Saturday

When we first arrived in New Orleans, I think our first thoughts were “What is the big ball of fire in the sky?” and “Why is there green stuff on the ground?” After a terrible winter in Ohio, it was refreshing to be able to walk outside without a heavy coat. What was funny was when a few of us took the bus to get the the nearest stop to the Banana Courtyard and we saw the locals wearing semi-winter gear.

By the time we got the the Bed and Breakfast it was the middle of the afternoon and a few of us decided to explore the French Quarter and make our way down the Mississippi River to get the the Spanish Plaza. On our way there, I was part of an “O-H-I-O” picture with Liane and Mike, using part of a ship as the “I.”

 

 

When Liane and I finally got to the Spanish Plaza, we immediately searched for the names of cities that we love in Spain or that we have ties to (Liane mostly has ties to Madrid and I have “amigos del corazón” in Santander). It was great to see that there was a permanent landmark to show the Spanish influence in New Orleans.

 

Later that night, several of us went on a Ghost Tour in the French Quarter. What I loved about this was the folklore in the stories; from the stories about vampires and ghosts, you can actually get a good sense of history in the city. For example, we learned about the Casket Girls; they were girls who we brought to New Orleans as guaranteed virgins for the French colonists. On their voyage to the New World, the girls were kept under deck to lock them away from the sailors, making them pale and causing bad nutrition. When the finally got to New Orleans, they were perceived as vampires and locked into a nunnery on Ursuline. Maybe it is just a way to “creep out” tourists, but the top windows of the convent, where the girls stayed, are still nailed shut.

Sunday 

On Sunday, Liane, Nick, and I had planned to go to the Isleños Fiesta in St. Bernard’s Parish to continue our project on the Spanish influence. At first it was just going to be us three and it didn’t seem like others were interested in joining. By the time we left, however, we had nine students in the SUV! Everyone was so happy that they came; there was dancing, great food, and amazing people.

 

Liane and I walked around with the coordinator of the festival. He introduced us to people who were able to trace their ancestry back to the first people from the Canary Islands to come to Louisiana.  Seeing these people who are so in love with their ancestry and have an insatiable hunger to learn about where they came from was beautiful. Unfortunately, St. Bernard’s Parish is the only parish that still has an Isleño community; the others have been destroyed and the people have been dispersed around the state.

 

Monday

On Monday, not many of us had very firm plans, so we spent the day wandering the quarter. While some others went off, I stayed with Zach and Austin. Although I’m not an olive fan, I agreed to split a muffaleta with Zach and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it.

 

Finally, we got to go to Lola’s, a Spanish restaurant on Esplanade Ave, for dinner to do some “research” on the Spanish cuisine in New Orleans. I ordered the seafood paella and was VERY happy with my choice. The price was reasonable, considering there was so much seafood, and the flavor was amazing. Lola’s will definitley be a go-to place of mine whenever I visit New Orleans.

 

Tuesday

On our last full day in the city, we decided that we had to go to Cafe du Monde and get a beignet. I have heard people ranting and raving about how great they are, so I was excited to have some with some hot chocolate. While I agree that they were delicious, I wouldn’t tell anyone to go out of their way to get one; what I enjoyed most about our visit to Cafe du Monde was the street performer on the sidewalk next to us. At one point, he has the entire restaurant singing “You are My Sunshine” with him. Feeling a small sense of community between us, complete strangers, was an awesome feeling.

After breakfast, we went to the Cabildo to learn more about the state’s history. Not only did Liane, Nick, and I learn a lot about the influence of the Spanish in New Orleans and the rest of the state to help with our projects, but I found a more personal connection when I found a section on the Irish in New Orleans; not only was a Spanish viceroy in Louisiana an Irishman (“Bloody” Alexander O’Reilly), but there were a few ways of Irish immigrants. In the 1860s, 1/14 of the population in New Orleans were Irish. In fact, most of the laborers that built the New Basin Canal were Irishmen.

That afternoon, we went to Insta-Gator, an alligator farm and hatchery, on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain. For a few extra dollars, we were able to catch and hold baby alligators. It was definitely worth the money and I learned a lot about gators… mostly the best way to run away from one if it is ever chasing me.

For dinner, we went to a place called the Praline Connection on Frenchman. We had never been to the street before, but I wish that we had gone every night. Not only was the food amazing, but I had an amazing time dancing in the street with my classmates to the music of a jazz band in the street. It didn’t matter that some of us (perhaps most of us, haha) are not great dancers; no one cared. It was all about enjoying yourself, the music, and the community.

 

 

Wednesday

After doing a little more exploration at Louis Armstrong Park with Steven and Austin, it was time to head back to the airport and head home to Ohio. What I kept thinking about was how several cultures all met in New Orleans to create a new one. Being able to experience this with other like-minded students who want to open themselves up to new ideas, traditions, and cultures was an amazing experience that I am grateful for. NOLA, you be great!