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| Ethel Blanchard in front of the New Orleans Museum of Art |
Ethel Blanchard visited New Orleans but she didn't stay at La Belle Esplanade. When you stay with us, we'll tell you what's open and what's not. Ethel Blanchard had planned her whole stay to visit the New Orleans Museum of Art and she saved the best of her vacation for last. Today, Monday, she wanted to go to the New Orleans Museum of Art to see the exhibition of woodcarvings by Pierre Joseph Landry.
Nobody at her hotel, not the front desk staff, not the concierge, not the cleaning lady, not the bellhop, not the doorman, not the manager, told Ethel Blanchard that the art museum in New Orleans is closed on Mondays. She's been in town for a week. Nice work, Marriott.
If she had stayed at the Hilton, it might have been different, but I'm not really in a position to say. I have my doubts. All I know for certain is that when our guests tell us what they are interested in doing, we listen, and we recommend on how best to do what they want to do. It isn't magic and it isn't voodoo. It's about being a good host.
I ran into Ethel while she was walking dejectedly out of City Park, where the art museum is located. It's at the end of our street. "I told the people at the hotel I wanted to see this exhibit and nobody said a word about the museum being closed on Mondays," she told me with tears in her eyes.
To rub salt in the wound, she made her lodgings reservation through Expedia, paying additional "taxes and fees" than she would have if she made the reservation through the hotel's website directly. Don't believe all the hype from the online travel agents and their best price guarantees. Go directly to the hotel's (or the bed and breakfast's) website. We don't list our suites on Expedia or Booking.com anymore. If you want to stay with us, you'll have to make a reservation through labelleesplanade.com. Check it out.
Wanna know what's nice about staying at La Belle Esplanade? We don't add 13% hotel and sales tax on top of the bill. The price is the price. It's a refreshing way to do business.
Anyhow, Pierre Joseph Landry fought in the Battle of New Orleans under General Andrew Jackson. Later in life, after a career as a successful sugar planter, he became a sculptor, whittling wood into allegorical scenes. His works are amazing and they've been collected at the New Orleans Museum of Art for a show that runs October 16, 2015 until March 20, 2016.
Frau Schmitt and I went to the exhibit. What a great show. Mr. Landry was self taught and very talented. He reminded us of two innkeepers we know. We spent at least an hour looking at his work. It was fascinating. I didn't have my camera with me so I don't have any pictures of the work itself. Instead, let's break up the narrative with a picture of something else.
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| Macaroons! |
For the rest of this installment, I'm going to call the New Orleans Museum of Art by the acronym by which it's better known: NOMA.
NOMA has an excellent permanent collection. It's a little of this and a little of that. There are always exhibits rotating through its galleries. Currently, besides the woodcarvings of Pierre Joseph Landry, there is an exhibit of Noh masks made to resemble famous women in the Western canon of old master paintings, and views painted of the French Quarter in the early years of the 20th century. There is also a room where a man is typing on a typewriter. I didn't pay much attention to this bit of performance art. If I want to see a man typing, I can just look in the mirror.
For eight bucks, you're welcome to come over and watch me write this blog. No refunds.
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| The black and white version |
Café Noma isn't your typical museum snack bar. It's a real restaurant and the food is very good. The atmosphere is relaxing and the view out the windows of City Park is stunning. Don't think of Café Noma as a place to duck into when it's raining and don't think of it as a meal of last resort. Frau Schmitt and I go there for lunch when we go to the museum. We make an outing of it. We've never been disappointed.
You don't need to go through the museum to eat at Café Noma. If you tell the ladies at the front desk that you're just there for lunch, they'll let you through without paying the museum's admission. Don't take advantage of this. There is also a side entrance on the downtown side of the museum building.
If you are looking for lodgings run by professional hosts who enjoy sharing everything they know about New Orleans, think about staying at La Belle Esplanade. We'll be happy to meet you and if something is closed on the day you want to go, we'll advise you to rearrange your plans so that you'll be able to see the things you want to see, and avoid the things you want to avoid. Good memories are made on Esplanade Avenue.
We are looking forward to meeting Ethel Blanchard again, this time when she stays with us.
Until that day,
À votre santé,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.
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