That New Orleans State of Mind

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

What is like to live in New Orleans?  It is as good as you would expect.  We certainly have no complaints.  It's not a never-ending party, but it is always a celebration.  Life is good in the City That Care Forgot.

A house and a motor scooter on Esplanade Avenue

Somebody will play the Eurhythmics on the jukebox, "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This."  Nobody pays attention, but the person who chose this song has a method to her madness.  After Annie Lennox is done singing, the next song comes on.  It's by the Soul Rebels Brass Band.


Then people pay attention.  In New Orleans, what is made locally is always better than what is made for mass consumption.  Things sound different in New Orleans.  Food tastes better.  Time moves at a different pace.

In New Orleans, the old ways are best.  In a city that has stood the test of time against all odds, tradition means something, especially when the traditions are homegrown.  

A group of lovely women who belong to the Krewe of Excalibur are staying with us this weekend.  They are from Austin, Texas of all places.  One of their neighbors is from New Orleans, and he got them involved with the krewe.  "You should see his house," one of the ladies said.  "It's like a shrine to New Orleans.  It's tasteful, but you can tell he has a passion about his hometown."

I would venture to guess that every home in New Orleans contains at least one fleur de lis, a Mardi Gras poster, a mask on the wall, or a framed ticket to Jazz Fest.  When you live in New Orleans, you don't think about much else.  The city inflames the imagination.  Imagine living under its influence 24 hours a day.  It is intoxicating.  Once bitten, never shy.

One of our balconies

This time of year, more than any other time, you feel the special appeal New Orleans offers to everyone bold enough to take a taste.    It isn't because the Super Bowl is in the Super Dome this year.  In the places I hang out, people are waiting for Monday.  The Saints aren't in the Super Bowl so there is little point to watching the game unless there is nothing else going on.

There is always something going on in New Orleans.  Mardi Gras is on March 12 this year.  The Super Bowl is just a distraction from what is really important.

We went to Mystic Blue Signs on Magazine Street to get a sign for La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.  With so many tour buses stopping in front of our house, we may as well advertise better than we do.  Esplanade Avenue is a tastefully elegant street, one where neon wouldn't be welcome.  Our current sign is handwritten in chalk:

Perfect penmanship

The new sign will be something to see, like the bed and breakfast it announces.  People stop to take pictures of the property all the time.  Soon, they will have another detail to focus their lens on.  Details to follow.

We hope to see you soon.

A votre sante.