John & Anne Wiley

We wandered repeatedly into the realm of magic today. It began with our decision to ride the bus out to look at the Garden district, where many magnificent old homes have been restored. The bus was full, so we each sat with someone else in two rows and struck up conversations. We learned that by going beyond the Garden we could find another fruit: a neighborhood French Festival.

0354 Serendipitous Street

It was such a garden of delights! There was a band playing at the end of the block of course, and lots of arts and foods. But hidden inside the St. Henry School auditorium was the delightful Norbert Slama Trio playing a lilting French accordion and guitar waltz to a nearly empty hall, as if destined for our ears only. And this playful pair.

0362 The Eternal Dance

Walking out a side door, we found this woman in skull makeup turning the Wheel Of Fate for a gathering of kids.

0367 Wheel Of Fate

Everything was magic by the time we began our walk toward the trolley back into the city, so my eye wandered to these drunks happily loitering beneath the No Loitering sign with their little dog.

0373 Three Men & Dog

After many more enchanted moments that I’ll spare you (and this will still be long!), we were happy to get a seat on the trolley that soon filled to capacity with uncomfortable tourists trying to avoid contact. After meeting more interesting people we’ll never see again, we eventually got to Frenchmen Street as darkness enfolded us and this mannequin welcomed us to the realm of mystery.

0415 Silent Welcome

New Orleans is a city of music. Everywhere. All the time. But aside from Lafitte’s the jazz we’d hoped to hear on Bourbon or Royal, was mostly loud rock or blues. Here just beyond the French Market we found various colors of tight jazz in every bar. First the red.

0419 Red Jazz

Then the black and red.

0428 Black & Red Jazz

Then the blue gals.

0435 Blue Jazz

Next some rainbow jazz.

0443 Rainbow Jazz

Even lots of great street jazz playing for change.

0541 Street Jazz

Amid it all, this lonely and all but ignored stoic jazz poet.

0466 Jazz Poet

In an alley off the street we found a courtyard jazz artist colony.

0508 Jazz Art

Anne bought mementos for loved ones…

0522 Jazz Mementos

…as I was entertained by this jazz performance artist playing an angry beaded lady.

0514 Jazz Bearded Lady

One of the tightest jazz bands we heard tonight was at The Spotted Cat, where a guitar and tuba found exquisite harmony in a small ensemble that drew a big crowd.

0507 Jazz Tuba

Few days bring the spectrum of magic that New Orleans provided these wanderers. We’re dizzy with memories, our souls opened by the city of saints so that our dreams can begin to savor the spicy flavor of life here below sea level. I’m reminded of this blessing written for a dear friend.

May we awaken to our Need with the help of other eyes.
Outside our sphere just enough, but near,
That our hearts can stretch to touch new Truth.
Singing what we can barely hear afar,
The harmony of our true nature,
Mingling in the music of ages,
We are blessings each and all,
Rising to the stars together.

Exploring New Orleans last night and today has been fun, and Weather says we get at least another day! Here then are some pix. Lots of pix. A few picks of our many pix since arriving. 🙂

0292 Bourbon St.

Didn’t see any bourbon here, but lots of those sweet mixed drink glasses with some fluorescent green substance possibly called a “hand grenade.” Fun 360, even for the few old folks like us who were completely sober. Though we fit in like two fire trucks in a lush jungle, everyone was friendly or at least respectful and many absolutely thrived on the slightest bit of attention.

0294 Look At Me, Mom

The mounted patrol officers’ mere presence brings an air of dignity and cool that somehow corrals the fun. One horse in particular looked into our souls, apparently drawn to our sobriety in that mayhem.

0302 Horse Sense

The spectrum of people is boundless, including families getting group photos at the zoo.

0317 Family Time

Inside every door is a diverse crush of people laughing, absorbing the particular variety of music in that bar, dancing, and drinking.

0328 Happy Faces

For reasons we can’t determine, some places just don’t seem to hold any appeal for more than a solitary drunk.

0338 Contrast

I liked this one named New Orleans Heat in particular, because it was quite far from the hot spot next door. Nearby I was fascinated by this man leaning against the wall nodding in and out of a stupor in the thriving Life.

0318 Swamp Spell

We entered a spell of our own walking out of the crowds toward our hotel, as the song of a solo blues man emanating from Lafitte’s captured our attention to pause back a century in a moonbeam through the clouds haunting the bare trees outside. Another listener observed solemnly, “This is the Soul of New Orleans.”

0343 Soul

When we finally moved on, even further from the crowds this lucky but lonely vendor struggled to stay awake under a streetlamp.

0340 Slow Night

This morning we moved downtown, saving quite a bit of money to be in a vastly nicer hotel on the trolley line so we can explore other parts of the city and still be within minutes of the French Quarter. Walking to said trolley down Esplanade we saw some well-kept old mansions like this.

1042 Mansions

We passed this interesting character we greeted respectfully, yet shamefully refer to between us in shorthand as “Lawn Gnome Guy.”

1045 Wise Man

Reaching the trolley stop so we could ride to the new hotel and leave all our Stuff, my free will was lost when Anne innocently asked if I’d like to buy her a pair of earrings in the French Market.

1046 Marketplace

Guys, learn from my mistake. Sure we found her some great earrings, but it was several hours of me dragging that luggage as she shopped before we reached the next trolley stop. Oscar the earring guy was a treat to meet though, and I did manage to have a great time looking at baubles for my babe and munching exotic goodies.

1048 Oscar

We enjoyed a tasty and affordable jazz lunch in the Gazebo Cafe resting our feet near Jackson Square.

1059 Refreshing Lunch

The donkey carts bring a tiny sample of another era when the city though quite different in pace, had that distinctive Big Easy feel.

1062 Equine Era

While she stood in line for donuts at Café Du Monde, I listened to the really cool (and loud!) steam calliope atop the Natchez.

1066 Music Afloat

Music and life overflow everywhere in New Orleans, and now that we’re checked into hotel #2 we’re off to explore Night #2. 🙂