New Orleans

It IS our city, bebopalula . The NYT piece is a pretty good one for visitors coming for a short few days, who want to taste different parts of the city. It’s probably good for us as well, as we really should push out into other neighborhoods instead of staying in our own so much of the time.

We live in the Vieux Carré, or French Quarter, the first area settled by the French in the early 18th century. Today the Vieux Carré is a gumbo yaya mixture of the city’s history and its libertine, devil-may-care present, and it is where most visitors spend their time.

Right now, we’re in the height of Mardi Gras, with multiple parades each day & night during the final 2 weeks of the season. Today we are recovering from yesterday, which started with a champagne pre-party at 9:30 am, moving into a street party at 11:30, followed by champagne brunch with 400 other Krewe members before our parade. The day ended with the King & Queen’s party, with more food, drink, music and dancing. After this, for the last 10 days of carnival, we will love merely being spectators. And 10 days from now, we won’t love, but will endure, nibbling on salads, to compensate for the overindulgence of the season.

serafina , we think of you each time we try another king cake. Yours remains at the top of our list of favorites!

A sample from yesterday’s parade -

Photos: An abundance of beads, wine and kisses at the Krewe of Cork parade in the French Quarter

The Krewe of Cork paraded through the French Quarter of New Orleans on Friday (Feb. 10) kicking off the first big weekend of Mardi Gras celebrations.

www.nola.com