We allowed ourselves a nice sleep-in this morning & then arranged a "Combo-City Tour" with "Tours By Isabella", who are celebrating their 27th year in the tour business; so they must be doing something right.
The tour started in the famous "French Quarter" old Creole city - though less than a mile long & a half mile across, this area is synonymous with New Orleans - Its spiritual heart & soul. We discovered its history - When the city was laid out in 1718, the "French Quarter" (with its amazing architecture-lacy ironwork balconies, coloured rows of shops & shuttered windows)was New Orleans; "Jackson Square" & the impressive "St Louis Cathedral", soon followed as the city grew in numbers.
We drove past the famous "Pontalba Row Houses" of Jackson Square, built by Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba during the mid-1800s, received an overall view of the mighty Mississippi River,levees & flood walls. Continuing by the French Market, the old U.S. Mint and the stately mansions along Esplanade Ave.
We then stopped for a guided walking tour of historic St. Louis Cemetery #3 on 3421 Esplanade Avenue. The St. Louis #3 cemetery is probably the most accessible as well as the largest of the St. Louis group. Established in 1854, it contains the outstanding Byzantine tomb of the Hellenic Orthodox Community and the final resting place of Storyville photographer Ernest Belloq.
Riding along peaceful Bayou St. John, we viewed raised houses from the late 1700s and had explained their architectural significance in a city below sea level. (Hint: they don't flood as they as built on raised posts). We continued on through City Park, and would have seen the antique Carousel, but had been removed as badly damaged by Hurrican Katrina, though the centuries old Live Oaks that thankfully had survived.
Along Lake Pontchartrain’s shores their levee system was explained and the longest of all Causeway bridges seen. We soon reached the London Avenue Canal Breach and the most sobering moments of the tour, where we viewed from the van the complete destruction "Katrina" had caused. We drive along the Lakeshore past the remains of the Southern Yacht Club and the marinas, reaching the second levee breach at the 17th Street Canal and viewed from the van the violent and utter destruction it caused to the Lakeview neighborhood. 18-mths later most of this suburb is still deserted - Just like a ghost-town.
We then stopped @ "Long Vue" Mansion & Gardens for a very impressive & informative guided tour of this 1939, 8 acre Grand city estate. Truly a masterpiece of unity between house & garden. The girls picked up some souvenirs of this unique structure. From one exquisite mansion to many more, we headed uptown to "St Charles Avenue", which follows the curve of the Mississippi, taking us past a few vast Universities, as well as Greek Revival, Gothic & Queen Anne-style grand colonial mansions. Then it was through the "Garden District", perhaps the grandest of New Orleans neighbourhoods; stately mansions surrounded by expansive & well manicured lawns & gardens, were the order of the day.
Downtown, we travelled past the infamous Superdome and through the heart of the business district, before returning to our hotel. We then headed down to "Bourbon St" for drinks & dinner - named not after the libation poured in its taverns, but for the French Duke of Bourbon.
Dinner was at a traditional Creole restaurant & had a "Po'Boy" - New Orleans version of the Submarine sandwich - Very, very yummy...
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