DAY 98
Week 14
NEW ORLEANS (Louisiana, USA)
Tuesday September 26th, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 5 miles or 8 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 13284 miles or 21379 kilometres
Who will recover first — me or the "Big Easy"??? 
My first day full day in New Orleans consisted of plenty of walking. As per the norm with me, I simply get out & about and amongst it all.
First stop was a traditional New Orleanian breakfast consisting of Beignet (pronounced Ben-yays) with coffee and orange juice at the renowned Cafe Du Monde on Decatur Street. Not only did I forget the Compact Flash card for my camera, I didn't have any cash on me and had to wait until an ATM opened up nearby or I'd still be washing dishes to cover the $5.25 for breakfast.
From there I wondered all over the French Quarter checking out anything and everything. After a quick bite to eat for lunch I headed across town and over to the National World War II Museum. At first, I thought $14.00 was a bit steep for any museum, but they actually have a pretty in-depth and interactive display that covers the USA's participation, both official or otherwise, to the 2nd World War. If the Hiroshima and Nagasaki display doesn't move you, then you need your pulse checked.
On the way back to the hotel I happened upon Emeril Lagasse's first restaurant "Emeril's" in the warehouse district. Emeril must subscribe to the "less is more" rule as if you wern't looking for it, you miss the restaurant - as there is no major signage or anything saying that you've arrived. I was all fired to have dinner their that night, as I'm and Emeril fan, but at the prices the displayed menu was showing, there no way I'd eat there unless he was personally cooking and serving me.
After checking out the Robert E. Lee monument, which I might add that no one seems to know why it was erected, I decided to leg it along the mighty Mississippi on the way back, through the Riverwalk Marketplace, which was a disappointment to say the least. Most of the shops were closed at 3PM in the afternoon. You could have fired a cannon off in the joint and failed to hit anything.
I got back to the Saint Ann Marie Antoinette hotel around 6PM, freshened up and headed out in search of dinner. On the recommendation of on old cab driver, I parked up at the Gumbo Shop on St Peter Street in the French Quarter. I dined on Alligator sausage which seemed a bit dry and bland, which is my general experience with eating alligator. The meal was saved by the Combination Platter main course consisting of Shrimp Creole, Jambalaya and Crawfish Etouffee with a loaf of warm fresh crusty bread. Absolutely sensational.
A couple of $5 White Russian at the bar of the hotel, which is where a lot of locals hang out, and I was off to bed.
• NEW ORLEANS (Louisiana, USA)
• NEW ORLEANS ~ French Quarter (Louisiana, USA)
• NEW ORLEANS ~ National World War II Museum (Louisiana, USA)