New Orleans Legends Revealed!!

There's a New Orleans tradition in this picture

If you're reading this, I hope you're gonna visit New Orleans, otherwise, you probably won't care about this one bit.  Let's soldier on, shall we?

First of all, you're not supposed to use exclamation points if you're going to be a serious writer.  Though I was taught that way, I always prefer two exclamation points (!!).  I think it's more exciting that way.  If you clicked on the link to this blog expecting excitement, read on, friend!!!

We've been going to Cafe Navarre quite a bit recently.  We like it.  It's off the beaten track, a neighborhood place, no pretensions, good food, their own routine on how things run but not too odd that you can't figure out to order at the counter and fill your own drink during weekdays.  We normally go on Sundays even though we're not really brunch people.  

Cafe Navarre is run by the same people as the Panola Street Cafe.  Panola Street is way uptown, out of our way, in Carrollton.  It's another neighborhood place.  They make a wonderful hamburger steak at Panola Street Cafe, but not as good as at Liuzza's on North Telemachus and Bienville Streets, which shouldn't be confused with Liuzza's-by-the-Track on Ponce de Leon Street.  Cafe Navarre is behind Delgado Community College, on Navarre Avenue.  It's a bit out of the way for the casual tourist, but Parkway Bakery and Tavern isn't.  Parkway is a bit closer to our house, probably the same distance as Liuzza's, but farther than Liuzza's-by-the-Track, which is just about six blocks away from our house.

What does this have to do with why you're reading this blog?  Well, at all these places, you'll see ziploc bags full of water hanging on an untwisted coat hanger wire from the eaves.  There are always three shiny pennies in the bag.  The bags are evenly spaced, about four feet apart.

A bag full or water and three pennies

These aren't the only places you'll see them.  They're all over the city, outside commercial establishments and dangling from private front porches.  They keep flies away.  At least, that's what people say. 

Is it true?  I've never seen any flies at any of these places.  

A closeup

You can try this at home if you live in a place plagued by flies.  The old Creoles say it only works here, but I don't know.  I've never seen this anywhere else, so it's impossible to say.  Maybe people tried it everywhere else and then they gave up.  In New Orleans, people take the bags in by October.  They put them out again around April each year, tap water and pennies, every time.  

Now you know.

A votre santé,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.