The weather forecast for the next days is bleak: a cold snap with temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius combined with high winds and rain. And rain it is for the first night! Next morning however, the sun comes out every now and then, couple of clouds and an icy wind. So, we put on the windbreakers and beanies and drive to Algiers Point for the ferry to Canal Street. We want to see the French Quarter and Central New Orleans ( or what's left/rebuilt of it after Katrina).
The ferry is a free service for pedestrians and gets you straight away the middle of it all. Opposite is some casino that apparently is one of the main attractions on Canal Street but that we ignore as we simply can't be bothered with casinos. Straight away on to the streets of the French Quarter, then!
Some famous names here like Bourbon Street, but actually we're not overly impressed. If you only know American towns it probably is something really special despite half of the shops / bars / galleries being still deserted after Katrina 5 years ago. The architecture looks definitely French, more intriguing, however, are the narrow streets and the little traffic that goes passes through.
If, on the other side, you have seen older French or Belgian towns, you might think what all the fuss about the French Quarter is about. I have to admit that things may be different on a balmy summer evening with Jazz music around .....
Anyway, New Orleans is one of the nicer cities we have seen so far, not as micky-mousey as San Antonio, not half as ugly as Las Vegas. They still have to do a lot of work to repair the damages from Katrina and - the way it looks - more so to get the people to move back into town.
We return by ferry to Algiers Point which by the way is almost as nice as the French Quarter. It is one of the oldest parts of town, has apparently not suffered to much damage from Katrina and seems definitely a hip neighbourhood to live.
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