Day 13 – April 18

I met him in a cell in New Orleans I was down and out.
He looked at me to be the eyes of age as he spoke right out.
He talked of life, talked of life, laughed slapped his leg a step. Mr Bojangles – Jerry Jeff Walker

The Rowe’s Get Cultured

Up early for a change and it looks like a nice day with the sun breaking through the clouds at long last.

Mickey has had a call from the casting company for NCIS N.O. and he will be a hostage in an episode to be filmed tomorrow. Mickey has had bit parts in 10 episodes of series two. William has very kindly made a time for tomorrow morning to drive us over to Metairie so the girls can go shopping at the mall.

Lunch today is to be at Mother’s on Poydras Street which is a good half hour walk through the Quarter then over Canal Street and down into the Warehouse District. I have eaten at Mother’s before and they are world renown for their Po Boys. I wanted to get there before noon as it is very popular with the local business people. We got in around 11:45 and the girls were a little confused with the ordering system. As soon as you walk in you are handed a menu at the door and then directed to line up for the cashier. The idea is you select what you want as you get closer to the cashier. It was easy for me as I knew I wanted a Roast Beef Debris Po Boy but the girls felt rushed. Being a Monday Wendy has gone for Red Beans & Rice and Kate just wants a drink. Once you have paid for the meals you sit at a table with your receipt. A waitress then comes by and fills your order. The walls are adorned with photos of locals and celebrities who have dines at Mothers. Bit of a fluke that we sat at a table where Kate spied a signed photo of Steve and Terri Irwin, the establishment has now been given her stamp of approval.. I was more impressed with the signed B.B.King and Dr. John photos. I am glad I only order the small Po Boy as I could manage to eat half only’

We continued walking away from the Quarter as I want to go to the Civil War Museum which is across from the very impressive World War Two Museum. I should have known better that on Mondays many of the smaller museums are closed. Bugger, but all is not lost as a few doors down it the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. I have always wanted to visit this place but it took some convincing of Kate. Of particular interest to me was the photos of Louisiana for the period 1865 – 1945. I thought I heard Kate mutter that she was back on a school excursion! Then she got confused, thinking a normal table was a piece of art. The exhibition that really took my fancy was the surreal sculptures of New Orleans native Arthur Kern. His work is worth checking out. http://ogdenmuseum.org/arthur-kern-the-surreal-world-of-a-reclusive-sculptor/
I also picked up a fantastic book at the gift shop entitled ‘Unfathomable City – A New Orleans Atlas’ to add to my (if I do say so myself) impressive library of Louisiana/New Orleans books back home.

We got back to Canal Street around 2 and Kate has decided that she needs a Maccas fix. Oh well she has been trying different foods over the last couple of weeks so I guess I can let here fall off the wagon just this once.
We walked past Cafe Beignet (after Maccas) on Royal Street and just had to call in to see if their beignets are as good as Cafe Du Monde. They were!

Wendy is leaving Kate and I to our own devices tonight as Pat is picking Wendy up just before six for a girls night out. I am sure my ears will be burring at some stage later in the night. Pat being a local knows all the great spots to dine out and Wendy told us that she had a great time at the classy Bacchanal Fine Wine and Spirits. By the way Bacchanal means ‘an occasion of wild & drunken revelry. I can see why a puritan like me was not invited. http://www.bacchanalwine.com/#about-marquee Wendy was very impressed. You select from the refrigerators a bottle of wine, salami and your cheese of choice. Then hand over you supplies to the staff who then bring them back to your table on a wooden board with added goodies such as olives and dips. Plus there is live music. Very civilised indeed.