A uniform steel gray sky wasn’t a good omen. But in New Orleans “laissez les bons temps rouler,” let the good times roll, is the rule.
My day started the Vue Orleans. Perched on the top levels of the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans it’s a combination interactive playground and 360-degree observatory. I loved the interactive displays where famous locals, past and present, come alive and teach about history, music, food, and traditions. This had to have been built or designed during the pandemic because everything is non-touch. You point or wave to interact with the technology.
On the enclosed observatory level there should have been stunning views, but those gray skies thought otherwise. Initially my view was of a thick, gray wall of cloud. For a few minutes the sky brightened, and I got glimpses of the city. On a clear day this floor and the one above (open air) would be a fabulous introduction to the city.
Though not far, I was running late for my next stop—a tour of NOLA. But…that was not to be. My Uber driver discovered most streets into the French Quarter were closed. A cop told him a Christmas parade was about to start on Decatur Street. With some interesting twists and turns through parking lots and back alleys, he got me relatively close to my destination. That was when I found out the starting point for the tour had changed (but they forgot to let anyone know). No way I could get to Louis Armstrong Park, so I stayed and watched the parade.
The parade was a damned good trade-off. Part Mardi Gras, Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, and uniquely New Orleans, the parade was great fun. I caught beads, shook hands with a rolling Elvi (part of a band of Elvis impersonators), had chocolate, a bag of Halloween candy and several cups given to me. Then came the rain. First a drizzle, then torrential thunderstorms. I ran for cover, the parade marched on.
I watched from inside the shelter of Cafe Beignet New Orleans. There I ate Crawfish Étouffée, drank a warming cup of coffee with chicory while watching kids, who despite the deluge continued to march, play instruments, and shimmy down the parade route. A woman sitting next to me offered me a sugary beignet, which I simply could not refuse. Together we watched, munched, and chatted.
When the rain petered off a bit, I started walking back to the hotel. The rain returned, I got soaked. A kind pedi-cab driver saved me. It was the only way to go—the parade was still marching on, traffic was impossible.
After a restorative nap, I set off for Magazine Street for their champagne stroll. Stores along the route offered glasses of bubbly to shoppers. At the end of the route, was my dinner destination, Osteria Lupo. There I ate one of the best northern Italian meals ever, accompanied by a Negroni that was superb. Home-made burrata with aged balsamic, pistachios and grilled focaccia was the first course. Then snapper crudo in a pool of tomato-walnut pesto—YUM! For my main I had lamb chops with zucchini. There was no room for dessert!