Day 28 – May 3
This city won’t wash away
This city won’t ever drown
Blood in the water and hell to pay
Sky tear open and pain rain down
Doesn’t matter ‘cause come what may
I ain’t ever gonna leave this town
This city won’t wash away
This city won’t ever drown
Ain’t the river or the wind to blame
Everybody around here knows that
Nothin’ holdin’ back Pontchatrain
Except for a prayer and a promises’s ghost
We just carryon diggin’ our graves
In solid marble above the ground
Maybe our bones’ll wash away
But this city won’t ever drown
This city won’t ever die
Just as long as her heart beats strong
Like a second line steppin’ high
Raisin’ hell as we roll along
Gentilly, to the Vieux Carre
Lower nine, Central City, Uptown
Singin’ Jacomo fee-nah-nay
This city won’t ever drown
Doesn’t matter cause there ain’t no way
I’m ever gonna leave this town
This city won’t wash away
This city won’t ever drown – This City – Steve Earle

Our Last Day

Another overcast and muggy day as we walk down to the French Market for the last time this trip. I have bribed Kate by offering her $20 to pack my cases. Haven’t told her that it will be $20 Australian. We have to be at the airport by 5:15 A.M. tomorrow so there will be no time to dally.

Kate doesn’t want to eat to much as tonight we will be going out with Pat for our last N.O. meal. It is noon already and I am hungry so I ordered a serve of Cajun Dirty Rice. If you don’t like fried chicken livers then this may not be the meal for you but I have eaten it before and really like it. Wendy went for the ‘gator on a stick.

It is always a sad time for me knowing that a trip to N.O. is ending but it will be good to get back and see the family and friends. Speaking of friends we are all very concerned about hearing of the disappearance of Way Out West member and MBAS committee person, Diane Forster. Di loves her Blues music and is a strong advocate of Melbourne Music and Women in Blues. We just hope for her family and many, many friends that a good outcome occurs.

I just wiled away the afternoon sitting out on the veranda watching the world go by. I girl on a bike rode past me and then came back and asked if she could take my photo. She said she was riding around the Quarter taking photos of interesting people. I told her I was not a local but she said that didn’t matter. Who knows where that photo may end up. You never know I may make a tourist book or something?

Pat picked us up around 5 as she knows we can’t have too late a night. We drove over to mid-city to a local neighbourhood restaurant called Katie’s. Yes I know, how ironic the name is, seeing we all know of Kate’s cooking prowess. Even at the early hour the restaurant was humming along with many early diners. The food was fantastic and the two strawberry Abita’s quenched the thirst. If you ever find you way to Katie’s then I strongly recommend the stuffed seafood beignet. We shared some stories with Pat and it was a great way to finish off our trip to N.O.

Pat dropped us off just in time for N.C.I.S. New Orleans. The guest musician on the episode was Gary Clarke Jnr who I just saw perform at Jazz Fest. We were able again to recognise many of the N.O. backdrops. Mickey had told us he was definitely in this episode but we missed his scene.

Bed for all of us is an early one as we have to be up at 4 A.M. Just hope I can drop off to sleep quickly as the next day and a half of travel will be mind numbing.