Mufulettas, PoBoys, Beignets, oh my!

Every trip to the French Quarter should begin with this lovely lady, and we Portlanders who used to live in NE Portland and drove by the sister statue couldn't get enough of her.  Des used to ask "Dad, who's that lady?" and we'd have a conversation about Joan of Arc, the rebel.  Well here she is, in all her glory, in New Orleans.  Makes a bit for sense there.  We were on a food/music/history/sightseeing tour, and got all that we wanted, and none that we didn't.  Des found the hippies living out of their van drinking on the street wildly upsetting...guess that rules out the Hawthorne neighborhood as a destination upon our return to Portland!

New Orleans Joan 

Gar remembering the different side of Mardi Gras, 20 years ago...

Gary found us a great free music show at the New Orleans Jazz Historical Park.  Here you can see Des dancing with what we guessed was a West African RPCV...what other kinda white lady speaks French, wears a sarong, and shakes her booty to African drumming?  Anyway...we dug it...at this Park, the rangers play music.  Another ranger is currently on tour with Paul Simon and Sting...not a bad gig!

you gotta pay extra to hear Saints!

We made sure to hit up Cafe Du Monde, and it was ALL THAT.  Big ole table of beignet fans!

Des errs toward stalker with his happy face...

while Emm feels the horror of it all.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STELLA RUBY PEARMINE!  WE WERE THERE ON YOUR ACTUAL BIRTHDAY!! 

even the local buses get into it.

After a great IMAX movie on the environmental impact of Hurricane Katrina (see, we're learning stuff, people!), we came across this beautiful Holocaust Memorial at Woldenburg Park.

the view from the other side

the boys showing their interpretations of "monument of the immigrant"

While we're trying not to be "those people" who take pictures of their food...we've been eating a lot of really good stuff.  Here G is showing off his rabbit and dumplings at Cochon...go ahead and take a gander at the menu.  We ordered nearly half of it!