Friday, 18 April
We start with a continental breakfast in the Hotel and print out a bunch of itineraries and maps, including boarding passes for the flight the next day. We then walk to the tourist bureau, which is not that helpful, walk by the Café du Monde which is famous for its Beignets and coffee. It is absolutely packed with long lines waiting to get in, Beignets are disgusting anyway. We decide to go to Jackson Square and take one of the Mule and Buggy tours of the New Orleans Graveyards.
We had to wait quite a while for the cart to fill up before the driver would start. Once we got started, the driver was extremely knowledgeable and informative. We stop by a main cemetery and get to walk around it.
After the tour, we walk to Frenchmans Street which is reported to have the best music in New Orleans. It was daylight and there was no action happening so we missed out as we did not make it back again. We walked through a large food market but, although it was interesting, there was nothing really for us. Instead we decided to have lunch on one of the famous balconies
After lunch, we go back to Bourbon Street and Tropical Isle. There are two guys playing music who weren’t too bad.
After that we go to the music bar and listen for a while. The band is still Half Past Whiskey but only two of the members are the same as yesterday. Back to the Hotel for a little nap and bag packing for the early start tomorrow. We have been advised by the Hotel to go to another popular restaurant Bayona that night with well know Chef Susan Spicer.
The place is very nice and we are shown to our table. The menu is also very interesting with daily changes to it.
Delightful meal. We have an early start tomorrow so depart for our hotel and an early night. However, there were a couple of interesting sights along the way back.
We also get intercepted by Barkers that tell us there are drunk Australian girls upstairs. We kept on moving. I have to say that Bourbon Street was nothing like the other time I was there – 26 years ago!