There is a house (or two) in New Orleans

I'm not sure the streetcar was called "Desire, " but it was standing room only to get to the Garden District - home to centuries-old, live oak avenues and mansions of the rich & famous such as Sandra Bullock and Beyoncé. It's also been the setting for many iconic movies, including the aforementioned Streetcar, and Easy Rider.

We found Philip['s] Street with one or two antebellum places he could move into, and after checking them out, we'd walked up a thirst which required quenching at The Chicory House. This was our second coffee stop of the day. The French Truck was our first, and of course, we had to sample the almond croissants... very nice!

There was evidence of where the water level had been during Katrina on some exteriors of the houses - it looked like it was around 3 metres deep. And although the homes and gardens were spectacular, the roads and sidewalks were in poor condition - it would be easy to sprain or break an ankle. The combination of tree roots, building over old canals, and the damage from stormwater, can make pavement walking like intrepid rock climbing.

After lunch, and the best salted caramel ice cream ever, we ubered with Michael - the retired chef - to City Park, asking for the best meal recommendations on the way.

We spent a few leisurely hours photographing the c800 year old, Spanish Moss clad oaks that would have been there in the plantation days, checking the bayou for lurking alligators, listening to the Pink Panther theme, La vie en rose, Orsini, and Stevie Wonder played on the saxophone to all-ears boys, whilst we watched Linda, the bubble lady, making magic for the excited kids.

Sadly, James flies back home in the morning, so it was an early night for all - ready for more adventures tomorrow. Huge thanks to James for showing us the very best of New Orleans and driving us halfway across Mississippi. Not to mention all the interesting conversations and insights. It was really special reconnecting and heaps of fun reminiscing about the good old days 😁Read more