We’re beat and my feet hurt...

1/23/18  A day of rest

Today is a designated down day. We have to keep telling ourselves we don’t have to do everything during the first week. Slept in till 10ish. Herman and I out for our usual morning levee walk. A little cooler today. Watched the Norwegian Princess make a laborious u-turn just short of the bridge (too big to go under!) to head out to the Gulf. Brunch of leftover leftover red beans and rice with a link of crawfish andouille sausage chopped in and topped with a fried egg. Toast and locally made raspberry preserves. A slice of Rouse’s grocery king cake for desert. The 3rd cake we’ve sampled and the best so far!

Last night a romp in the Quarter. Took the ferry over to met our friends Steve and Laurie for cocktails at the Carousel Lounge in the Hotel Monteleone. The lounge is dominated by a revolving bar with all the appearances of a carnival carousel except horses are replaced with barstools and carnie staff is replaced by tux vested bartenders making Vieux Carres’s (invented in this bar) as fast as they can for the revealers of tourists, conventioneers (Budweiser in town), cruise passengers, and semi-locals like ourselves. Been walking for 2 days, my feet are killing me and now I still have to literally walk in circles to keep up with the seated ladies! Next a stroll to Frenchman St to catch a set of the Royal Roses at the Masion. Drums, guitar, and tuba with sax, trumpet and clarinet (young woman had small role on HBO’s Treme) seated in front. They were great playing old jazz with a little Dixieland thrown in for the tourists. A walk back thru the Quarter dodging police zipping around in golf carts (complete with blue light flashing) and across the front of St. Louis Cathedral past candle (and phone) lit psychic readers and  skateboarders hopping the steps in the dark brought us to the Redfish Grill for dinner. A new establishment since Katrina it has developed quite a following. My wood grilled redfish and sautéed gulf shrimp with Tasso and roasted mushroom pontabla potatoes and lemon butter sauce was cooked to protection with just enough spice to let me know it was there. Sarah’s fried catfish smothered in crawfish étouffée (her fav) must have been acceptable since she didn’t offer her usual share! After hugs and “goodbyes” to our friends, we watch a gentleman casually switch out his license plate as we await out Uber on Canal St. A quick and easy ride home put us in bed by midnight feeling almost like adults staying out so late.