Love it or hate it: The Big Easy

It's been an easy 200+mi-drive from Alexandria to New Orleans this morning, with a stop at Tanger Outlets and Cabela’s (a fabulous outdoors store) in Gonzales, about 45 min. away from New Orleans. When we approached Baton Rouge it became obvious what the main industry in this area is: oil. And, also, landscape (with swamps and bayous) changed and „culture“ became different. Hard to explain.

Though drivers in the New Orleans metro area are apparently a bit more aggressive and crazier than in other parts of the country, we made it in good time and checked into our hotel in the French Quarter, the Maison Dupuy, at 2:30 pm. Unfortunately, we didn’t get one of the exclusive rooms with a balcony towards the nice courtyard, but nevertheless, rooms are large and comfortable and they offer free internet and Food Network, History and Travel Chanel, our favorite TV stations. Only drawback: windows can't be opened, though we are only on the 2nd floor with a courtyard view.


Out again at 4 pm to explore the city, to see what’s new and what has changed since spring 2013. Good thing in New Orleans is, that 1. it’s walkable and 2. changes are not too extensive. Around 80 F (27 C) today, with a few clouds, we first fortifyed ourselved with a muffuletta from the Central Grocery, then explored one of the brandnew innovations in town: The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, an outlet shopping mall in the middle of downtown New Orleans. Walked along the Riverwalk and strolled through French Quarter streets to end up in the Crescent City Brewhouse in the evening. Good brews there!



This is a truly unique and crazy city, either you love it or hate it. Frankly, we are still undecided, even after 12 or 13 visits in town. It smells/stinks, it’s dirty, there are lots of bums and young "hobos" on the streets and in the parks (we saw more in one hour than we’ve seen all over TX/OK/KS), but nevertheless, it’s colorful and laid-back and different. Eccentric characters, a unique laissez-faire lifestyle (to which you have to get used to), all is sort of slow motion, musicians and artists at every street corner, strange people, many black people, dropouts, drunk people and tourists - you’ve got it all here.

It seems to be a paradise for many American visitors, since here you can dance on the streets, openly carry a beer, go to dubious clubs, look at half-naked ladies, behave shrill and eccentric, get drunk by enjoying Sazeracs, Mint Juleps and Hurricanes – nobody cares. Also, many tourists adjust optically (clothing-wise) and sometimes we were wondering what their neighbors in the backcountry would say, seeing them like that. It’s sort of a "gomorrah" for many (religious) Americans on the other side, with apparently few moral, belief and rules - though catholizism is traditionally predominant in N.O. What a city - no wonder they call it „The Big Easy“!