New Orleans, Part 2

Sunday, July 3, 2011 by Audrey
I can't help but feel that so much of New Orleans, at least the parts that I saw, need to be seen to really be understood. So, this post will be mostly pictures. Enjoy!


Friday, June 24
The sweet potato fries at the diner I ate at on Friday night. I chose this place because it looked well-lit and like there weren't any drunk people there, and I was tired of drunk guys hitting on me. I also had a perfect Reuben--no pics because it was too delicious and I had to eat it immediately!

The well-lit diner. The Food Network was on the TV, so I didn't even have to feel weird eating by myself, since I had a TV to watch!


Hotel room. I stayed at the Chateau Le Moyne in the French Quarter, and it was wonderful to be right in the historic district so I could do some exploring on foot.


Swag from the first night of the conference. The exhibit hall was huge and filled with people who wanted nothing more than to give away their merch! I love free things.

Saturday, June 25

I spent most of Saturday in the exhibit hall (not many pictures, unfortunately!). As I started, I had a grand plan to walk by every exhibit (mainly because I wanted to get a billion free things). I may have been delusional. I made it about a third of the way through before my swag bag became almost too heavy to lift. But wait! The ALA made arrangements for USPS to have a temporary post office right there in the exhibit hall!


 A line of librarians who are cranky because there were only two registers in the entire "post office." I'm certain the line was at least this long at every point during the hours the post office was open. They were only offering Priority Mail shipping, which made the line go a little faster. This was taken the first time I went to the post office to mail myself stuff. I went three more times during the conference.





At the end of the day, I was so exhausted that the idea of leaving my hotel to find a place to eat was too daunting. I ordered in. This is fried shrimp and potatoes, and fried green beans. They were about as appetizing as they look here (i.e. not much). But, it was food (the first I had eaten all day). I was glad to eat and then crash into bed.

Sunday, June 26

Another good day at the conference. I got to hear David Simon and Laura Lippman speak, which was wonderful. Simon was the showrunner for HBO's The Wire, which I've just started watching, and it's wonderful. It was interesting to get his take on what it's like to write and direct such a fascinating, detailed TV show. I also found out that the local public library system is hiring for Librarian I positions, which is exactly what I'm looking for. Hooray for that! I'm working on creating a perfect resume and submitting it tonight, if I don't burn out and fall asleep!

More gratuitous food pictures.

Sushi-grade tuna stuffed with crab cakes and covered with a crayfish etoufee, and jambalaya. It was amazing. If you're ever in New Orleans, you should visit Oceana in the French Quarter.


Bananas Foster. Banana ice cream with toffee, chocolate, and a strawberry sauce. Perfecto.
Monday, June 27

Here's where the picture dump starts. I spent the entire day on Monday doing my own walking tour of the French Quarter. Here is some of what I saw there!
Big buildings in Jackson Square



The St. Louis Cathedral, which is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the U.S. Isn't it pretty?



Many of the row houses had tons of plants hanging from the second floor. I love the way it looks.



The view from the front porch of the Beauregard-Keyes House, which was built in 1826. 














More French Quarter homes.


This lady had a pet goat on a leash. So cute!


View of the river.


View of St. Louis Cathedral from across Jackson Square.






The New Orleans Wax Museum was cheesy and awesome. Check out the gore in these!




Dinner. Some shrimp thing and then a seafood salad. Yum!



All in all, the trip was great. I was ready to be home by the time Tuesday rolled around, though! I couldn't wait to see these guys:
 

Or this cute guy: 


I'm glad to be home!
 
Posted in | 2 Comments »

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow looks like an awesome trip Audrey! I have to admit I am jealous of your swag bag full of books...any new recommendations? Hope you had a great time, NO is such an awesome city. -Molly

Audrey said...

I have plenty of reading to do before I can give any recommendations! I have read one that I really liked--it's called "You Know When The Men Are Gone", by Siobhan Fallon. It's about life at an Army base.

I hope Medford is treating you ewll, Molly!