A trip to Louisiana in October

We drove down to Louisiana this past weekend. We left around 2:30 in the afternoon. One thing about recessions, they make it easier to cut loose from work. We finally made it through the doldrums of South Alabama and pulled into Mobile. Or Saraland, actually. I spied a sign for a seafood restaurant. We pulled in and found that we were still in Happy Hour and the oysters were two for one.

So two plates of a dozen raw were laid before me. Glorious.

We continued on through the Mississippi darkness, west toward Bayou Lacombe. Blackie and Boudreaux were barking in the front yard. I got to drink that beer Cindy wouldn't let me drink in Mobile. ESPN was still predicting a Red Sox victory in seven, much to my chagrin. We finally went to sleep with the ceiling fan whirring over our heads.

I woke up the next morning and laid out on the couch in the living room, reading a book about the end of colonialism in Algeria, waiting for everyone to wake up. Cindy's Aunt Joan asked me if I wanted coffee. I thanked her, no thank you. She asked me what I wanted for breakfast. I requested orange juice and toast. Apple juice was available. That was appropriate for Fall.

We headed in to New Orleans on I-10. The gas prices were down to 2.69. We rode through New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward. I don't know what was sadder, seeing the houses in disrepair and abandoned, or seeing the people living in the houses.

We made our way down to Canal Street and rode around One Canal Place until we found the entrance to the parking garage for Sacks Fifth Avenue. We parked and strolled in. Cindy looked at the Chanel Counter. We decided to wait until later. We walked out on the street and went looking for Royal Street. We looked around some antique stores and art-sellers. I was getting hungry.

We started asking around for directions to the Napolean House. Cindy was slick. She combined our searches for directions with forays into the antique stores. We did get lunch, but Cindy also got a fleur de lis pin and a business card with information about a gold and pearl pin.

But we finally made it to the Napolean House and ate Shrimp Remoulade on avacado halves with a bowl of gumbo and french bread slices. I drank two and one half Dixie's while Cindy drank a Pimms Cup. We sat across from each other, with our knees touching and enjoyed the ambiance. It is a very old restaurant, originally the residence of the mayor of New Orleans. He promised it to Napolean after the battle of Waterloo. The British had other ideas.

Later, we made our way down to Jackson Square and found a green umbrella for Katie Scott and covered our fronts with powdered sugar at the Cafe du Monde. Cindy had been wanting fresh coffee and decided that two orders of begnets and coffee and chocolate milk for ten dollars was a better deal than Starbucks.

We walked down Decatur Street to the Jax Brewery and we looked in Perlis. They had pretty, over-priced polo shirts, decorated with crawfish and fleur de lis. Fortunately, next door there was a store which sold polo shirts with fleur de lis and they were cheaper and the proceeds went to rebuild New Orleans. That seemed a better investment.

We finally made our way back to the parking garage and drove back over I-10 to Slidell and on to Bayou Lacombe.

As we sat together at the little round table at the Napolean House, Cindy smiled and thanked me for loving her city as much as she did. That was a small favor.

That night, we went to Mandina's on the northshore and ate shrimp po boys and then visited the rest of the family at Aunt Cindy and Uncle Chuck's house in Mandeville.

I do enjoy it there and wish Kate could be with us.