Lola’s at Esplanade Ave.

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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.

Odd Fellows Rest

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On Monday the 10th I visited Odd Fellows Rest. It was still closed off, overgrown, and beautiful as ever, still slowly and gradually growing in disrepair. Part of the gate’s symbolic figures that had been there last May had been broken off. I was glad I had documentation of those in their previous existence.

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A section of the fence here leading to Odd Fellows Rest was easily accessible from the cemetery next door. It would have been easy to climb to the other side…

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Odd Fellows Rest sits isolated and surrounded by a dense brick wall in the midst of the surrounding cemeteries.

I met with an anthropologist at the University of New Orleans before I visited the cemeteries on Canal Street. Dr. Gray’s main project is the Holt cemetery, and he also conducts a field school every summer in Storyville. Part of his work in Storyville is to take the bones from the graves here and transport them to another cemetery. I was moved by his passion for his work, and even more so when he mentioned that a ceremony was planned for these bones as they moved from their first final resting place to their second. He also spoke of the fact that not all graveyards in New Orleans are above-ground, for example, the Storyville graveyard and the Charity Hospital Cemetery.

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The Charity Hospital Cemetery is now a memorial for the unclaimed victims of Hurricane Katrina. I was curious about this as I finished up reading the book Nine Lives (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nine-lives-dan-baum/1013475320?ean=9780385523202) and Frank Minyard was spoke of in the book as wanting to have a memorial here. Sure enough, his name was on one of the mirror-like marble slabs.

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Although easy to explain with the bright sun and shadows cast that day, this photo has an eerie quality to it. To me, this photo is symbolic of the unclaimed victims of Katrina, of Odd Fellows Rest, of these forgotten individuals and places that are saturated with stories and secrets that sit, quietly, waiting to speak.

 

 

Accents and Envie

The next day was Sunday the 9th. It was gorgeous out. I went to one of my favorite places in the French Quarter — Envie. Envie is probably one of the coolest coffee shops ever and when I order they call me “baby” pretty much every time. And the baristas who call me that always have that New Orleans accent — which is kind of like a New York accent mixed with a little bit of southern accent, mixed with a type of drawl that only long-time residents or natives of the city of “nawlins” have. I sat for a few hours and ate a delicious scone and sipped an americano with rich espresso.

Possibilities

I was so glad to be back in New Orleans and excited for what my upcoming week held. The weather felt amazing, and the first evening there, I was excited to walk around as much as possible after being in the plane all day. We ate at Buffa’s for dinner and then walked all around the French Quarter and as far down as the river walk took us and ended up at this fountain. I was amazed at how much had changed in my life just after a little less than a year of being here the last time. I think that is one reason why traveling is so important — taking yourself out of your every day living arrangements and environment takes all those distractions and habits away so that all you see is yourself for who you are and you realize that all you have is what you’ve made of yourself, and it’s in these moments it’s easy to see how much you’ve grown.

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Insta-Gator: Alligators Near NOLA

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery

Website: http://www.insta-gatorranch.com/

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I have always found alligators and crocodiles interesting. The insta-gator farm in Covington, LA (about an hour from New Orleans) allowed me the opportunity to experience my interest. The tour guide was used humor and corniness to teach about the alligator, and discussed some interesting facts about the crocodile too. For example, the crocodile is much more aggressive than the alligator, and is known as the real man-eater between the two. While the alligator will attack humans, they generally do so when you get too close them, their nests, or their homes.

During my visit I was able to see many juvenile alligators ranging from about nine inches in length to roughly four feet in length. I was able to pet and handle some of the very small (9-12 inch) alligators. I also had the chance to see the guide handle a three or so foot alligator. All handled alligators had their mouths taped shut. During the tour we fed the alligators marshmallows of all things, which allowed for some interesting photo opportunities.

The Insta-Gator ranch claims that about six in ever one hundred alligators in the wild live to adulthood. The farm is able to double that success rate, and generally releases about twelve per hundred. This helps to increase and stabilize the population, which was once endangered, without overpopulating. The alligators who do not make it to the wild are used to help fund the ranch through food processing, clothing, and even alligator food. The ranch claims that they use every part of the alligator, and nothing goes to waste. They also claim that if they do not take all of the eggs from a nest when they go into the wild that the mother alligator will usually unintentionally kill the rest of the eggs by smashing them when they defend their nests – so if they don’t take all the eggs, the eggs will be killed anyway.

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There are some ethical and moral concerns when considering this establishment, but ultimately, in the south alligator is manufactured, sold and eaten just like cows are in the north. Alligators are going to be killed and sold for food, so this establishment raises the alligators, releases some to keep the population healthy, while also making a healthy profit in the various alligator markets.

Still, even with the ethical and moral concerns considered, this is still a very fun place to come if you are in the New Orleans area. I never would have thought to visit such a place if it weren’t for a classmate, Bryce Jones, who had decided to do his research on alligators. Thanks to him, each of the students and faculty were able to experience this alligators.

 

Brittany Henry Wednesday, March 12

This morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and then finished packing. We decided that we wanted to go back to our favorite place, which was the French Market. We shopped there and bought candy. I love all the pralines here! They are my favorite candy and I’ve ate so many of them while I’ve been here. For lunch I had jambalaya at the French Market. I had the Cajun Jambalaya, which is a brown gravy and spicy. The Creole Jambalaya is a red gravy because they use tomatoes in it and it is not as spicy. Overall, I have had an amazing time in New Orleans and liked it much more than I expected. All the food that I had was delicious. I’m glad I was able to try so many different things and was able to get some fresh seafood! I will greatly miss New Orleans and I will be returning soon with my family!

Angeli on Decatur

Angeli on Decatur: Great Food, Reasonable Prices

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Angeli on Decatur is a great place to eat in the French Quarter, and they deliver. They have a wide variety of food, and their pasta salad is to die for. This is a great place to eat no matter your diet – even if you are a vegetarian. I have eaten a wide variety of their food, and everything I have ever eaten is delicious. Whenever I come to New Orleans, I have to have Angeli on Decatur – their food is that good, and their pasta salad is even better!

Angeli on Decatur is reasonably priced, and complete meals – including beverage – average $10-12, although you can get away cheaper than that. There is a charge for delivery, and the delivery area is somewhat limited to the French Quarter area. The deliveries are done on bicycle, so you will want to include a tip if you order delivery. The delivery typically takes between twenty and thirty minutes.

On top of their food being delicious, I have always had great experiences with their servers, delivery people and while ordering over the phone. The people at Angeli on Decatur know the definition of customer service.

Angeli on Decatur is conveniently located in the French Quarter on Decatur. Their address is 1141 Decatur Street New Orleans, LA 70116, and their phone number is (504) 566-0077. There is a map below that shows their location. You can find their menu online at http://angelirestaurant.webs.com/

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Food Images

Below I have displayed some images of the food that I have ordered from Angeli on Decatur.

Gyro – Lamb meat, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and caciki sauce – $7.25

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Roasted Eggplant Sandwich – Mozzarella cheese, roasted eggplant, pesto sauce, red onions, roasted red peppers, and sundried tomato aoli – $8.00

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Italian Feast Sandwich – Mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, ham, genoa salami, and red onions dressed with lettuce and tomatoes – $7.75

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Continue reading Angeli on Decatur

Brittany Henry Tuesday March 11

This morning we went to Willie Mae’s for lunch. It was some of the best fried chicken that I have ever had! The meat was so juicy and the coating on it had great flavor. I also had red beans and rice and it was very good! After that we headed to the Insta-gator Alligator Farm and took a tour. I thought it was a great group activity. I really enjoyed holding the baby alligators and learning about how they get the eggs. I enjoyed taking the bridge over the lake because it was like nothing I have seen before. When we got back we went to the Clover Grill for dinner. I got a waffle and a side order of grits. It was an old-fashion diner looking place. It was delicious! We walked down Bourbon Street and listened to music for the rest of the night.

Catholicism in New Orleans- St. Louis Cathedral

Early Sunday Morning I attended Catholic Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. Mass was well attended by both tourists and locals. After mass was over, tourists spilled into the church to take pictures and see the beautiful Cathedral. It was then clear just how huge a staple the St. Louis Cathedral is for New Orleans. Even some mass goers simply sat back during mass as if they were sight seeing just another aspect of New Orleans. On the walk back from mass, we passed another Catholic Church, The Center of Jesus the Lord, both a worship center and a retreat center. The church appeared empty and the street outside where we walked was scarce with passers-byers. In the entrance to the church, however, two priests stood and greeted everyone who passed by the church. The priests were not attempting to pull people into mass or push Catholicism or God on anyone. They were simply engaging in the friendly atmosphere of New Orleans and welcoming and greeting the public who passed by.

Brittany Henry Monday, March 10

This morning we went to Cafe du Monde and got beignets and freshly squeezed orange juice. We luckily did not have to wait in a long line. The cafe had amazing food and a great environment. Next, we went back to the French Market and had some corn. We walked throughout the French Quarter for most of the afternoon and stoped by Little Vic’s to get some gelato. I had amaretto and orange gelato that was very good! For dinner we went to Today’s Cajun Seafood down the street and I got jambalaya. I had never had it before, but i really enjoyed it. I especially liked the spicy sausage that was in it.