What's beautiful about New Orleans?

Motorcycles in our back yard

We recently had a troop of motorcyclists from the United Kingdom (that's England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, to you) who stayed with us for a couple of nights after making the "Music Tour" of Nashville, Memphis, Clarksdale, New Orleans.  We never know who is going to show up on our doorstep, but it's always a pleasant surprise.  They left early after breakfast and I snapped a photo of them suiting up with the sun streaming through the palm tree that's in the back gardens.

Then, I turned around and snapped a photo of the back of our inn:

An arrow points toward Heaven

The clouds have been breathtaking in the morning this autumn.  I've been taking pictures of them so that I can share them on the blog.  I know you have clouds where you come from, but everything is different in New Orleans...it's more magical.  That's the way I feel about it, at least, and I live here and I'm your humble narrator, so it's my opinion against yours.  We love living here.

I was in the gardens yesterday afternoon, and the Parisian couple who have been staying with us were taking the exact same photo.  They left this morning to tour Lafayette and other parts of the great state of Louisiana, but they asked if we have a room available when they come back to the city.  That's the kindest compliment of all.  We are very proud of our profession as innkeepers.  When people want to return, when they can't think of staying anywhere else in our fair city, well, that's the kindest compliment of all.  There is room at the inn.

Gayarre Place, New Orleans

The small triangular park in front of our house is called Gayarre Place.  It's named after the Father of Louisiana History, Charles Etienne Gayarre.  His grandfather was the first mayor.  Over the past couple of months, an anonymous art project has been underway.  An anonymous artist has been hanging identically generic signs that say "LOVE" all over the city.  It's been in the newspaper.  The other day, he or she finally got around to putting one of his or her signs in front of our house.  I like it.  Frau Schmitt thinks a nice addition to our stretch of Esplanade Avenue.  She is usually right about these things.

Crow in City Park, New Orleans

When I was walking the dog in City Park the other day, in the wide lawn in front of the art museum that's at the end of our street, I saw a raven.  I snapped a photo of that, too.

A view of breakfast at La Belle Esplanade B&B

I was walking the dog in City Park early in the morning, before the bakeries open.  We were on our way to Blue Dot Donuts, where we picked up a half dozen fruit-glazed cake donuts for breakfast; blueberry, strawberry and orange.  Then we went down to Alois Binder Baker to pick up a loaf of po' boy bread.  We were home before anyone was up, and Frau Schmitt worked her usual magic in the kitchen.  Good stories were swapped over good food that morning, they way they always are, every day, in our block of Esplanade Avenue.  At least, that's the way the days start in the big orange house with blue shutters.

If you are looking for a place to stay in New Orleans that marries good conversation with delectable eats, I have a place I can recommend.

A votre santé,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.
A Diamond Collection B&B.