'BERRIES IN THE BIG EASY--Part II

Saturday, September 27, 2008—Lone Berry in the "Big Easy"

Central time always helps me adjust to the early hours of conferences, plus I chose to blow off the first talk as not relevant to my own pain management specialty. So I arrived, well-rested and ready to learn. But my part of the tale here is dry as Ben Stein's verbal delivery of just about anything. So I'll turn the spotlight instead toward...

Jennifer’s N’awlins Experiences

Jennifer explored the city while I was in the conference. I’ll turn that part of the story over to her:

TRANSITION TO JENNIFER’S VOICE:

Having recently begun a new job as a university instructor, I had brought my textbook with me and vowed to do some work while I was in New Orleans. I had lectures to prepare so I could impart great wisdom to my wide-eyed, eager students. Actually, I am learning to be happy enough if they don’t snore too loudly or drool on the desks when they fall asleep from boredom. So I did actually spend most of the morning, textbook open, composing notes for later that week. Then I got hungry.

Deciding that I was in the Big Easy, after all, and it would be quite pathetic to let the entire day go by in the hotel room, I concluded I had done enough of my homework and it was time to go out and play. Mom would be proud, for she drilled that lesson into my head when I was in school.

Mom had been to New Orleans herself a couple years before, and she had recommended that I try a muffuletta sandwich if I had the opportunity. She had told me they were sold at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, so I used the wireless Internet connection Thomas was paying for to scope it out. Indeed, it was close enough to walk there, and it was pretty much a straight shot, so I set out after my muffuletta.

But first, I would need tea. I knew I could get exactly what I wanted at Starbuck’s. So a trip across the casino was in order. After getting my tea, I stepped out of the droning sounds and blinking lights of the casino and into the bright sunshine, took a deep breath of fresh air … and realized I had left my sunglasses in the room. So I went all the way back up the room, grabbed my shades, and then was able to set off down the street toward my muffuletta.

As I walked, I realized I was on the same street that my college friends and I had walked when we had come to Mardi Gras back in February 1996. I noticed landmarks and even recognized the parking lot where we had parked and slept in the car, but at that point, my stomach was pointing me to that muffuletta.

A view across Decatur Street in New Orleans, with cars next to horse-drawn carriages.

I found Central Grocery without mishap, ordered a whole sandwich so I could take some back to Thomas, found my way to a bench next to the river, and sat down to enjoy my muffuletta and my Starbuck’s tea. Delicious. It was every bit as good as Mom said it was. Hey, parents are actually right about things once in a while! I munched, I drank, I relaxed and enjoyed the people, the water and the passing ships.

Belly filled and happy again, I did the tourist thing and whipped out my camera, snapping a few shots of the river. Then I wandered along the river a bit and made my way toward Jackson Square. I realized I was walking down the same set of steps on which I had seen a guy doing a “human slinky” routine 12 years ago. I also recognized the famous statue of Andrew Jackson at the heart of the square. Thomas particularly wanted pictures of St. Louis Cathedral, so I snapped a good selection for him.

The statue of Jesus in the courtyard of St. Louis Cathedral lost some of his fingers in the winds of Hurricane Katrina.

I had always thought the street performers were only there during Mardi Gras, but apparently not. Along my walk, I saw a couple of teenage boys tap dancing on the sidewalk, a saxophonist down by the river and a mime just outside Jackson Square. I also noticed again the signs for fortune tellers and tarot card readers. I was just as skeptical of these now as I had been 12 years ago.

Having had my fill of the Quarter, I made my way back to the hotel at a much more leisurely speed than I had come. Even still, I outpaced several sidewalk “cows.” I guess they’re everywhere.

Before going back up to the room, I stepped in the restaurant Thomas and I had selected for dinner and made our reservation for later that evening. Then I killed time and did some more work until he got done with his conference sessions.

NEXT: A reunited pair of Thornberries explore N'awlins' nightlife!

Click for Part III