Mardi Gras, New Orleans

Our cruise on the American Queen landed in New Orleans early in the morning and the boat pre-arranged a bus tour of the city, for which most of the passengers signed up. I think that no one wanted the cruise or the fun to end. Anyway, the boat took care of our luggage and it was waiting for us at The Fairmont Hotel when we arrived for the evening (great service right until the very end). Our tour guide, Chris, was a great host, complete with an authentic accent and a repertoire of stories and history of New Orleans. In the comfort of the bus, we passed The Riverwalk, filled with 102 stores; the Convention Center, which is the length of 2.5 football fields; the famous French Quarter, with cast iron railings surrounding the upper porches dating to the 1800s; and Jackson Square, a draw for local street artists and good coffee and so much more. The city is steeped with history. We drove past St. Anthony's Garden, where duels over mistresses were fought, as well as one of the cemeteries - St. Louis #3, where most of the graves are above ground in wall vaults, with names also dating back to the 1800s. As a side note, funerals in New Orleans are like nowhere else in the United States - not even an Italian one comes close. Though we may eat a lot after the burial, a funeral in New Orleans is like a mini Mardi Gras party, complete with a horse with plumes carrying the casket and a band playing When The Saints Go Marching In. Even death is a reason to party in this town.

Speaking of Mardi Gras, we were there during the height of the festivities, and Chris gave us "The Talk." Do not bring purses (like in any crowd, there are pickpockets), you can carry your drinks in the street, there will be nudity, and don't look like tourists. I thought if I see nudity, I would look like a tourist. "Mardi Gras," Chris explained, "is serious business in this town, with a long history steeped in tradition." Practically every one of the locals belongs to a krue, which is basically a club. There are 70 krewes in the parade and they prepare for this all year. There are meetings, planning sessions, social events, and a formal ball leading up to this week, the week before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, in the Catholic faith, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, when Christians fast and atone for their sins. The day before was called Fat Tuesday, since that is when everyone ate and partied beforehand.

Although, this must generate high revenue for individual businesses and the city, Mardi Gras is an expensive proposition for those who participate. Chris estimated that the cost is approximately $550 to ride on a float, $800 just to buy the thousands of beads, medallions, etc., that are thrown to the people lining the parade route, and a table at the ball cost at least another $1,000.

If you are bestowed the honor of king or queen of your krue, the cost can actually run into the tens of thousands. The black tie affairs mean the most elaborately bejeweled gowns; more decorative than anything you've seen walking the red carpet on Oscar night.

On Jan. 6, during the feast of the Three Kings, a King cake is cut and everyone takes a piece. A small Baby Jesus is hidden inside and the person who finds that in his piece hosts the first of weekly parties leading up to Mardi Gras. At each party, another cake is cut, determining who will hold the following week's celebration. If The Delta Cruise lines has elevated cruising to another level, then New Orleans has raised the bar on what it means to party.

Now let me tell you about the party. We checked into the very elegant-looking, Fairmount Hotel, which is located in the heart of the city and we were promptly given wristbands to wear for easy access in and out of the hotel. There are approximately one million visitors in the city during this weekend and safety is an important issue. The Fairmount in New Orleans takes pride in being one the city's leading hotels for accommodations and meetings. I can attest to the friendly and accommodating attitude. This assignment was one of a last minute nature, and during Mardi Gras that would typically mean no "room at the inn." The Fairmount went to great lengths to find us a room and helped make our stay a pleasant one. The location is truly convenient to the French Quarter, and close to the parade route without being blocked by the crowds; even the room location was quiet, so we didn't even hear the late-night party folks. Most of all it was the people like the concierges who helped us plan our day to avoid the parade routes with delaying our progress through the city. Heeding their words of warning, we ventured out into the streets, which were already filling with people at 11a.m. The five-mile parade route was lined with people claiming their best spots as well as ladders. Yes, ladders. I thought it was an ingenious idea, but these people actually have small platforms built on the tops of six-foot ladders for the children (and some adults) to sit atop, in order to get a great vantage point for catching beads and seeing all of the festivities in the street. I guess that's one way to tell the out-of-towners, as most people arriving by car or plane do not happen to bring six-foot ladders.

We made our way over to Bourbon Street and loud jazz music rolled out into the streets from all the bars and clubs. People were everywhere, all adorned with beads, all drinking and all very happy. We saw those dressed in outlandish costumes and those with no clothes on at all. A woman passed me wearing nothing more than panties and painted breasts and I had to look twice to believe what I saw. I was definitely starting to look like a tourist. We found a little restaurant and asked for a table by the window since the entertainment is definitely on the street.

Being in New Orleans we both had a Po' Boy, which seemed to be a great sandwich on a delicious French roll. Outside our window, we could see three young boys tap dancing to a crowd with bottle caps on the bottom of their sneakers. The box in front of them was filling with dollars and I felt like I was back on the streets of New York. Speaking of New York, we even saw the New York Cowboy in his briefs playing his guitar. He happens to be a permanent fixture in Times Square, but I guess he heard there was a party going on.

The Spa at the Olde Victorian Inn

We walked for quite awhile, taking in the sights and the sounds, before we headed a few blocks off the main strip to The Olde Victorian Inn on Rampart Street. The structure, built in 1853, now houses a B&B and a full spa, run by owners, Andrew and Keith. A few blocks away, it was loud, boisterous and a little wild, as it felt like we had entered another world of calm and old-world serenity. Don loved the history of the home and I loved the best massage I ever had. When visiting New Orleans, I would definitely come back and add this to my list of stops to make. Andrew and Keith are the welcome wagon themselves. They shared their love of the area and the hotspots they recommended. They urged us to go to Loretta's for pralines and to Cafe Du Monde for beignets.

Our next stop was Cafe Du Monde, where, despite being a confirmed tea drinker, I enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee and a beignet, no, three beignets. For those who have never experienced this taste treat, it is like an Italian zeppole, but much lighter. I hate to say it, but it is better.

Now refreshed and renewed, we ventured out into the even-more-crowded streets to shop and to buy pralines to take home. Surprisingly, the stores were not crowded, as everyone's goal is to be out in the streets to see and to be seen. There are revelers hanging over every balcony willing to throw down beads, but most of the time it's for a "price." The men want the women to lift their shirts and many are happy to oblige and, in turn, in this age of equality, the women want the men to drop their pants, and there are those who were happy to oblige. I got my cache of beads, by appealing to their sense of pity - I would shout up at any woman who looked remotely close to my age, and out of a sense of affiliation, I got my "pity beads," without the risk of being seen bare-breasted on the internet or on cable television.

In trying to describe Mardi Gras to my New York friends, I likened it to New Years Eve in Times Square, with everyone from the Village and everyone is intoxicated. We saw street performers of every kind, but I especially enjoyed those dressed in character who stood perfectly still until money was dropped into a box in front of them and, then, they magically came to life. I found myself staring at them to catch the least little twitch or blink but they were good.

Seance room at Muriel's Restaurant

This continued all day: walking, shopping, jumping for beads, and mostly watching everything. By nightfall, we were getting hungry and we wanted to escape the crowds, so we sought refuge in Muriel's in Jackson Square. Once again, we felt like we had gone from chaos to tranquility. The restaurant is upscale and the abundance of candles warmed and welcomed us. The building foundation was built in the mid 1800s, and the restaurant, made up of many unique rooms, encompasses what were once two separate buildings. There is an atrium-enclosed courtyard with a bar, a second floor soiree with a private entrance available for private parties, an outer and an inner seance room for more intimate affairs and two large dining rooms on the first floor. Every building in New Orleans has its own special history with legends and this one is no exception. Evidently, from 1910 to 1915, this was the spot of the most preferred bordello in town. The three design teams for this eatery wanted to maintain the decadence and the opulence of the 18th Century French Quarter and they succeeded.

Now that we have established the ambiance, let us get to the food, Donald's favorite subject. We met the chef, Erik Veney, a transplanted New Yorker who married a southern girl from New Orleans and his cooking is verification that most great things come from New York. I tried the chicken and sausage soup and Don had the crab cakes for an appetizer. Both were flavorful, with a slight hint of Cajun spice. Without going into great detail about each dish, let me sum it up by saying it was a wonderful and memorable meal. Chef Veney prides himself on being a hands-on chef and every dish was to be oohed and aahed over.

Bourbon Street... everybody say cheese

We exited the restaurant to mix in with the capacity crowd and make our way over to see the parade. It was colorful, loud and exciting, and an experience like no other. We had been at Mardi Gras for a full 12 hours so we started making our way back to the Fairmount Hotel, exhausted and happy. I rank Mardi Gras up there with my experience on The Great American Queen; a unique memory and one that everyone should experience at least once in his or her life.



Part 1 - American Queen - Jazz and Blues Cruise
Part 2 - Vacherie, Louisiana
Part 3 - St. Francisville, Louisiana
Part 4 - Natchez, Mississippi
Part 5 - Vicksburg, Mississippi
Part 6 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Part 7 - Mardi Gras, New Orleans