Whoever visits NOLA, the French influence is everywhere and very visible. This is mainly because there is the French Quarter, the famous beignets (which by the way, are delicious), and the French market. Little do they know, that everything that is now French used to be all Spanish. The Spanish influence in New Orleans is undeniable. For example, we have the Spanish Plaza. The “Plaza de España”  located by the Riverwalk Marketplace, stands as a constant reminder  of the Spanish Heritage that still exists today in New Orleans. I learned later that the Spanish Plaza was built in honor of the man who was the engineer from Spain that improved the navigability of the Mississippi River.

I absolutely loved every second spent in the French Quarter. The night-life, which lasted all night as if it was never-ending, reminded me so much of Madrid’s night life. Bourbon Street was almost unrecognizable in day light. However, the street performers brought life into the quiet streets, making any tourist stop to listen to the playful melodies that represented NOLA’s history. Walking those narrow streets, and seeing all kinds of people. The “Medley of Cultures” was obvious in almost every aspect of New Orleans. I loved every culture I got to experience during my stay there, not only my Spanish culture, but the other ones native to New Orleans.

From Gazpacho, to Paella, Fideua and Ajoblanco, Lola’s did bring a “Taste of Spain” to us even if most of the people eating have never tasted authentic Spanish food. The Seafood Paella is a very Mediterranean dish that was originated from the coast of Spain, especially Cataluña where all the commerce and ships arrive. The Meat Paella is more common in the non-coast regions of the country. Although both the Seafood and Meat paella vary within each region of Spain, I did feel like I was back home in Madrid with my family eating Paella Madrileña as I tried it at Lola’s.

Gazpacho is a very common an delicious tomato-based vegetable soup that is usually served or cooked during the hottest months on the year since this soup is cold. This traditional soup was originated from the south region of Spain, Andalucía. As a toddler, I used to hate having gazpacho for any meal because of the fact that it’s served cold. However, as I have grown up, every time I eat gazpacho, it takes me back to the beautiful hot summers in Madrid. Last night, Lola’s was able to take me back there and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

On Tuesday, March 11th, a group of us were able to visit the Cabildo on a rainy day in New Orleans. The Cabildo was built in 1799 for the Spanish colonial rule in New Orleans, LA. After France took over these territories, the Cabildo served as a city hall, then as a courthouse, then as a prison, and it wasn’t until 1911 that the Cabildo became part of the Louisiana State Museum.

The Cabildo is rich in Louisiana’s history, specially the Spanish history. I learned that the first explorers to adventure into the Mississippi River were all Spaniards; Alonzo Álvarez de Pineda, Panfilo de Narváez, and Hernando de Soto between the years of 1519 to 1542. These Spanish conquistadors then brought their families to take advantage of the native laborers for the precious metals and fertile soils. They established settlements and colonies, expanding the Roman Catholic beliefs, architecture, music and other traditions. The Spanish colonies were the first to establish free public schools, first only for boys in Louisiana around 1772.

The Isleño farmers raised corn, fowls and vegetables to sell all over Louisiana and even across the river. The Isleños raised livestock and food. They fished and hunted, selling surplus goods and cash crops such as cotton and sugarcane. Just like we learned in Los Isleños Fiesta on Sunday, the Cabildo exhibitions also mentioned that the Isleños came to Louisiana during the late 1700s and by the 19th century, most lived in St. Bernard Parish, which is now St. Bernard Village where we went on Sunday.

The Cabildo was definitely very useful and will be a big tool for my research project.

We had the amazing opportunity to attend the 37th annual Isleños Festival in St. Bernard Village on Sunday, March 9th. From traditional Spanish music, exquisite delicious Canary food which recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, to the great educative tour, thanks to Bill Hyland, throughout the Isleño Museum Complex, our experience was a very memorable one.

We were able to learn in great detail about the Spanish Colonies once they moved to Louisiana from Spain. Out of the four settlements that were in Louisiana, St. Bernard is the only one that have stayed there for all these centuries. We got to learn about the important role that the Spanish play in Louisiana, as well as New Orleans, that many tourists ignore because New Orleans is known as an Old French colony. One of the people that played a major role in the Spanish colonies was Alberto Estopinal, from Las Gran Canarias who influenced the human rights and laws of the state of Louisiana. We also learned that the major reason why the Spaniards moved to Louisiana in the 18th century was to help fight the British.

Many of the locals we interviewed considered themselves to be proud Isleños, which is the word given to Canary Islands descendants, however they admitted that after the French came and took over, all the Isleños lost their language and that’s why they don’t speak Spanish. This is one reason why many people don’t think of the Spanish Influence when they think of New Orleans.

Special thanks to Bill Hyland for being a wonderful host, introducing us to many great people as well as to opening our minds and helping us on our project.

O-H!