a refreshing coffee on the terrace at PJs, we made our way down to Audubon Park Golf Club where A bought a new cap as some of his are getting a bit past it. Perhaps this was a bit far as C decided it was definitely time for a second feed ( we did feed him at PJs). D and S texted that they were home and we replied we were on our way, too with a very hungry person!

Luckily, we hadn't blotted our copy books and on Monday we were off to Magazine Street again while S did some work and we ended up at Blue Frog Chocolates where some gifts for the people at home were purchased. The chocolates there are beautifully artistic and well as delicious.

On Tuesday we went off to meet D for lunch, this time at Merchants, a great cafe not far from the office, so we had all piled into the car with the pram et al. Lunch was very tasty - and I had a lovely cupcake and coffee to finish. D went back to work and we went off to the clinic and weighed C to find he had grown and put on weight, so much so that it was now time to up his intake. In the weighing room there was a beautiful old quilt hanging on the wall and some lovely ceramic balloons hung as a mobile. Outside it had become very dark and as we left there was a terrible rain storm - water streaming down the slope out of the car park.The air was definitely cleared and fresher weather followed the storm.

Wednesday means music in Lafayette Square with YLC Wednesday at the Square. So we were off to the Quarter again, meeting D and taking a stroll along the riverside where three tall ships were moored from Ecuador, Indonesia and USA. These three along with several Navy vessels are in port to celebrate the Bicentennial of the 1812 War that saw off the British! One of the Navy vessels is none other than the No1 Ship in the Fleet, USS Wasp. It is rather large! D had to go back to work before we got as far as the Wasp.
 We arranged to meet up with him in Lafayette Square where the Youth Leadership Council puts on Wednesday sessions that are free with the sale of food and drink bringing in money for the council. All the local cafes, food stores etc. set up their stalls and patrons buy tickets in order to buy food and drink from the stalls. we had drinks and cheese platters from the St James Cheese Company on Prytania Street. C seemed to enjoy himself, though not his ear protectors which lasted about 2 minutes. It was decided that they were too tight on his head, but maybe he didn't like the silence either! We heard Theresa Andersson and Mia Border.






PJs
Blue Frog Chocolates
Merchants
Bicentennial of the 1812 War
St James Cheese Company

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

Down in New Orleans

D & S were there to meet us at the airport on Thursday, and introduced us to the little one who is, of course, gorgeous. We drove to the house and set about getting to know him by helping with feeding/ burping and cuddling.

 There's plenty of that going on, and on Saturday we went off to Barataria NP for a walk along the board walk, hoping to see the iris in bloom. There were lots of wild flowers, but only a couple of iris left in bloom as the weather has been quite hot and they go over quickly.

As C loves being out and about we took a stroll down to Audubon Zoo and back through the park on Sunday, managing to spot some of the Bead Dogs that are dotted around New Orleans to raise money for the local animal charities. They are all for sale, but start at £5000, so that's a bit out of our budget! The one by the Zoo has been 'extended into an elephant (here it is on Laughing Magpie).

As there is no Easter Monday holiday in US, we met up with D for lunch at Bittersweet, the lovely chocolate shop on Magazine St. in the Warehouse District. There were lovely Easter biscuits for sale which were very good with our coffee. When D had to go back to work, we walked around the area looking for Bead Dogs and also spotted a poster advertising Jazz Fest in May. S is putting the dogs up on Laughing Geos as they are spotted and there is quite a collection over there.

Today we have been with everyone to the Children's Hospital for a check up on C. Luckily everything is absolutely fine and after D went back to work, we went shopping, ending up in Walmart where C posed for a 'Lost in Walmart' photo!