I suppose every long trip probably has its low spot, and I think last night/this morning were mine. If you're reading that in between the lines, I may as well out with it. I don't seem to breathe well in this climate, and I was tired and taking things more personally than I ought, no doubt; this morning, I had a headache, and I was hungry and sweaty and way too full of albuterol (probably the cause of the headache.) The thoughts were a bit black.
We drove around residential areas of NO, which was interesting - so many houses that look untouched since Katrina, with the spray paint markings still quite visible. We drove around the French Quarter, and finally parked and walked around (I wanted to souvenir shop, he doesn't like that sort of thing) and admired the architecture. We tried for beignets, but got ignored in the too-busy Cafe du Monde, so we left. We tried for muffaletta, but couldn't find anything easily edible. I really needed a saving grace.
We walked past a tiny hotel, the Andrew Jackson, right down in the French Quarter, and M decided to go in and inquire. So for a reasonable rate (who'd have thunk?) we are staying in the FREAKIN CHARMING little old hotel with a garden in the back, in a little tiny room that looks very French Provincial, with the requisite oh-so-effeminate desk clerk. I mean, it's beyond charming - I have to post pictures. So things began to look up.
And it turns out that two doors down is Community Coffee, where I was able to get a hair-raising cup of Louisiana Dark, which went to work on the headache - and one of those completely jaw-dropping downpours started immediately, and I mean DOWNPOUR (this place requires a lot of capital letters) - it just dumped, and people coming in were soaked all the way to the skin and dripping, and nobody pays this any mind - it's just New Orleans weather. So we sat, and he did the crossword and I did nothing, and I began to settle a bit and find my happy place.
I mean, I'm in NEW ORLEANS. With nothing to do but please myself and explore
Must go - will try to write more later.
