On second wind or Viva, New Orleans! New Orleans: attractions and our impressions What is New Orleans famous for?
December 27, 2015 “Our idols were better than yours” - probably this eternal complaint of the older generation to the younger explains well the logic of installing monuments to famous performers of past years.
Other reasons for the appearance of such monuments - the desire of city authorities to decorate the city, attract tourists, as well as the demands of fans to give them the opportunity to gather in front of the monumental image of their idol, of course, also play a role, but not a decisive one. Be that as it may, monuments to musical idols stand all over the world, travel agencies willingly include them in the lists of attractions in different cities, so we have a reason to talk about the ten most, in our opinion, interesting and famous.
No one living today has heard Niccolo Paganini, who amazed audiences with his skill at the beginning of the 19th century, playing the violin. Nevertheless, he can rightfully be called the musical idol of his era - Paganini’s popularity was enormous, famous writers and poets dedicated many enthusiastic lines to him. But, as it turned out, his most ardent “fans” were ministers of the Catholic Church...
After Paganini’s death in 1840, the church declared that such an unimaginable talent could only be from the devil, and forbade the maestro to be buried according to Christian rites. Paganini's son had to travel with his father's body almost all of Italy, which was then divided into principalities and duchies. They didn’t want to bury the “devilish virtuoso” anywhere. This went on for almost forty years, several times the already interred body was torn out again, until the great virtuoso found his last refuge in the city of Parma. A bust with a colonnade was installed at the grave of the “great and damned” Paganini; it can be considered the first monument to a musical idol.
One can argue about the artistic merits of this monument in a New Orleans park, but it was undoubtedly placed “on the spot.” New Orleans is recognized as the birthplace and capital of jazz; Louis Armstrong, a singer and trumpeter nicknamed “Satchmo”, was born here in 1901. In the first half of the last century, jazz was the most fashionable musical direction, and the most popular jazz performer for many years was Armstrong, who came to music in a very original way - through a local colony for juvenile delinquents of color.
There was a brass band in the colony; eleven-year-old Louis, who was sent there for stealing a pistol (from a policeman!), learned to play the trumpet. And he fascinated millions of people all over the world with his playing, as well as his voice with an inimitable “trademark” wheeze. And he always looked a little confused and embarrassed on stage - the author of the monument certainly succeeded in conveying these traits.
For those who remember Leonid Utesov and are familiar with his work, the choice of a place for a monument to an outstanding singer, musician, and actor seems to be the only correct one. Of course, Odessa, and of course - Deribasovskaya Street. Although during his long life, Utesov changed his place of residence many times - he lived in Kremenchug, and in Moscow, and in St. Petersburg, then Leningrad. And in his youth he simply traveled around the country with a traveling circus, in which he worked as a gymnast. But in the eyes of fans, and over half a century of active creative activity millions of residents of the entire USSR became them, Leonid Utesov has always been and remains a resident of Odessa, perhaps the most famous in the entire post-Soviet space. And for the Odessa residents themselves - also Leonid Osipovich, or Uncle Lenya, with whom you can easily sit next to on a bench.
“She was born like a sparrow, lived like a sparrow, and died like a sparrow.” This is about a singer whose stage name is translated from the Parisian argot - “little sparrow”. Street sparrows have a difficult life; for Edith Piaf it was also filled with tragedies. As a child, she was alternately abandoned by both parents, and she lost her sight. In her youth, her only daughter died of illness, and in her mature years, her loved one died in a plane crash.
And all these years Edith sang - for the spoiled Parisian public, for the British royal family, as well as for the inhabitants of the working-class neighborhoods of Paris, French prisoners of war in Germany - her passionate singing, with tragic notes, was understandable to everyone. And she herself, being already rich and world famous, caressed by male attention, constantly complained of loneliness. It is precisely this way, lonely and restless, that the singer, the “little sparrow,” appears to tourists on a Parisian square named after her, Place Edith Piaf.
Vladimir Vysotsky, Russia, Moscow
Moscow (three), Naberezhnye Chelny, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Volgodonsk, Dubna, Sochi, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara - in these Russian cities there are monuments to Vladimir Vysotsky, the list is probably not complete. In Ukraine, the famous bard was immortalized in Odessa (twice), Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkov, Melitopol. There are monuments to Vysotsky in Belarus, Montenegro and even in the USA.
The monuments are very different, both in the degree of portrait similarity and in artistic design; some depict the singer together with his wife, actress Marina Vladi. But there is hardly any need to describe them all here. The most interesting to us is the monument to Vysotsky by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli on Krasnaya Presnya. Muscovites have an ambiguous attitude towards the work of this sculptor, but in this case, we believe it was possible to recreate the most complex image of the restless singer, poet and actor.
There are even more cities and countries in which monuments to the “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley are erected than on Vladimir Vysotsky’s list; it is simply impossible to list them. Some of them have private status; the singer’s fans made them at their own expense and installed them on their territory. Most often the King is depicted with a guitar, although, by all accounts, he was nothing special as a guitarist. But such is his pop image, which remains in the memory of many millions of admirers of Elvis Presley’s talent. Most likely, it is this image that inspires sculptors around the world to create monuments to Elvis again and again - this broad-shouldered handsome man seemed to be born to become a monument. This idea, in our opinion, is best illustrated by the monument in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the site where Elvis’s concert, first broadcast via satellite around the world, took place in 1973.
Here we are again dealing with “mass production” - a great many monuments to the legendary four have been erected all over the world, only in the territory former USSR there are at least a dozen of them. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to presenting the monument in the quartet’s homeland, in the British city of Liverpool. This one differs from many other monuments to the Beatles group in the “financial component” - money for it was collected by Beatlemaniacs from all over the world.
Freddie Mercury, although he was certainly a talented singer and a musical idol of the 80s generation, is inferior in popularity to any of the performers presented here. However, he was also awarded his monument. The reason, most likely, is the unusual fate, extraordinary appearance and tragic death of the famous lead singer of Queen. Born on the exotic island of Zanzibar into a family of followers of a rare religion - Zoroastrianism, Freddie Mercury (Farrukh Bulsara) throughout his life surprised those around him with his incredible talent in a variety of fields - painting, graphics, sports, music, and eccentric behavior. Therefore, all his fans were deeply shocked by the death of their idol in 1991 from AIDS, at the age of 45. A monument to Freddie Mercury was erected in the Swiss resort town of Montreux.
We are publishing here a monument to Viktor Tsoi by sculptor Sergei Kulgachev, installed in 2010 on Socialist Street in Barnaul. In our opinion, it is he who most accurately conveys the image of the musical idol of the “perestroika generation”, and very accurately fits into the theme of “A Star Called the Sun” - a symbolic reflection of one of Tsoi’s most famous songs. Unfortunately, on the streets of St. Petersburg, hometown singer, there is still no monument to Viktor Tsoi, there is only a bust on the singer’s grave and several bas-reliefs. The mayor's office promises to perpetuate the memory of Viktor Tsoi only in 2016.
Probably, Michael Jackson himself, the official “Legend of America” and “Icon of Music,” if he were alive today, would be surprised at our choice. From the many monuments erected in different cities of the world to “the most successful artist of all time” (the wording of the Guinness Book of Records), we chose for publication a monument in Russia, in Yekaterinburg, by the sculptor Viktor Mosielev. This huge, three-meter-high sculpture accurately conveys the main thing that distinguished Jackson's work - inimitable dynamics and expression.
The Southern United States is among the top 10 best regions to travel in 2018. New Orleans is one of the main cities in the region, and this year it turns 300 years old. We've put together a stack of reasons to fall in love with this city.
1. Cultural mix
When you get off the plane in New Orleans and take your first breath of local air, you immediately understand: this is the south, the tropics, a river, swamps and alligators. New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, one of the largest port cities in the United States, which has grown on both banks of the Mississippi River, in several of its bends, which is why it is also called “The Crescent City”. This city is also called the Big Easy - this can refer both to the easy life of musicians of the early jazz era, and to the period of Prohibition, when the entire city turned into one large speakeasy bar - and now it best characterizes the relaxed local atmosphere. However, most often you will see the short NOLA instead of the official New Orleans.
To understand where the local cultural mix comes from, first a paragraph of history. The city was founded in 1719 as a French colony (and named after the regent of France). The official date is unknown, but it is believed to have been May 7th. A couple of decades later, the French ceded the city to the Spaniards, and in 1803 it passed to the United States. At this time, half of the local population were African slaves, and the city itself was the first point where ships with those captured into slavery arrived. The first hundred years of the city's existence were shaped by Spanish and French cultures, which then mixed with the culture of people from Africa - first slaves, then free inhabitants, and with the culture of Creoles and Cajuns - local descendants of French and Spanish settlers with their own language.
In general, you can imagine what different traditions meet here. The result was a treat for everyone: unique architecture, music and food. Local architecture takes you either to France or to Spain: colorful small houses, high columns, balconies with patterned wrought-iron grilles, tropical plants blooming wildly on the terraces. From each open door jazz is heard - or variations thereof. And the most popular local restaurants position themselves as establishments of Creole and Cajun cuisine. Pleasure for all senses at once.
2. Urban areas
New Orleans, like any city, has very different neighborhoods with different moods. The most famous is the French Quarter, the calling card of the city. You need to go there on foot: look at every beautiful house with lace balcony bars, look at the freaks and musicians on Bourbon street, which turns into one big club as the evening begins, and admire the windows of art stores on Royal street (it’s unlikely that you will buy these works of art, but they definitely deserve attention). When you're hungry, come to French market (French Market, 700-1010 Decatur St.) , stretching over six blocks, features traditional street food dishes, fresh fruit and delicacies like alligator on a stick. There you can sit in a cafe, listen to musicians or buy souvenirs. Try your luck at a legendary local Cafe du Monde (800 Decatur St.)- it's been selling coffee and donuts since 1862, closing only on Christmas or the day a hurricane passes too close. Why try your luck? Quite often, a line of people wanting to touch the legend wraps around this place.
Be sure to go to the Bywaters neighborhood “neighboring” the French Quarter - it is adjacent to the river, there are the same beautiful houses as in the French Quarter, but this is a residential and lively area that few tourists get to. So you look at the real life of city residents: a free library in the shape of a coffin on the street (there is also a skeleton inside), cats occupying the chairs on the veranda of the house, multi-colored beads on trees and mopeds. There are several beautiful cathedrals here, as if moved here from France or Spain, and a lot of street art (if you're lucky, you'll meet the artists themselves at work). Take a walk through the new Crescent park, which stretches like a crescent for three kilometers along the river on the site of former shipyards. Here you can meditate while looking at the colorful steamboats sailing along the Mississippi, take great photos of the city, take a free dance or fitness class, watch local runners and dog walkers, and admire works of modern art.
The rest of the city may not be so easy to reach. The sightseeing tour costs $30-50, but we recommend that you buy a day pass (called a Jazzy Pass, available at Walgreens) - it costs only $3 and allows you unlimited rides on local trams and buses for 24 hours afterward. , how do you enter the date in the transport validator. You can get by with a one-time trip for $1.5, but prepare this amount without change. The streetcars in New Orleans appeared in 1893, and the current ones look like they were preserved from about the same time: small and wooden. Take the tram along the Mississippi Riverfront line, along Canal street to immerse yourself in the bustling city center, and in the Garden District to look at luxurious villas and huge spreading trees. It seems that they, like the city itself, are already three hundred years old. Branches hanging low over the road are not trimmed, but signs are hung warning about the maximum permissible height of cars.
Another cool area - Arts/Warehouse District, where, as expected, galleries and museums opened on the site of former trading warehouses. Come here for a museum day (more on that below).
Finally, another tram line will take you to the city park New Orleans City Park. You can wander around it all day: it is huge and has existed since 1854 - one of the oldest city parks in the United States. There is Botanical Garden, sculpture park, carousel, Train Garden for train lovers, ponds and canals with picturesque bridges and trees (some local oak trees are 800 years old). Don’t miss Singing oak – a “wind chime” was hung on a powerful old tree, and now you can lie on the grass under it to the melodious chime. And if it suddenly turns out to be a rainy day, you can always spend it in the museum. NOMA, the New Orleans Museum of Art, is located right in the park and houses a collection of American and French works of art, as well as works from Africa and Mayan cultural objects. On the other side of the park is Lake Pontchartrain, the second largest salt lake in the United States, more like a sea. The bridge over it (Lake Ponchartrain Causeway) is the largest straight bridge over water in the world.
3. Museums
Most of the museums in the city are concentrated in the Arts/Warehouse District (we don’t count the already mentioned NOMA in the park). If you come with children, don’t bypass them Louisiana Children's Museum(420 Julia St), which consistently ranks first in all ratings of US children's museums. For lovers of contemporary art - Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp St)– go not only to the exhibitions, but also to the souvenir shop, where you can drink coffee and choose cool books about the history of the city, feminism or photography and cinema. Directly opposite him - Odgen Museum of Southern Art (925 Camp St) for those who want to feel the spirit of the American South. If you want to learn about the American view of the history of World War II, go to the giant The National World War II Museum (945 Magazine St)– Many educational events and interactive exhibitions take place here. And small pharmacy museum (514 Chartres St) in a pharmacy in 1823 will be of interest to those who love old bottles and the cult of voodoo.
4. Jazz
Jazz was born in New Orleans. Music is perhaps one of the main reasons to go to this city. Jazz will be heard everywhere here - in shops, restaurants and just on the streets. Street musicians are the most charming, so don't spare them a few dollars for a performance. If you want to not only listen to live jazz, but also dance, go to parties in Allways Lounge (2240 St Claude Ave) or Dragon's Den (435 Esplanade Ave)– grab a cocktail and take part in a dance lesson along with the locals. You'll learn a couple of Charleston moves and you'll be able to hit the dance floor. Look for other proven jazz clubs. Another option for enthusiasts who are ready to listen to old records on headphones is a small jazz museum (400 Esplanade Ave). Free film screenings are regularly held here, and you can also attend a concert - check the schedule of events on the museum’s website. And, of course, don't ignore vinyl record stores.
5. Food
The region's cuisine, as you remember, is as wild a mix as the architecture: it is influenced by culinary traditions from Paris to Cadiz and the Congo. Look for places with traditional Cajun and Creole food - originally this was most often the food of the poor, but now these are popular dishes, including very noble versions. Here's what to try:
Gumbo- a thick seafood soup to which red peppers, onions, rice, okra and sausages have been added - in general, variations are possible.
Jambalaya- an attempt by Spanish settlers to recreate their native paella from local ingredients, which over time turned into a separate dish.
Rice with red beans- a traditional Creole dish. Local spices are not spared in it, so it can be quite spicy.
Oysters and seafood.
Sandwich po-boy with French bread, salad, local sauce and shrimp, oysters or meat. The name comes from poor boy, because it was a snack for poor local workers.
Separately, it is necessary to say about sweets - New Orleans inherited delicious confectionery traditions from France. Firstly, don't miss the local "donuts without a hole" in soft powdered sugar (beignets), and secondly, be sure to stop by one of the local candy stores (for example, Aunt Sally's or Southern Candymakers), where they make pralines, marshmallows, candies and handmade cookies. With chocolate-covered nuts, salted caramel, and desserts with names like “Mississippi Mud,” you can treat yourself to a sweet day and buy some gifts to take home.
6. Mississippi
The main river of the United States flows into the Gulf of Mexico a hundred kilometers from the city - and has always been an important part of it. The first steamship to sail through the Mississippi (in 1811) was called the New Orleans. In the 19th century, up to five thousand passenger and cargo ships passed along the river per year. Nowadays, you can still watch the ships sailing along the murky waters of the river - and you can even wake up at night from their horns echoing throughout the city. If you want to feel the atmosphere of the heyday of the steamship era, go sailing on pleasure ships Creole Queen And Steamboat Natchez(prices - $ 36-70 depending on the duration of the walk and musical accompaniment).
If you don’t want to shell out money, you can again use public transport and cross to the other side of the river on the ferry, which runs every half hour from the Canal Street Ferry Terminal for only two dollars one way (have money ready without change). True, this journey will only take ten minutes. On the other side, in Algiers point, you can take a walk among the quiet streets - this is the second oldest district of the city, where few tourists come - walk to a beautiful old church and eat warm pastries in a cafe Tout De Suit on the corner (347 Verret St.). Sit outside and watch the quiet life of the city: someone comes in for lunch, someone reads the bulletin board, where a poster for Justin Timberlake's new album sits next to a note written in multi-colored pencils about the sale of Girl Scout cookies.
7. Events
New Orleans hosts several cool festivals - if you're planning your trip, it's worth timing it around these dates. The most important event of the year is Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras– “Fat Tuesday”, the Tuesday before the start of Catholic Lent. Initially, it was a costume show to celebrate spring, which took place in the French Quarter - every year it became more colorful and more crowded, masks, moving platforms and the Carnival King, music and satirical performances were gradually added. Now it is a real carnival, when the whole city is buzzing. All houses are decorated with yellow-green-purple flags, glitter and flowers; trees and pillars are hung with beads, which are scattered by carnival participants - you will see them long after the end of the holiday. Mardi Gras usually falls in February or early March - you can check the exact dates for the next ten years. Are you coming at a completely different time of year? Check out the museum Mardi Gras World (1380 Port of New Orleans) to get a little feel of the carnival mood.
Mardi Gras is not the only event on the city calendar that is worth timing your visit with.
New Orleans is a city in the southern United States, The largest city state of Louisiana. As of 2013, the population of New Orleans is 378 thousand people. In total, more than 1.3 million people live in the New Orleans region.
New Orleans is located on the banks of the Mississippi, 170 km from where the river flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The city is surrounded on three sides by water (Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain). However, most of New Orleans lies below or at sea level.
New Orleans is at great risk from possible hurricanes and floods. The city suffered a catastrophic blow in 2005 when 80% of the city was flooded during Hurricane Katrina. Tens of thousands of people lost their homes and were forced to leave the city. Many of them decided not to return. A year after the disaster, only 223 thousand people were counted in New Orleans, which is half as many as before Hurricane Katrina. The city has not yet fully recovered from the consequences of the flood.
New Orleans is an important transport hub and distribution center, and its port infrastructure plays an important role. The Port of New Orleans, as well as the nearby Port of South Louisiana, is one of the largest and busiest port systems in the United States. The multifunctional Port of New Orleans not only serves container traffic, but also receives numerous cruise and tourist ships.
The economy of New Orleans is largely related to maritime affairs. There are many shipbuilding, logistics and transport companies in the region. New Orleans is also a center for the oil refining and petrochemical industries. In Louisiana, in particular, large quantities of oil are produced from platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, which are processed at numerous facilities in the region. Tourism is an important sector of New Orleans' economy.
The region's main airport, Louis Armstrong International Airport, is located in the suburb of Kenner.
The racial makeup of New Orleans as of 2013 is:
- African Americans - 58.9%
- white - 30.9%
- Hispanics of any race - 5.5%
- Asians - 3.0%
- mixed races - 1.4%
Crime is considered a major problem in New Orleans. It is worth noting that the issue is most acute in certain poor areas hidden from the eyes of tourists.
The Big Easy - "Big Easy" is the most common nickname for New Orleans. The origin of the nickname is unknown for sure, however, it emphasizes the free atmosphere of the city, the carefreeness and ease of perception of the surrounding world by residents.
New Orleans has a reputation as a city where you can easily find any kind of "adult" entertainment. The city is known for its club life, availability of alcohol, music, casinos, and large gay community. But besides this, New Orleans is home to historical districts, interesting architecture, museums, shopping, festivals, parades, and vibrant holidays. The most famous and popular holiday is the Mardi Gras carnival. Tours in the surrounding area (plantations, swamps) and various cruise options may also be of interest.
A recognizable symbol of the city - the Statue of Andrew Jackson against the backdrop of St. Louis Cathedral
The main street of New Orleans is Magazine Street. Other important streets of the city are Canal Street, St. Charles Avenue, Bourborn Street, Rampart Street.
Neighborhoods of New Orleans
French Quater (“French Quarter”, often simply “Quater”) is the oldest and most famous district of the city, filled with museums, restaurants, clubs and interesting shops.
Popular French Quarter attractions:
- Bourborn Street
- Jackson Square
- Cathedral of St. Louis Cathedral
- French Market
- Preservation Hall
- Former New Orleans Mint
- Saint Louis Cemetery
- Contemporary Arts Center Museum
- New Orleans Museum of Art
- Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Central Business District is a typical downtown, central business district of the city. There are high-rise hotels, prestigious restaurants, and several important museums here.
Uptown is a residential area partially built up with old buildings. Uptown is home to the Audubon Zoo.
Faubourg Marigny is a bohemian neighborhood east of the French Quarter, known for its vibrant nightlife.
Treme is a historic neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter.
The climate in New Orleans is humid subtropical. Summers are hot, humid with high rainfall. The average daily temperature in July is 28 C. Winters in New Orleans are usually mild, the average daily temperature in January is 11 C. Snow falls extremely rarely. Hurricane season runs from June to November. Best time for visiting New Orleans from the end of November to the first half of June.
So our travels around America have finally begun, otherwise we’re all driving around different countries, but we still can’t see “ours”?? It's even a shame! Therefore, full speed ahead!
Let's pack our bags and go to Orleans!?
Starting to talk about New Orleans is not so easy. This is one of the very unusual and atmospheric cities in America.
In Orleans, completely incompatible things are simply amazingly mixed. The French Quarter, with its cute houses and vintage balconies, is home to many killer bars, jazz clubs and shops selling voodoo witchcraft goods. Creole cuisine has taken over all the tourist restaurants, where you can try spicy crocodile meat, but then eat it with a sweet donut with powdered sugar and the famous Orleans praline. The local population is also striking in its diversity: in one city both rich and poor, white, black, and very educated people, and those who cannot be called in cultural words. Everything seemed to merge into one inexplicable lump consisting of green alligators, vampires in the cemetery, strong bourbon, perky jazz, multi-colored beads (for which women can show you their bare breasts) and complete recklessness. This is what New Orleans is like! ?
But, of course, everything is in order.
French Quarter
The first place all tourists go is Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. The most tourist and oldest part of the city. Bars, restaurants, shops, street musicians and fortune tellers are waiting for you and your money from morning until late evening. Here it is, that Orleans that everyone knows about.
Food in New Orleans - Creole Cuisine and More
You need to go to New Orleans with the precise goal of trying a lot of everything and very unusual things! This is a must-have for an active tourist.
Be sure to go to the French Market and try some of the local Creole cuisine: jambalaya, gumbo or etouffie - these are such unique pilaf and seafood stews. Also popular are red beans and rice, alligator sausage, crab cake, don't miss the oysters, both raw and cooked, the popular Louisiana po-boy sandwich (like a hot dog, but instead of sausage, for example, shrimp) and yes, they cook turtles here too. Lovers of unusual dishes will definitely not go hungry. But keep in mind that all this comes with a sufficient amount of pepper and seasonings. There’s no way to do this without this! Seasonings are even sold separately to tourists to take away as a souvenir or to enjoy Creole cuisine later at home.
Still, I couldn’t eat anything except oysters and crab, the food was very spicy. But I liked the Orleans beignets - these are rectangles of fried dough, generously sprinkled with powdered sugar, and praline - a “fudge” with nuts that we know from childhood. You will find donuts right next to the French Market at Cafe Du Monde, and pralines at the adjacent store with the cafe - Aunt Sally’s.
With praline there is another trick. If you want to save a couple of dollars and just avoid large quantity visitors in their company store, go to the nearest CVS pharmacy, there is one on Canal St. right in the center of the block. The same pralines are sold there, without the hype and cheaper. The only thing is that in the original store you can try everything, there are samplers, but not in the pharmacy, otherwise it would be something completely amazing ?.
Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery
The most beautiful and interesting place in New Orleans, for me personally, it turned out to be the Garden District - a garden district translated into Russian.
It also houses another famous landmark of the city - the old Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Why is it interesting? Firstly, it is very gothic and there are all sorts of mystical stories about it, starting with vampires (for example, the film “Interview with the Vampire” was filmed there, and also this place turned out to be familiar to many from the TV series The Originals) and ending with the grave some cool voodoo witch. Secondly, this cemetery is unusual in that it consists entirely of crypts. Well, thirdly, nowadays people will find something to make money from, so Lafayette Cemetery has become a popular place for horror tours.
But we went to the cemetery and left, of course, it is very old, but I don’t understand people who want to take selfies against the backdrop of other people’s graves. So we went for a walk through the streets behind the cemetery, and there was a completely different atmosphere there! There is amazing silence and beauty there! And no tourists.
The Garden District is not only an affluent area, but also a place that was largely unscathed by Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, in contrast to the rest of the city, there are perfect white houses with a smooth white fence. I spent a long time looking for the architectural style of this place on the Internet, and it looked like Raised Center-Hall Cottage, I confess, I couldn’t translate it. In general, these are the cottages:
But the point is not even in them, but in the greenery in which these houses are buried. The nature here is simply amazing! Green trees, green bushes, green lawns, even green pillars and tiles on the asphalt, because they were embraced by fluffy green moss that had grown from the humid Louisiana climate.
And yes, here I found an old Water Meter sewer manhole, also a kind of symbol of New Orleans, I even bought a ring with a print of this manhole at the French Market (yes, in addition to food, there are also a lot of interesting souvenirs, for example, those the heads of crocodiles or their paws on sticks to scratch your back?).
Alligator Swamp Tour
The end of our trip was a tour called Swamp tour to the swamps of Louisiana. We took a special excursion, which, by the way, was attended by Brad Pitt and his family (then before his divorce from Jolie ☺️), Schwarzenegger and his children, and other celebrities.
I liked New Orleans, although I expected more beautiful views from the French Quarter, obviously spoiled by the streets of Europe and simply beautiful pictures on the Internet. But I don’t regret the trip either, to see another state, another culture, try unusual food and find myself in a humid subtropical climate, which, to be honest, was simply disgusting, was it still interesting?
And we still went out of season, but the season in Orleans is the Mardi Gras carnival ( Mardi Gras), but on the condition that if this is what the city center looks like on the morning after a regular Saturday, then it’s scary to imagine what’s going on there! This is clearly for the crazy drinkers! Not for us?.
In any case, I wish New Orleans to quickly overcome all the consequences of Hurricane Katrina and once again become a very bright and unique city in America.
If you were in New Orleans, tell us what your impressions were?
Oddly enough, some cities in America could well be considered European. New Orleans, for example, was founded by the French, and for a short time it was ruled by the Spaniards. This influence is hard to miss. Once here, you will probably notice buildings made in architectural styles that are characteristic of Europe. Many dishes will also certainly remind you of European cuisine. Even the name of the city is directly related to the name of the French regent.
But the city cannot be called completely European, if only because it was founded by a Canadian, which took place in 1718. At first, French convicts lived here, which affected the general atmosphere. Today, the largest city in Louisiana, surrounded by the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain, is home to about 400 thousand people.
Somehow, it has long been a tradition that in New Orleans there is a spirit of freedom, ease of perception of what is happening, hence the second name The Big Easy and, in fact, the third - “Carefree City”. There is plenty of entertainment for adults: clubs, casinos and music. Various festivals, noisy celebrations and parades are held here. Many people are familiar with the carnival called “Mardi Gras”. But, above all, New Orleans will be interesting for its architecture, history and unusual atmosphere. Now I will tell you about the main attractions.
Sights of New Orleans
There are plenty of interesting places in the city; most of the attractions are concentrated in the “French Quarter” - the oldest and most famous area of the city. It is full of small shops, restaurants, clubs and museums. By the way, the most interesting way to explore the city is while riding on the famous tram, the oldest in the country.
It plays no less a role than the tram in or. You should start your trip to New Orleans from its most famous street.
Bourbon Street
You probably guessed in whose honor it got its name (that’s right, the Bourbon dynasty is immortalized in it). Sting himself sang about Bourbon Street.
It decorates the French Quarter of New Orleans and in the evenings becomes a kind of door to the world of all kinds of entertainment. Already at 20 o'clock, car traffic ends here and the active life of pedestrians begins. This is a place for recreation for indigenous people, visitors and tourists.
Jackson Square
In the very center of the French Quarter is General Jackson Square (formerly Army Square). Its cast-iron fences and gardens have been perfectly preserved since the mid-19th century. Of course, the monument to Jackson himself, seated on a rearing horse, catches the eye.
The square has become a concentration of the creative layer; it is a unique place where musicians, artists and simple people to enjoy art.
Cathedral of Saint Louis
Speaking about the main attractions of New Orleans, one cannot help but remember St. Louis Cathedral, especially since you just saw it in the photo. This is a building with three spiers that towers over the city. By the way, it is often from here that tourists look at the Jackson statue; it is clearly visible. Saint-Louis Cathedral dates back to 1727.
In this temple, children of noble people were baptized, funeral services were held for famous personalities, and couples were married. Unfortunately, the building completely burned down at the end of the 18th century, and a completely new one appeared in its place.
French market
No less striking landmark of New Orleans. A great place for everyone who wants to buy something to remember their trip to the Carefree City. Naturally, the greatest demand is for home-made items: wicker baskets, household utensils, furniture and toys for children. There are also a number of shops located here, in total there are more than 30.
The French market also has open trading areas where farmers offer their products for sale. People are no less interested in environmentally friendly products than crafts. You remember that it would be strange to be and not taste the herring, just as it would be strange not to taste the cheese in and drink freshly brewed beer in.
In addition, the French market often becomes the venue for various festivals (tomato, for example), and harvest festivals.
Jazz club "Preservation Hall"
At the beginning I already said that New Orleans is a very musical city. Jazz is associated with him in the same way as with the classical compositions of Mozart, but with tango. It was thanks to blues, jazz and zydeco that white and black people lived in peace. Louis Armstrong was born in this city (by the way, the airport was named after him), and the Jazz and Heritage Festival is held here.
But the Preservation Hall jazz club can with full confidence be called one of the legendary attractions of New Orleans. Even if you're not a jazz fan, it's worth checking out. This is a small building designed for 125 people, but in practice it can accommodate much more. True music fans are not embarrassed by the not very attractive conditions: the lack of a free table and chair. You will be invited to touch early jazz, to be in its power for 4 hours, and the oldest musicians (many under 80 years old) will be your guides into its world. This is jazz almost from the horse's mouth.
Where else to go in New Orleans
There are many museums in the city. If you are interested in sculpture and painting, then welcome to the New Orleans Museum Of Art; you can get acquainted with the history of the black population at the New Orleans African American Museum. Those who care about this topic will probably be interested in the African-American museum. And if you like something more modern, then don’t pass by the wax museum, it’s not only in (called Musee Conti Wax Museum) .
You can take a break from noisy parties, holidays and bustle in New Orleans City Park - a city park in New Orleans. It is already a century and a half old; fortunately, the park was restored after Hurricane Katrina. An equally picturesque place is the Botanical Garden.
You can look at representatives of the local underwater fauna at the Aquarium of Americas, which is no less interesting than. On Adventure Island you will even see animals up close, and sometimes you are allowed to touch them.
Sports fans should check out the equestrian center, golf courses and, of course, the New Orleans Arena, a sports complex designed for almost 20 thousand people.
I hope the Big Easy made an impression on you.
Now take a look at the sights of this city with your favorite presenters. I'm sure you'll add to your impressions.
Heads and Tails New Orleans
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