A NOLA Anniversary - Part 2

Saturday morning started the way most every tourist's day starts in New Orleans -- with some delicious beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde on Decatur Street. A beignet (french for "doughnut") is a square of fried dough crowned with a mound of powdered sugar. So good! I ordered a frozen cafe au lait... Shaun opted for a chocolate milk instead. :)

The line to get into Cafe du Monde was about 30 minutes long again, but we watched street performers across the street and the carriage drivers advertising their tours.

Shaun liked the beignets!

A lot.

Breakfast of champions!

After breakfast we wandered the French Quarter and just admired how pretty it all was. The wrought iron balconies and tucked away courtyards are just a tiny piece of the city's charm.

The courtyards are hidden away behind the buildings, but between units you can sometimes get a passing glance at one of these "secret gardens."

Vestiges of Mardi Gras parades past

The French Market is a large farmer's market in the French Quarter with all sorts of produce, trinkets, and deals. Our purchase? A bottle of Miss Dior Cherie perfume for a steal of $30. When we got back to the hotel we found out why. Same bottle, totally different smell. I think we were duped. Bummer.

Saint Louis Cathedral -- This mini basilica is an iconic image of the French Quarter. We were lucky enough to get inside before the two weddings they were holding that day. Pshh, we thought, the Academy's chapel is doing twice that today!

This band, The Smoking Time Jazz Club, set up shop in the center of Royal Street and performed like 5 different songs. We sat and watched for quite a while and enjoyed the couple in the right side of the picture who ballroom danced to each selection. We enjoyed it so much that we bought a copy of their CD. A much better purchase than the Dior...

We stopped into shops frequently to enjoy their AC. This mask store was one of our favorites.

Like my very own Cyrano de Bergerac! :)

Spray painted performers everywhere.

And then came the streetcar fiasco...