keyword pages:  1  
< 1 of 8 >
We went to the Annual Fall Festival at Destrehan Plantation today. The moss-draped oak trees are huge and beautiful. I can only imagine how picturesque it is without all the tents beneath them.
The final stop was St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, but it was closed, so we had to visit virtually using a camera over the wall.
Sometimes there are strange looking talents.
And then before calling it a night, we visited our old alma mater, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I remember walking these sidewalks during many evenings when we were students.
... and perfectly ended in New Orleans.
Another annual stop is the Cigar Factory. Now what I'm about to tell you is a secret, so don't tell anyone. We don't smoke and we don't drink, but have gotten into the habit of buying "the ritual cigar" each time we take a vacation with our friends. It began many, many years ago when we went on a cruise and were told we could buy a Cuban cigar, but it had to be smoked before we got off the ship. A Cuban cigar seemed so rebellious, so we bought one. We laughed with our friends and sat on the deck "smoking" the cigar. Now we don't inhale, but have to take one puff, cough, and then complain about the smoke being caught in our throat. I know, it's stupid, but it's a ritual now and has to be done. Paul saves the leftovers in a box at his house. Each time we come here, I think about the Seinfeld episode where Kramer brought in the illegal Cuban cigar rollers and had to stow them away in some designer furniture while they worked as crepe rollers. :)
Don't be deceived. The pews were empty before the mass began, but quickly filled to full capacity by the end of the service. We spent the day in the French Quarters, starting with Sunday Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. I'm not Catholic but have always enjoyed coming here. The choir sings acapella from the balcony or with an orchestra and the music resonates to every corner. The song leader is a beautiful young woman who has a spectacular, well-trained voice that brings to you worship. I love watching the people too--the young couple teaching their small child the symbolism of the church and the importance of faith; the older couple who with great difficulty curtsy (maybe they call it genuflect) before they take their place in the pew; the old man who sits alone, whose body is bent in such as way as to not allow him to sit up straight and even look at the priest speaking; the two young black men who seemed to be in perpetual repentance, having difficulty raising their heads to look to the front; the couple bringing their newborn for after-mass baptism; or even the lady who constantly looks to the back door to see who is the next to enter. Our speaker was a young seminarian who was quite well-spoken.
Paul and Cynthia among the tombs listening to the tour guide. Yeah, Paul's like me--he always has that camera to his face. As we do every November, we spent the second weekend in New Orleans with our friends celebrating Dave's birthday (56) and our anniversary (31). Today we went to the Fall Festival at Destrehan Plantation and then we found the St. Louis Cemetery #1 where Marie Laveau is buried. A lot of walking tours end up here, so we kind of drifted back behind the tombstones and listened to the tour guides tell stories of those buried in the cemetery. (I know, we probably should have paid for the tour, but sometimes they were just too loud so we had to listen.) We even saw the pyramid-shaped tomb where Nicolas Cage will be buried.
We went to the Annual Fall Festival at Destrehan Plantation today. The moss-draped oak trees are huge and beautiful. I can only imagine how picturesque it is without all the tents beneath them.
We went to the Annual Fall Festival at Destrehan Plantation today. The moss-draped oak trees are huge and beautiful. I can only imagine how picturesque it is without all the tents beneath them.
We went to the Annual Fall Festival at Destrehan Plantation today. The moss-draped oak trees are huge and beautiful. I can only imagine how picturesque it is without all the tents beneath them.
See photo in original gallery.
keyword pages:  1  
< 1 of 8 >