Home away from home.

Bonjour friends! I visited my favorite home away from home on Saturday! New Orleans: The Big Easy! Boy, do I have a blog for you! This one is going to be FILLED with pictures and a little chat about my trip. (That involves hoaxing you to visit!! No matter HOW far you live, it's worth it!) Thankfully, I only live about three hours from New Orleans, so I am able to visit frequently. This year's French Quarter Festival was jivin' with the sound of that graceful piano, foxy saxophone, sensation of southern cuisine, vision of exquisite art, and shopping! Known for Mardi Gras, Jazz, food, and one hell of a party, New Orleans isn't just about fun. (Even though it's a sure guarantee!) The city has been through hardships many cities in the nation can only dread. Hurricane Katrina blasted the city into oblivion in 2005, but thankfully the city is doing MUCH better now. I was really happy to see the improvements since my last visit in 2008. New Orleans also suffers one of the largest homeless rates in the nation along with being in the top 5 most dangerous cities. Crime is prevalent and expected. When visiting New Orleans, you get the REAL DEAL. Nothing is candy-coated there, which is why I value each and every trip.

Enough with the chit chat, take a took at the pictures and places I was able to capture on camera this year! (I visited so many places it was hard to get a picture of every sign and every pretty face I was able to share moments with!) **ALL photos were taken by ME! (except muffaletta pic) Please ask before using. CLICK PICS for better viewing!**

First off, it was over to N.Peters Street in New Orleans. Many shops and restaurants, like Hard Rock Cafe are found here. Our first stop HAD to be Cafe Du Monde!! They are world famous for their beignets and French coffee. So, what are beignets? They are fried pieces of dough covered in powered sugar! A delicacy, really. Beignets are messy to eat since the mountains of powdered sugar get everywhere, but they go down easy with a hot cup of cafe au lait. Don’t inhale while eating one though… as it's highly possible you’ll get a cough-producing Spaatz erupting with powdered sugar!

After Cafe Du Monde it was down the crowed streets to view some art! Most artists can't afford galleries, so they literally sell to the STREETS!

Across from this particular area is the St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson square! This church is MASSIVE and the art work inside is heavenly. This was my first time visiting.


The French Market is by far my favorite place to visit in New Orleans. I get ALL my shopping and eating done there most trips! The first section is the farmer's market then moves onto the flea market section.



Here are some other shots from around the city:


Statue of Joan of Arc on Decatur Street




Street Entertainer




Jazz Band at a bar




Ol' famous Canal Street





Mississippi River view




Jackson Brewery on Decatur Street



Here are some pictures of me in different places around the city:

Rue le BOURBON!




Stole a stoop squat!




Struttin' on Canal Street




Relaxing next to the French Market



Some original photo pieces I took while here:






Choosing a place to eat is probably the HARDEST decision you must make while in New Orleans. This time, we choose to eat at Cafe Maspero on Decatur Street.

Here they serve all types of original New Orleans style foods. I had the muffaletta. It reflects the immensely diverse culture of New Orleans, and is rarely found anywhere else, except in communities with large groups of ex-Louisiana residents. In New Orleans itself, many sandwich shops offer Muffulettas or “Muffs." Several things distinguish a Muffuletta sandwich. The first is the bread. The sandwiches are always made with Muffuletta bread, a round seeded Sicilian bread which is split in half horizontally to make the sandwich. Since the bread rounds are sizeable, a single Muffuletta sandwich is often enough to feed multiple people, and some shops actually sell the sandwiches in halves or quarters for single-person consumption. The second important feature of a Muffuletta sandwich is the olive salad, which is believed to be one of the most crucial ingredients in the filling of the sandwich. The olive salad typically includes a mix of olives and herbs, finely chopped and marinated. Pimientos, celery, green olives, capers, garlic, cocktail onions, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, oil, and vinegar are commonly included in the olive salad, which is spread in a thick layer in the sandwich. In addition to the salad, a Muffuletta sandwich also includes salami, ham, and provolone. These cured meats create layers of flavor in the finished sandwich, and pack a serious punch. (Thanks to wisegeek for the awesome description)

After eating, not much was done but some walking and looking! This sand which is really enough to feed 2-3 people and made me want to SLEEP! I had an amazing trip to New Orleans and I can't wait to visit again in either June or September!


Hope you all enjoyed this post, I will be adding a bit more here and there as I remember more details! COMMENT what you think! Have a great week everybody! Cheers from Louisiana!!