big easy thanksgiving

(at last moved from the paper archive to digital archive….)

We spent another glorious Thanksgiving in New Orleans 2009 thanks to the tremendous generosity of our friends G and J on their fifth wedding anniversary.  Sample the flavor of our stay in this historic city from these snapshots.

(photo by Lajos)

The races.  The racetrack opens on Thanksgiving, so it’s a special day to go to the races.  We watched the horses promenade just before each race.  My small daughter was enthralled with the lively horses and colorful silks of the jockeys.  A small crowd gathered around her to bet on which horses she thought would win.  It was quite amusing when, after one of her horses lost, a dismayed gambler said anxiously to the assembled group, “Her horse lost, what does it mean?”

Thanksgiving feast.  A superb dinner was consumed at the Commander's Palace.  I had smoked goose and foie gras gumbo, shrimp and mirliton stuffing with redfish, bourbon pecan pie, and finished with chicory coffee.  Tasted some P&J oyster dressing, shrimp and tasso henican, and creole bread pudding souffle too.  It's hard to miss turkey and gravy with those flavors on the table!  We watched the sun start to set from our second-floor corner window overlooking the marvelous gardens at the Palace.

Aboard the paddle-steamer Natchez on the Mississippi R.

Paddleboat on the Mississippi. I confess that I really, really like taking the paddleboat Natchez down the Mississippa River.  Apparently, it’s the only true steam-operated paddleboat in North America.  Nice to glide by the two-mile long wharf, allegedly the longest dock in the world, and weave through freighters with their bright flags from all over the world.  The brass engine room is an engineer’s delight.  You can see just how low the ninth ward is and imagine how Hurricane Katrina waters gathered there.  The >90ْْ  curve in the river by Algiers Point is even more impressive from the water than watching from the levee!

Favorite carnival dress at the Louisiana State Museum!

Dress to the nines.  A supreme highlight for my daughter was visiting the Louisiana State Museum where many displays celebrate the parading that happens in the French Quarter.  Her eyes got wider and wider as she entered each successive room with all the sequined and feathered costumes.  I kept losing her until I figured out which were her favorite dresses.

Racetrack enthusiasts! (Lajos)

Good Samaritan.  On an early morning walk along the levee, I was turning around when a bicyclist next to me fell off his bike and smacked his head hard.  I thought he’d had a stroke as I dragged him and his bike off the trolley tracks.  I was doubly concerned when he said he was going to continue riding seven more miles…and he was an orthopedic surgeon.  I convinced him to call his family and waited with him 1.5 hours, all the while he was on the verge of leaving, all the while getting panhandled.  Finally, he realized he had a fractured femur, but forgot he hit his head.  I pointed out the gouges in his bike helmet… goodness gracious.