On our last day in New Orleans, we headed down magazine Street for the Fete' Francaise, put together by a bilingual school in the Uptown area. We had a little Brunch, I think Cam had Duck and Sausage Gumbo and the ladies had lighter fare. I had nothing, in honor of my fat ass. Cam and I got into another photo contest, this time with his camera, and we worked on our PEOPLE shots. I explained to him that when you see a great photo that has a person in it, you have to steel yourself for rejection and ask if their permission to take a few photos. He had explained to me that he did not like to ask people to take their pictures, and I reminded him that some of the best photos ever taken are pictures of PEOPLE. I am not above stealing a distant shot, like the shot below:
But sometimes you have to ask for permission, just out of respect, and for other reasons.
This lady was watching the show developing across the street from her home and I told Cam to practice asking permission by asking her if he might take her photograph. She cheerfully obliged, making it quite worthwhile as a confidence builder for the future.
She had lived in the house all her life. Once we took the photo and left, she disappeared inside her home, but she talked with us for ten minutes about the neighborhood and her life. New Orleans people like to talk and are recognized worldwide as being quite friendly. We had a chance to take a few more photos up the street, and then pointed the car up the river to the great plantation homes.
We passed many beautiful homes, both plain old family houses and historic plantation homes on the way up the west bank of the Mississippi river on The Great River Road. But we finally pulled over for Oak Alley. I had been at the foot of the famous avenue of oaks more than a dozen times and never pulled around to the back of the house. My sister and her son would pay the price to enter the grounds. My mother and I took in a bit of breeze and shade near the parking lot and enjoyed ourselves almost as much. Here are a few of the stunning photos Cam took.
The house.....
The front yard:
The back yard:
A stunning panorama:
No matter how you look at it, this home is unbelievable. I am glad that I got to see the photos, I knew the home looked good from the River Road, but the grounds are much more spectacular than this view has ever hinted at. The home is so over the top that there was but one way to end the day, and by simple mathematics and the passage of time, end the week. A trip back toward the city up Highway 90 to the edge of the swamp that marks the first civilization of Jefferson Parish at Avondale led us to the doorstep of the most unassuming vinyl-sided house. I pause here to think twice about naming the restaurant, for fear that too many people will find the out-of-the-way hiding place of the finest meal you can find in the "city". Ironic that perhaps the best food available in New Orleans is not even in the city. Barely NEAR it, even. Again, at the risk of starting a stampede, I will post only one shot of the Mosca's experience. This is Cam's plate consisting of portions of two larger plates, Shrimp Mosca and Chicken a la Grande.
I have to qualify my statement "best food in NO". I have eaten in exactly zero restaurants that likely compete for the honor. I am only a person who likes delicious food and furthermore, OLD family recipes. Most of the dishes my mother made for me as a child were SOMEBODY'S ancient family recipes. This meal was the sheer highlight of my trip, at a restaurant that is open but four hours a day for the 5 days she is open. If you intend to try it, you had better have a wad of cash, because if the warnings on the menu do not alert you to the fact, finding yourself with only credit cards or checks after enjoying your meal will have you in a very dangerous position. VERY dangerous indeed.
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