April 14th. – Day 11

Good Friday in the Quarter. I am out and about at 9:30. A little overcast and still quiet around town.

Down to Belle’s Diner on Decatur just across from the French Market. One thing about being a regular visitor is that you build up a bit of knowledge about good eating establishments. Belle’s is a 50’s styled Diner with the obligatory rock ‘n’ roll music greeting customers. Ordered the Belle’s breakfast of sunny-side up eggs, bacon, hash browns and coffee all for $10. Smothered of course with Crystal hot sauce.

Went back to the apartment and chilled out listening to WWOZ.

Around 12:30 I headed down to the market for a Pecan Pie. I have been trying to bake these little sweet morals at home. Had some success with the filling turning out O.K. but just need to work on the pastry. When Cara comes back home I will get her to help me out. She is our families baking wizard.

About time that I took a nice long walk along the Mississippi down to the Riverwalk Mall. Perfect day for it with a cooling breeze coming off the river. Did some window shopping, taking note of a few things I might buy toward the end of my trip. Depending of course on how my finances are holding up.

Time to head back for a rest and then shower before heading out again to meet up with our good friends Pat & Bob ‘Gentilly’ Jnr. at a favorite watering hole on St. Phillips, the legendary Johnny White’s bar. We are not meeting up until 9ish. Now I must say that if I was back home I would normally be in bed by this time. New Orleans sure brings out the bad boy in me!

I headed out around 7:30 to make sure I had a feed before consuming a copious amount of the seasonal Abita Strawberry Ale. I found a Vietnamese restaurant and ordered a Beef Pho and an appetizer of fried dumplings filled with crab meat and cream cheese. The Beef Pho was a little disappointing, nowhere as tasty as those from Barkly St. Footscray however the dumplings were very tasty.

I am seated a the bar at 9 and there is a change of shift, ‘Evil’ Bob is now our barman through to 3 A.M. In fact I said hello to Evil Bon yesterday as he was part of the wedding reception at Mr. B’s Bar.

Pat and Bob came in shortly after and we greeted like the old friend’s that we have become. They are both truly the most friendly and accommodating people you would wish to meet. I know that Wendy is sorely sorry that she is not with me this trip. Not so much for the destination but for the people we know call friends. We had a great time chatting and discussing Pat’s planned ‘Down Under’ trip. I am trying valiantly to persuade Bob to also come away with Pat. It would be great to be able to show them both our Melbourne music scene and places such as the Great Ocean Road and of course the crazy people we knock about with.

A Brass Band went past Johnny White’s (apparently). Pat said to me, ‘ You are now a local, a brass band just went by and you just kept on talking.’ Normally I would have went over to the door to have a look! Pat showed me a photo of ‘Evil’ Bob in his Mardi Gras Costume. He was dressed as a vagina, yes that is what I said, a vagina. Looked incredible, a 6 foot five inch vagina! He could hire himself out to schools for sex education classes.

The night finished up around 2 A.M. with plans to do it all again next Friday. Can’t wait.