Monday 7 January - New Orleans

Today dawned bright and sunny in New Orleans so the trio was keen to get breakfast under their belt and head of to do a tour of St Louis Number 1 Cemetery at 10am. Cindy excelled with our breakfast spread - fresh fruit cocktail, pot of hot coffee, a freshly made quiche of ham and collard greens, fruit juice and sugared scrolls and jam. Certainly just the thing to set one up for a big day walking the city.

A short walk to the old Basin Street railway station where we were to meet our guide from the Save our Cemeteries group. Eventually he organised the taking of money and gathering of the walking tour group and we headed to the cemetery next door. It was interesting to learn of the history of this and other cemeteries in the city and also to hear of the burial practices. Across Basin street is the original mortuary chapel now Our Lady of Guadalupe and also a shrine to St Jude, patron saint of lost causes. Our experiences later in the day with trying to ride the trolley and bus system convinced us all that we had been negligent in not visiting St Jude's shrine first! saw many old graves in the St Louis cemetery including the ones around the edge backing on to the wall which were four body "spots" high but with age the bottom crypts are at least half below ground.

Note the bottom level disappearing below ground as the tombs sink

Even saw a new tomb waiting for Nicholas Cage, apparently his financial troubles have required him to sell his two new Orleans homes but he has a spot ready for his final retirement.

Nicholas Cage is prepared!

Also saw the tomb of Marie Laveau, reputed to be the Queen of New Orleans voodoo.

Voodoo queen Marie Laveau's tomb

After a quick escape at the end of the tour, our guide though comprehensive in his narration, was at times easily distracted and a little wordy and so the tour had lasted more than the stated hour! We bought our day pass for the trolley bus system for $3 per person and then realised that two of the trolleys which we wished to ride were in fact suspended for track work. So instead of riding the St Charles Trolley to the Gardens District it was on to a replacement bus. A helpful fellow sitting near us suggested a good street at which we should de-bus and pointed us in the direction of some worthwhile streets to walk and marvel at the houses.

Well in fact we started with another cemetery, this time the La Fayette cemetery which contained tombs for a lot of Germans. Also in both the cemeteries which we visited there were tombs set up by benevolent societies for the burial of those who would be buried in pauper's graves in Australian cemeteries.

We then walked through a number of tree lined streets marvelling at the beautiful homes

This one is for sale!

This one is described as a "cottage"

and enjoying the wafting aroma from the many osmanthus bushes/trees planted in the neighbourhood. Alison and Philip are once again inclined to try introducing  and nurturing some more osmanthus specimens in their garden. They had first been introduced to the fragrance of this bush in China and have had trouble getting their bush to thrive at home.

The intrepid trio caught a bus back to Canal Street and then headed off on foot back into the French Quarter where we all feel at home. Managed to find, with help from the tourist information office, the shop of Johnny's Poboys which we had located on our first day in the city. Bought our poboy lunch and then headed up onto the levee to find a seat and enjoy. Philip was the only one who finished his and that was partly from necessity as he had ordered a roast beef version and not only was it dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise but also the roast beef was steeped in gravy!

There was no way that half of it would survive the journey back to Monrose Row to be supper!

After lunching we headed down to catch the Riverside trolley service for a trip along the river - though you actually can't see the river because of the levees! Road first to French Market which is at the end of the line closest to our accommodation but stayed on to ride back into town. While wiating for the return journey to start an old gentleman border the trolley but caught his leg on the steel step and ended up bleeding quite badly. The lady accompanying him took him off the trolley but there was no talk of liability and in fact the trolley driver's major concern was how he could clean up the blood from the man's injury. He asked if we had tissues or napkins which of course we did in abundance and then Alison offered him a Kleenex wet wipe to use and he was so thankful he offered to pay her for the remainder of the packet. We started on the return journey and to the dismay of other passengers waiting to board at the various stops we went express! Left the trolley at Canal Street with a plan to catch the Canal Street Trolley to Rampart Street and then a bus back to our street of Governor Nicholl's Street. Well no trolleys operating on the Canal Street line so onto a replacement bus which picked up more and more passengers as we headed up Canal Street. By the time we needed to exit it was a real effort to get past people and out the bus door. Then into Rampart Street but no buses passed and so it was a walk all the way with a rest room stop at the Best Western for Philip who by this stage was desperate. It should be mentioned that one of the most common signs in New Orleans is - rest rooms for patrons only, one drink purchase minimum!

We are safely at home and settled in for the night.