New Orleans 🎷 2.5.-7.5

Arriving in New Orleans, or NOLA, we were greeted by music🎺🥁 🎷🎵. What else?

Canal Street cuts right through the downtown core of New Orleans. The street once served as a “neutral ground” between the old (colonial-era) families of Spanish and French descent living in the ‘Vieux Carre’ (French Quarter) and the newly arriving Americans, who preferred to settle in the American Sector. The Canal Street line and the Saint Charles Avenue line are a joy to behold, the latter being also the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world, as it has been in operation since 1835. Wow! 😲 (Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture of this dark green, old-fashioned, cute street car. 😔)

*One of several statues of the one and only Louis Armstrong*

As mentioned above, the French Quarter is where the French and Spanish settled back in the days. Together with the west African influences New Orleans became a true melting pot of different cultures, languages and of course also cuisines.

Today the French Quarter is known for its many bars (with and without live music) and Mardi Gras. Notorious Bourbon Street is the centre of the attention: At night the streets are crammed with drunk tourists. As opposed to the rest of the USA, it is not prohibited to walk the streets with open alcoholic drinks, so people believe they have to make up for this constriction when they visit New Orleans.

The French Quarter is also home to the famous Mardi Gras which is a several day long celebration around Shrove Tuesday and when parading the streets of the French Quarter, paraders throw beads, plush toys etc. on the people who visit. (🤔🤷🤗)

*Typical graves in one of the Cemeteries*

Burying the dead in a place below sea level that is subject to recurring heavy rainfall and flooding posed quite a problem to the first settlers of what later became known as New Orleans. The solution agreed upon, to entomb the departed in elaborate marble chambers above ground, created one of the city’s most extraordinary sights: cemeteries that are both historic and hauntingly beautiful. 🪦

*Lots of huge and seemingly very old trees in a park*

*Watching the sunset at the Mississippi River enjoying Mexican beer 🍺…*

*Garden District* *(this is where the Americans settled after Louisiana was bought from the French in 1803)*

What else did we do in New Orleans? We found a really great boulder lounge which wasn’t too expensive and the entry even included shoe rental. Yeah! 🥳

They apply a very social fee scheme: the regular fee is 20$ but if you are among top earners you are more than welcome to pay more, whereas if you have a low income you pay only 16$ or less if you can’t afford it. Noone is sent away. What a great concept! ✌️💪