Things to see in New Orleans

Afternoon on Esplanade Avenue

I just finished reading the January 1966 of Esquire that I found in the lobby.  Here’s what Esky had to say, "Any party, whether planned for weeks or got up in a few hours, should cling to party dogma: A party is for fun, escape. It is for the guests, not the host, and is, therefore, an expression of his hospitality.”  I would only like to add that it is also an expression of the hostess’ hospitality, too.

Some days are so good, they are like letting a genie out of a bottle.  I am very excited about something we got for the lobby yesterday.  I was putting an old chair out on the curb for whoever wants it.  I was leaning against the back, looking at the statue of Clio across the street, when a truck pulled up.  “You don’t want that?” the driver asked.  “I’ll trade you something for it,” he offered.

We looked in the back of his truck and he did have an stuffed alli-duck, which I have been searching for at taxidermy studios all over southeastern Louisiana.  He had something bulky under a tarp.  “What’s that?” I asked.

He pulled the tarp aside and thumbed through a notebook he had in his back pocket.  “Let’s see here, this is either part of an orgone generator that used to belong to William S. Burroughs, or it’s the A/C coils from Sandra Bullock’s house.”  

I was tempted by the alli-duck, but I opted for the orgone generator.  He helped me carry it inside.  Either possibility is equally likely.  

William Burroughs’ house is in Algiers.  Two lovely young ladies who stayed with us were on a pilgrimage to find his house.  I wore a beret at breakfast to get into the spirit of things. I think they drove from Arizona.  If it wasn’t there then it was the far side of Texas. They sent me a picture and I posted it somewhere on this blog, maybe three months back.

Sandra Bullock does live in New Orleans.  We were on a walking tour in the Garden District recently and the guide pointed it out.  It is a beautiful house.  It is a nice neighborhood, but both Frau Schmitt and I prefer living on Esplanade Avenue.

“I don’t know who got the better end of the deal,” Frau Schmitt said when she saw our latest acquisition.

A votre sante,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.