Holland 2016

Holland

Coxen Travel Ink Holland 2016

Holland

May 25 - 31 - Amsterdam Area
     We arrived at Schiphol Airport 14 minutes early on KLM.  The arrival was uneventful except that our first choice for a cab driver turned out to be an illegal and so we had to put in some time with the authorities doing paperwork, and then get into a legal cab.  We then took 18 minutes to arrive in Haarlem and find the 'Wandering Canuk Too'. 

Ed's new boat the 'Wandering Canuk Too'!!

Ed, Nick and Chris were all on board and we had a great reunion.  It was raining and so we spent some time catching up.  Eventually it stopped raining and we went out to wander the town.  E, C & N had found a fabulous quilt shop so of course that was one of the places that we visited.  To be fair even K & E enjoyed the shop as it was very unique and had some very special quilts.  One in particular had 3D flowers made from prairie points.  Full of gorgeous colour, it was an amazing quilt that was headed for a big show.  We then continued to wander the streets of Haarlem.  P & N decided to visit a museum while C, E & K headed for a pub ..... yeah I know that no one is surprised by that move.  Eventually P & N joined us at the pub.  

     Harlem is a great city with lots of character.  It is the oldest city in the country, and used to be the capital.  Now, it is an affluent city with lots of charm. 

Side canal off the main line.

Swing bridge and buildings.

The buildings are all tall and narrow.  Each has a unique roof-line, and is built to be beautiful. 

Homes viewed from the canal.

More homes viewed from the canal.

The main method of transportation is the bicycle, so they were zooming in and out between the pedestrians.  People have grown trees near their houses.  Because the space is limited, they have trained the branches to be flat screens, rather than bushy trees.  There are flowers everywhere.
     Travel down the canals is very different than the canals of England. 

Dutch Barge along the canal.

Lift bridge with the convoy we were traveling in.

Here, you see everything from dingies to freighters. 

Wandering Canuck Too is midrange in size, but tall, so we need to have the canal supervisors raise the bridges for us.  The canal we travel on is fairly wide, but there are some small canals that are used to irrigate and drain fields.  
     Our next port of call was Aalsmeer.  This town is in the heartland of flower country and boasts a large flower market.  Alas, we did not go to it.  Instead, we got groceries, fixed the tender, cleaned the kitchen and worked on a leaky toilet.  
     Yes, we did see several old windmills along the canal.  There was also a tall windmill in the Aalsmeer town center.  Critical for the drainage of water in order to reclaim land, it is now a part of their history.

These windmills were used to pump water and claim new land.  In Aalsmere we were 8 m below sea level.

   We have headed on to Uithoorn.  It is a quaint little village not far from Amsterdam.  One bridge today was so low we needed to drop the entire canopy and the radar arch in order to get under.  This is very different than traveling on England's canals as we have done uncountable numbers of bridges (all run for us) and one lock!
     Our next porto'call is Weesp.  It is also a quint little village with it's own character,  The advantage to Weesp is that we are a quick 17 minute train ride from the Amsterdam city center.  

Two level parking lot in Weesp!

     It costs 3 euros to transit through the three  bridges in town (the first we have had to pay).  The harbour master swings up a wooden shoe on a pole with a string and we place the 3 euros in it.  Very cool!

Collecting the toll!

     It is may 31st and we headed into Amsterdam for the day. When you arrive at the central station, you are at the heart of the hussle and bussle of old Amsterdam.  There are cars, busses, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians (many of whom are looking up rather than where they need to go) whizzing in every direction.  When there is a clash, everyone else is polite and slows down for the pedestrians, but don't you dare dillydally!
     We walked the city, stopping in the Waterlooplein, a flea market, the Jewish Quarter, where hundreds of thousands of Jews were transported to concentration camps, including the famous Anne Frank and family.  We tried to visit the Nautical Museum, but could not go in because there was a big EU meeting in process inside.  The security was heavy on the outside.  We are not sure if they were protecting the dignitaries from hidden dangers or the protesting farmers who were driving their tractors down the street.  Another protestor had constructed a barge with cow statues that represented several EU countries involved in the protest.  It made for a colourful area. 

Farm protest with the Nautical Museum in the background.

We got out of there quickly, lest we be mistaken for agricultural protestors.
     The next area was the Red Light District. 

The 'Red Light District' is located along 2 canals that run parallel to each other.

It was busy at 11 am.  There were many tourists walking the street, hoping to get a look at one of the working girls who advertise in the windows of the buildings.  We heard many sighs and titters from the young kids as they hurried through with their tour groups.  We, of course, were on a mission.  Only the 3 of us would stop at a hardware store located in the middle of the Red Light District.
     We were unsuccessful at the hardware store, so he sent us to a ship store at the Flower market.  This market is a series of 10 or 15 shops along the side of the canal.  Each one is filled with tulip bulbs in every colour and shape, plus many other bulbous flowers and plants.  There were also many souvenir stores, so we were able to get most of our shopping complete.  No luck on the plumbing T Ed was looking for, though.
     We were now in the shopping area, so stopped for a sandwich before heading back through the Red Light District to find the narrowest house in Amsterdam.  We finally found it.  A lovely 6.5 foot wide house.  Centuries ago, people were taxed on the width of their house.  That is why the houses are tall and narrow.  The houses each need a gable hook to get their furniture moved in because the stairs are so narrow.
     Many of the really old houses also have gables to decorate or hide the roof line.  Now you understand why most tourists are always looking up and not watching for traffic.

Amsterdam homes, in ancient times you payed your taxes by the frontage of your hone so you built up!

  

On the right the narrowest home in Amsterdam. only 2 meters wide!

   We were able to find time to sit at a sidewalk brewpub in the late afternoon for a beer.  It balanced out the drinks we had in the late morning under a big umbrella on a quiet street.
     On the way to a restaurant for dinner, we heard the most beautiful trumpet music bouncing off the buildings beside the canal.  It was a man, in a small boat, playing a posthorn and a barrel organ, while steering his boat with his elbow. 

Busking in Amsterdam, he is playing and steering the boat at the same time!

We showed our appreciation by putting money into the wooden shoe he passed around via fishing rod.

     Dinner and a trip back to the boat on the train and our day was over.  If the weather holds out, we plan to go back tomorrow to visit the Rijksmuseum and take a canal cruise.  We may also sample a waffle or pancake, too.

June 1 - 7 - Amsterdam Area
     The weather held, so we were back for another excellent day in Amsterdam.  Today we took a canal tour in an open boat.  We went up and down many of the canals of the city and even visited the old harbour.  
     We then walked to the Rijksmuseum, via Cafe Hoppe, a popular coffee and lunch spot since 1670.  The menu claims that Queen Beatrix has even stopped there once.  Ed and  Kerry ate a traditional beef croquette, shaped life a sausage, while Pat ate a healthy sandwich of ham, cheese, egg and lettuce.
     One goes to the Rijksmuseum to admire Rembrandt's best picture, The Night Watch.  During R's time, men 18 and older, were required to be a part of this group to help protect the city.  Each group hired an artist to depict a moment in their time period.  Hols painted several, and so did Rembrandt.  The piece is massive!

Night Watch by Rembrandt.

      There are also other famous pictures - Vermeer's "The Milkmaid" and "Woman Reading a Letter", as well as Rembrandt's self-portrait as the Apostle Paul.  There were many other masterpieces, but these were my favourites.
     We also examined other exhibits - coins, Delftware, furniture, model ships and an old airplane.
After walking for miles in the museum, we couldn't bear the 3.6 km walk back to the train station, so we hopped a tram.  Faster than we could walk back to the central train station, we were back on the boat in Weesp, tired but happy.
     We were enjoying a wonderful evening on the fly-deck when a school of children and parents walked by, off on an adventure.

     We were up and heading down the canal after 9 am because that is when the lift bridge opens.  We got to experience the paying of the toll ourselves into the wooden shoe, before leaving Weesp and heading on to Utrecht.  The wind is howling, so we are staying put on the boat under cover.  

Sluice gates are HUGE!

The traffic is HUGE!

A Tjalk (Dutch sailboat)

The river has very few bridges so to get to the other side there are multiple ferrys, some take cars and some do not.

     We found a place to get water, and enjoyed the protection from the wind, so we moored up.  This gave Kerry and Ed an opportunity to flush out the gunk clogging the shower drain trap and other odd jobs, while Pat worked on her quilt cross-stitch picture.  After 3 summers, I am committed to completing it before I get home.
     We continue to work our way down the Neder Rijn River towards Arnhem.  The sun has come out and it is hot.  It is so refreshing to have the breeze on the water.  The river is high because of rains in Germany.  It is always interesting to arrive in a urban area and see the immaculate yards and canal houseboats. 

The grass has been manicured and are the hedges and trees.
     We arrived in Arnhem on the anniversary of D-Day.  Kerry and Ed were very excited, because we went under the "Bridge too Far" where the British forces tried to secure a bride over the river. 

This is today named John Frost Bridge after the British Airborn commander who tried to capture it and was unsuccessful as his support never arrived.  They held out until they ran out of ammunition and so had to surrender.

They were met with heavy retaliation from the Germans, and only managed to secure one end before heavy casualties and having to surrender.  For the people of Arnhem, it meant mandatory evacuation under the German occupation, and heavy bombing of the city by both Allied and German forces.  We were able to stop at a museum dedicated to the bridge and that assault, called the Battle of Arnhem.  The city and concerned citizens are making an effort to memorialize the battle because so many of the people who were there are gone, and the children don't know about it.
     We toured a beautiful old church called Eusebius, built in the 1400s.  It was bombed during in the battle for Arnhem, so had to be rebuilt.  It has a beautiful tall tower we were able to climb - this time via elevator - no steps.  The view from the 7th floor was amazing.  We could see the river and the city all the way around.  This city is a great example of "out of the ashes a pheonix will rise".  They have rebuilt - new and old.
     After such hard work in the tower, we needed a break so had some amazing ice cream (the flavours are really interesting and delish here) and then a couple of beers and bitterballen and mustard.  The bitterballen are finely ground beef and gravy, cooled, rolled into a ball, coated with crumbs, and deep fried.  Amazing!!  I want to try this at home.
     We are getting lazy with the beautiful evenings.  We sit on the fly deck with a refreshment, read, blog, visit, or watch the excitement around us.  Tonight it is adults in sculls maneuvering around the harbour we are moored in. 
     After another day of traveling the Ijessel River, we moored beside a delightful couple, Bob and Henne, in Deventer.  She was a retired teacher, so we had a great couple of hours comparing systems over drinks.  Bob introduced us to Dutch gin.  It was a great time.

Sunset in the marina in Deventer

June 8 - 15 - Province of Drenthe & Friesland   
     We turned back on to the canal system just before Zwolle.  This was exciting because there was still commercial traffic.  We even had a barge with containers go past us as we were refuelling. 

Container Ship

We saw him later being emptied.  The most exciting was when we passed under a bridge in a very tight harbour at Zwolle behind a barge.  The barge backed in beside another that was full of dirt from a construction site.  The full barge then had to move forward and then back in to make the turn to go back out under the bridge. While all of this was going on, we were cooling our heels in a corner, trying to stay out of the way.  After 30 minutes of manipulation by the barge captain, he was on his way and we were able to find mooring.
     Zwolle is a fairly large centre, but we are 3 people who need nothing, so we wandered until we found an ice cream shop.  The ice cream here is the best, with so many different flavours.  Each visit is an adventure.  The last cone I had had 2 scoops - one of sugared almonds and one of bueno chocolate bar.  Both were smooth and tasty.  Kerry had chocolate and a different chocolate, while Ed had his usual mocha and hazelnoot.  Needless to say, we don't bother stopping at the soft ice cream places.  We wait for the good stuff and stand in line.  It is worth it!
     We are now in the province of Drente.  The canal is straight with trees in a line on both sides of the canal. 

Fields go back from the roads.  We have had a major road on our left (port) side and a small road paved with bricks, on our right (starboard) side.  Last night, we ere moored in front of a groups of farmhouses.  Dad was mowing the lawn on his lawn tractor.  The 2 boys were riding their cycle tractors and trailers on the road, waiting for grandpa to come over with his antique tractor to take them for a ride.  This entertained Kerry and Ed for a while as they nursed their Dutch beer on the fly deck.  We were enjoying another beautiful evening.

A small canal lock ..... it looks very familiar.

Fueling up on the canal at Shell.

     On Friday the 10th, we floated past a beautiful field of flowers in bloom.  I don't think they were tulips.  They looked like peonies, but there were several blocks of a beautiful white flowers in the back.  This is our first field of flowers. 

A Canadian Flag? Could be from above?

Until now we have seen lots of hay, potatoes and grain.

     Many of the farmhouses have the barn attached.  In most cases, I think the barn has been renovated and is now living space.  There are a few that are still the barn.  The family need not worry.  The ladies have the windows gleaming, the furniture dusted, and the yards  are immaculate.

Home and barn in one?

     If you are following on a map, we are heading north towards Friezeland, and then will turn back south towards Sneek (pronounced Snake) before thinking about heading for home.
      It is Saturday afternoon, and we have arrive in Gronigen. 

It is market day, so the centre of the city is busy.  Tour boats are going up the river, full of customers.  Small craft are full of groups of men or women.  Regardless, there is beer or wine and snacks as they go for a boat ride.  What a great way to celebrate a bridal shower or stag!
     Groningen is an old city with many interesting buildings along the canal.  Like Amsterdam, many have hooks on the roof peak to aid moving in large objects.
     After we found our mooring in the centre, just a mere 2 blocks from the market, we wandered that way, and enjoyed a feast of foods.

Groningen market

     There was the cheese stands with their large rounds and samples.

Cheese rounds and jams

     The licorice stand attracted both Kerry and Ed, black licorice lovers.  They got a bit of each, and are having fun sampling the different kinds.  

We asked the girl for authentic Dutch licorice.

     We found a frites stand, so we tried the fries with mayonnaise.  Kerry had this delicacy years ago, and was eager to taste it again.

I've been looking for these since we visited Waterloo many years ago!

     Of course there were also lots of bread, salami, fish and clothing stands.  We were able to purchase kids suspenders from a haberdashery tent.  The fruits and vegetables looked amazing.  I purchased 2 pints of field strawberries that smelled amazing. We will dig into them tonight at supper.
     As I sit blogging, we are enjoying yet another beautiful evening. 

Saturday night in Groningen .... we are enjoying it!

The Netherlands have really been good to us.
Today we spent the day following 'La Boheme'. 

La Boheme

It is boat that you hire that comes with four crew and you travel along enjoying the views and if you feel like it your get involved in the running of the ship.  We finished the day in Zoutkamp.

Zoutkamp

So we headed out and decided to spend the day going around lake Lauwersmeer. 

Stay between the green on and the red one or else!

The 'Anna Caterina' too beautiful!

A Tjalk (chalk) very cool looking!

It was interesting and and the end we came to the locks that would let us out onto the Wadden Zee (North Sea inside some islands).  We spent the night at a mooring on and island out in the lake. We had the most violent rain storm while moored out there, but the 'Wandering Canuk Too' handled it NO PROBLEM, thank goodness!  
We were up and at it and headed into Dokkum.  What a quaint little town. 

There were many streets that looked just like this.

Well, this is the first mooring right under a windmill!

It was so much fun to wander the streets and then find a fine establishment by the canal to relax.  They had 'Brand' beer our new favourite on  the continent. 

That's a 'Brand' beer in my hand!

What a civilized way to spend an afternoon!

June 16 - 19

Our next port of call was Leeuwarden.  We again moored right in the center of town, and roamed.  The city is built with rings of canals, like Amsterdam.  We searched for a quilt shop, and ended up at a second-hand store.  Too bad.  Ed wanted a chandlery, so we found two.  The boys found the parts to a windshield wiper, so happily installed it.  Now, one of them does not have to stick his arm out into the pouring rain to wipe the water off the windshield so the driver can see.

We have had several days of heavy rain, with gorgeous evenings.  Sneeksmeer Lake was no exception. 

We dodged the sail boat classes, and found a really nice mooring where we could be out of the wind and enjoy the sunshine. 

Lake traffic, you never know what may go by?

It was hot enough we were able to get out the lawn chairs and read.  We all actually got a little too much sun.

The city of Sneek (pronounced snake) is a boating mecca.   It was Friday night, so we watched the boats head out of town on the narrow canal.  There were lots of bridges, so the traffic came in batches. 

Iron lift bridge in Sneek.

Sneek town center is quite delightful. 

Bridge across the canal in Sneek.

Most of the center has been turned into a pedestrian area, so it is full of shoppers and cafes with tables on the squares.  Perfect for enjoying the weather.  The cafe we chose was perfect until a large hen party started taking over.  It is more fun when you are in the group rather than wtching from the sidelines.

We awoke to more rain, but this didn't let up. 

We were moored to the right.

This sailboat was moored just behind us.

We found the perfect mooring on a lake, beside bush.  The seagulls were just over the island and were very noisy.  In the late afternoon, the wind shifted, so we had to move to the other side of the island.  The wind howled above us, but we felt nothing.  Except for the gulls, all was quiet.

Father's Day started out rainy, but the sun came out about noon.  The canals are busy with everyone out celebrating Dad.  We are headed to Mepple to catch the train to Schiphol and the the flight home on Tuesday morning.

Florida & New Orleans 2016

Florida & Louisiana 2016

Coxen Travel Ink Florida & Louisiana 2016

Florida

February 2 - 6 - Orlando
     We took the red-eye out of Edmonton and spent several hours in Pearson Int'l Airport in Toronto before flying into Orlando about 2 pm.  The sun was shining in Florida with a temperature of 80F.  What a great start to our winter getaway!
     Universal Studios was our theme park of choice for this visit.  We wandered in Harry Potter's world, stopping in Diagon Alley

and took the Hogwarts Express

to Hogsmeade.  Both places had great rides that tipped, twirled and toppled us. We felt a little left out because almost every kid there had purchased a wand, but lived with the guilt.  The Hogwart's robes looked very cool, but since we no longer teach, felt we would have no use for them.  (Can you imagine subbing in a class, and arriving dressed in the robes?)  We also wandered into Jurassic Park

and did the water ride there with a cute couple from Alaska.  The ride is similar to Splash Mountain, except the drop is steeper.  I think the photos from that ride have water drops on them!
     The temperature dropped and the wind picked up for us on Thursday.  Out came the coats and sweaters again.
     Friday morning found us up at 5 am to drive out to Cape Canaveral to see the rocket launch.  We arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre

Rocket farm at the Kennedy Space Center

about 7:30 and went on sight to sit in the stands.  We were about 8 miles from the launch site, but could still feel the rumble at ignition. 

It was very cool to actually see the launch for real, rather than on a tv.  The Centre has changed a lot since we were there in 1998.  The original museum is being demolished to build a new exhibit.  Instead, we watched 2 videos on the history of the shuttle program before entering the display area to see the space shuttle Atlantis. 

What a beautiful glider she is, with the 2 Canadarms waving proudly on top.

February 6 - 8- Daytona Beach
     The drive out to Daytona was sunny, but quickly changed to cold rain.  We checked into our hotel on the beach, and watched the waves come crashing in. 

The gulls and plovers sat on the edge of the water as the waves crashed in.  The gulls didn't mind getting their feet wet. 

The plovers would quickly move out of the way and stayed dry.
     We spent Sunday at the end of the spit visiting the Marine Rescue Centre and the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse.   The Rescue Centre takes in injured turtles and birds, nurses them back to health, and then returns them to where they originally were found.
     They also had a touch pool with several manta rays, a dog shark, and a horseshoe crab swimming about.  People could put in their fingers and touch the animals as they swam by.  However, fingers were removed from the pool when it was feeding time for the rays.  They glide around the pool, flapping their wings as if they were flying in the air.  They really are very graceful.
     Outside, there were several cages where birds were recovering from injuries.  Two bald eagles spent time together, while owls and pelicans looked on from their cages.
     The lighthouse had been originally set up as a place to mark the entrance to a river, and as a place where people could be rescued when their ships crashed on the rocks. 

It was amazing to wander the various buildings and see the history of the lighthouse, and to see the amazing collection of lights and lenses that allowed the sailors to be warned from further and further out from land.  It was amazing to realize that the original lighthouse keepers had to maintain a light at the top of the tower every evening after walking up the 203 steps.

I know they were very happy when gas and electricity made it possible to run the light without close attention.  However, that freedom for the lighthouse keeper also made them redundant and no longer needed.  I wonder who did the rescuing after the lighthouse keeper was gone?

February 8 - 10 - Fort Lauderdale
     We headed down the coast to south Florida to visit the Everglades National Park and old friends.  It was great to reconnect with Adrian and Carmel after 18 years.
     The Everglades Park is located close to Miami, so took us over an hour to drive to.  Once there, we chose to visit the glades through the Everglades Safari Park.  The first activity at the Safari Park was a ride on an airboat through the saw grass and water. 

We always thought, because we watched CSI Miami that the Everglades were full of tropical plants, trees and gators.  Instead, it is only that way on the edges.  The landscape quickly changes to grasses growing in the shallow water.  Gators swim in the water, or hang out near the brush.  It was a cool day, so they were hiding to keep warm.  We were able to find a few in the canal area near the boat docks where the wind was blocked out.
     After the ride, we watched a conservation officer try to feed 3 alligators, but they were too busy trying to keep warm to be interested in food.  However, a walk in the pool area was interesting because we saw several swimming in the Safari Park pool or in their pens. 

This one was not in a pen it was simply on the side of the water with no fence between him and us ... we stayed well back!

We also saw a beautiful green heron on the edge of the water.  They are so cute - just the opposite of their blue cousin - they are short and pudgy.  There was also a gorgeous snowy egret showing of his plumage.

Purple Gollinule

February 10 - 16 - Destin
     It took us 8 hours to drive from Fort Lauderdale to Destin on the panhandle in the north of Florida.  The vegetation changed from palm trees to pines after we left the Orlando area, and there were hills and fields of oranges, cattle and grapefruit.  We arrived back on the coast in time to see the most beautiful sunset.  With no camera handy, we are unable to share it with you, but hope to see one later in the week with camera in hand.
     One of the reasons we came to this area was to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensicola.   Filled with aircraft from WWI, WWII, Korean war, Vietnam and current aircraft, Kerry had a great time wandering in the two hangars.  The museum also includes the first lunar module and the command module because many astronauts have also trained there.  Interspersed throughout are interesting displays from the wars, like a shower hut from the Pacific theatre in WWII,

F4U Corsair

and an aerodrome command center from WWI.  Because Pensacola is the home of the Blue Angels, an aerobatic team, similar to the Snowbirds, there were several aircraft on the floor and suspended in the air.  Too bad we are not here in March.  The Blue Angels start practicing then for their heavy schedule of airshows.  The boys did do a flypast for the Superbowl, but we weren't here then.
     The Air Force is also represented in the area at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base.  Like many small museums we have visited, it had many aircraft around the outside of the hangar, with examples of the armament used over the years inside. 

F15 Eagle

The museum also had a history of flight at the base and with/for the US Air Force that was very interesting.
     Both museums had an interesting display about POWs and MIAs in the VietNam War, with memorabilia like clothing and books of poetry, drawings, etc prisoners used to keep themselves entertained in their solitary confinement.
     Interestingly, the Air Force started out as a part of the Army Corps, so women who became part of the Air Force joined as WACs (Women's Army Corps) and later as WAACs (Women's Army Air Corps).  Over the years, women have gone from being secretaries to pilots, etc.
     Destin is an amazing beach area.  The sand is fine and white and feels like you are walking on talcum powder.  The water in the Gulf of Mexico is a beautiful green colour close to the beach.  Down the coast from Destin is an area of several planned beach communities that are now vibrant areas filled with cottages, condos, boutiques and eateries.  The original streets were planned to hold small cottages.  The symmetry of grids is a beautiful sight for those of us who love order, with a charm from the past. We spent the afternoon at Seaside, enjoying the Center Square (a circular road with food trailers on the street side and a band shell inside the curve.  When you go down to the beach, there are many steps that take people over the dunes.  At the top of the stairs of Seaside Beach, they have gazebos of different shapes that allow people to stop, rest, and enjoy the view.  Each one is distinct in shape and build, so it was interesting to walk the beach and find each of them.

     We experienced our second storm on Monday night.  High winds and heavy rain was our experience at Miramar Beach, but just west and north of us, a tornado touched down in several spots, causing damage.  The next morning, though, the sun was shining, the wind had stopped blowing and the day was beautiful.

New Orleans

February 17 - 23 - New Orleans
     After a four hour drive across the south end of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, we arrived in New Orleans about 3pm.  We checked into our timeshare, La Belle Maison on Magazine Street, just off Canal Street.  Our first surprise was the way we were treated in the parking garage - the boys were friendly and helpful.  They were happy to meet us and couldn't do enough for us.  We entered our suite and found another surprise.  We are in the warehouse area, so the building is old and full of exposed brick.  Our suite is very elegant and comfortable.
     We couldn't wait to get out and start experiencing the city.  We headed out and across Canal Street into the French Quarter.  It didn't take us long to reach Jackson Square

Basilica of Saint Louis King of France

where we  listened to a group of young men playing electronic music.  Beside them were several palm readers and tarot card readers sitting at portable tables, mixed with henna technicians and artists, displaying their work on the fence surrounding the Square.
  We continued to wander down streets, admiring the iron lace balconies along the second story  of the buildings, the bright colours of the flags and beads decorating some of the balconies, and the art, souvenirs, and crowds of people.  We enjoyed the smell of the sausage and, chicken and alligator, frying for dinner entrees at the myriad of bars and restaurants before selecting "The Coronet", a restaurant on the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Peters Street. 

We found a table on the balcony outside, so we could hear the music coming out the doors of several other restaurants.  Kerry had the Jambalaya and a local beer, while Pat had a gingersnap cocktail and creole shrimp.  Pecan Pie finished the meal. 

The 'Cornette' where we had supper.

We encourage all of you to google the recipe for the gingersnap cocktail to serve at your next soiree.
     We were up and out the next day to take a bus tour.  We love to use the
"Hop On Hop Off Bus" in many of the cities we have visited.  The bus is a red double-decker that stops at all of the major interesting stops in a city.  You get off at any of the stops, visit, and then get back on to ride to the next stop.  While riding, commentary gives the riders information and history of the area.  Anyway, we took the bus and did the complete route, getting the skinny on the city.  We sat on the top in the sunshine and thoroughly enjoyed Charles' comments, jokes and information.  Mardi Gras finished a week ago, but the city has not completely cleaned up yet.  We went by cemeteries, here they bury people above ground. 

Another part of the tour showed us the Mississippi River.

We were driving down St. Charles Avenue, the route of the Mardi Gras parades.  Beads decorated all of the trees and lamps.  We were able to collect some of the beads off of the trees, so have real Mardi Gras souvenirs.
     We ended the tour at the French Market where we munched on alligator sausage on a stick while inspecting the wares in the market.  We sipped cafe au lait and ate beignets at Cafe du Monde. 

What a treat!
     More people are arriving in the city for the weekend, so the street bands are more prevalent.  On a walk down Royal Street, we encountered dixieland bands on every block.  What a treat!  Each one was excellent.
     We walked the levee down in front of the Hilton Hotel.  The Creole Queen and The Natchez dock there, and are perfect to take a cruise upriver for an hour or two.  We did not have time, but hope to take the trip next time.
     The Mississippi River is busy.  There are large tankers filled with sea-cans heading up and down river.  There are also lots of tugboats pushing barges of sugar from the local sugarcane plantations.  The water is muddy and that is a good thing for the city.  All of that silt is how the delta was created.  Today, the city has built levees and drainage canals to help keep the water at bay.  The land around the river sits at about 3 feet above sea level.  Other areas, like the lake side or the north side are below sea level.  Hence, when the dikes at the lake end broke open during Hurricane Katrina, the area flooded quickly.  That is why the French Quarter was not damaged at all.
  The weekend is busy in NO, and a sunny day at the end of winter is no exception.  We wandered the Garden District and Magazine Street, stopping at Parasol's for a po' boy sandwich and then The Bull Dog to wet our whistle.  We also toured another above-ground cemetery in this district (Lafayette Cemetery).

The Garden District was named for the look of the area.  In NO history, New Orleans was originally settled by the French Catholics.  Then the Spanish took over for a while, and then the French got it back.  One had to be French speaking and catholic to live in the city.  When the Americans moved into the area because of their business connection to the Mississippi River, they had to sign a treaty with the Spanish and created the Garden District.  Here, the lots are bigger, with a house on half of the lot and a garden on the other.  The houses range from shotgun houses to mansions.

Shotgun house so named because you can shoot a shotgun in the front door and it will go out the back door without hitting anything.

     Saturday evening was crazy here.  The average age went down considerably.  We had dinner at Oceana's and sat at a table that looked out on the street.  There was every kind of dress from formal to grunge, all moving to the music on the streets and enjoying the lovely evening.  We had barbecued shrimp (the barbecue comes form the sauce the giant shrimp was cooked in) and the crab cakes.  For dessert, we shared the best bread pudding and rum praline sauce we have ever had.  The pudding was moist and the sauce was sugary.  Yum!!
     We spent Sunday out on River Road touring two plantations.  The first was a Creole plantation started in 1805 called Laura Plantation.  The house was not what we think of as being a plantation house - it was not an antebellum house, but a two-story house with a big veranda and painted with lots of colours. 

The bottom floor was really for storage and to keep the house dry in case of flooding because the levee was not there when the house was first built.  The rooms were large and airy with each one having doors onto the veranda.  As the guide said - there was no electricity and air conditioning, so the houses were built to catch any breeze they could.  The Creole felt that the plantation houses were farm houses, so they were kept fairly plain while the town house was where they displayed their wealth.
     The grounds housed a variety of small buildings for chickens, cows and horses, machine storage, and slave quarters. 

This is a slave duplex.  There was a family housed on each side.

The house is no longer the hub of a working plantation so the buildings are all display, but close to original. 

Apparently if you dig down bellow this mound you would find a crawfish.

     Surrounding the property are, of course, fields of sugarcane.  They were planted in December, and will grow for almost one year before they are harvested and the juice boiled down to make molasses and sugar.
     We then drove down the road to Oak Alley. Built in 1830, it is famous for it 28 live oak trees that form an alley in the front of the house that leads down to the Mississippi River. 

It is an antebellum house where the house was built more as a home and so was built to display family wealth.  The original owner, Jacques Roman built the house to entice his young bride out of the French Quarter.  For its size, it does not have many rooms inside, however, the rooms are richly appointed and decorated.  This house features a large fan that is housed above the dining room table.  The fan was operated by a young slave whose job was keep the fan moving fast enough to keep the air moving, but slow enough to keep the candles glowing.  Quite the task.
     This plantation also has the slave quarters,

Each of these duplexes would house a slave family.

and also included a civil war general's tent.  The generals lived well in the field.
     We arrived back in time to eat at a different Oceana's restaurant.  This time we had Charbroiled oysters, gumbo and catfish la Fouche, or blackened catfish with a wine sauce that included battered shrimp and fresh crawfish over a bed of jambalaya.  It was all delicious so we walked a bit of the Quarter before heading back to our hotel.
     Monday mornings are slow in New Orleans, but were up early to meet a gentleman from Wyndham for breakfast before walking the river again to enjoy the water traffic.  Today was foggy, so the boats seemed to float up the river.  We drive back to Orlando tomorrow before flying home early on the 24th.  Our time here is over for now, but we will be back.  The friendly people, the safe streets, the music and the great food are already calling us back.