Tues 17 July 13956 steps!
In the morning it was raining, so I did laundry, (again). A little later we took an Uber into town. The driver was a special needs teacher who drives Uber in the holidays to make a little extra cash. She was so friendly, and informative.
Our camp host had put together a very comprehensive description of a free walking tour through Gardens, so we started with that. There are beautiful streets lined with old trees and antebellum houses in a variety of sizes and architectural styles. One of the houses is so large, it takes up an entire block. Guess that’s why they needed so many slaves. The roof was designed to hold rain water for the indoor plumbing. It was a great walk with just enough occasional rain to prevent us dying from the heat. (Note for Emma: last one is actor John Goodman’s house)
We then walked passed St Louis Cemetery #1, final home of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, but is was already closed. We had no desire to visit a graveyard anyway.
We then took the St Charles streetcar to the end of the line and back. It is oldest operating streetcar in the world and goes on for 13,2 miles. The streetcars still have mahogany seats and brass fittings and the line starts one block away from the French Quarter and goes through uptown New Orleans to the CBD. It was a real treat to be sitting after our long walk and seeing the old mansions and beautiful grounds of the Universities and Zoo.
Then it was time for Bourbon Street. Energy and joie de vivre fill the air and your senses are bombarded with sounds, and smells and sights. The road is closed to vehicles, so there are bands playing in the street, mime artists and happy people dancing and mingling around. There are also many groups doing walking tours and horse drawn carriages. There is also a strong police presence. What a delight and I pity the fools who avoid coming here because “it’s dangerous”
We nipped into a small paved area and were lucky enough to find an empty table. David bought drinks. There was a typical jazz quartet playing. They were excellent. We stayed a while and then continued as we had been advised to go to Frenchman Street for supper. Apparently, Bourbon Street fills up with younger tourists late at night, who cannot always control themselves. A bit like 6thStreet in Austin.
We found the recommended restaurant, Adolfo’s. It was tiny, above a crumby looking bar, no live music, but the food was incredible. Their signature sauce is called Ocean sauce and you can have it on anything. It is ridiculously good. You could just eat a bowl of it by itself.
We then strolled down Frenchman street. It is also lined with bars and clubs playing live music. We found one that sounded really good and went in. Just after we bought drinks and sat down, the singer announced it was her last song. We finished our drinks and moved to the next bar. Once again, we got there just before the band took a break and passed the tip bucket around.
Chuckle of the day: In the ladies restroom in coffee shop 
What I learnt: Antebellum means before the (Civil) war and teachers worldwide are underpaid.
Kim's journey 