Darryl and us
After experiencing a very Bywater experience in the backyard winery, followed by another night on Frenchman street, dancing in thirty degrees celsius plus heat might seem like the last thing we’d want to do, but it was time for the famous Second Line!
A colourful experience!
Held most Sundays, the New Orleans Police Department lead the way blocking the route to cars to ensure safety of the main line, or the members of the brass band, and the second line, those who follow the band just to enjoy the music. But dancing and trying to keep the beat (apparently, to sashay is the term) to a seemingly haphazard assortment of musicians (although actually very organized and amazing) parading down the street, swigging beer out of coolers pulled by bicycle, stopping for barbecue out of trucks along the way, was surely the only way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the Big Easy.
View from the middle
One of my favourite aspects was going through neighbourhoods that you might not otherwise see, and watching the residents cheer everyone on, and often, join in from their front steps. The kids especially were amazing dancers. When the heat had gotten to us and we’d spent ten minutes gaping at a group of children showing off their drum skills, we headed for the free Bayou festival for what else, more live music and food. Realizing this was our last day, we felt we hadn’t eaten enough, so a few of us headed to Deanie’s seafood for some famous crawfish chowder, barbecued shrimp and all the sides, of course. We wandered very slowly through the French Quarter back to our oasis in the Treme neighbourhood to have a few drinks before heading out to Preservation Hall, for what else, more live music.
Amazing moves
Preservation Hall is an institution in New Orleans, “ established in 1961 to honor one of America’s truest art forms – Traditional New Orleans Jazz. Operating as a music venue, a touring band, and a non-profit organization, Preservation Hall continues its mission today as a cornerstone of New Orleans music and culture”. With a few minutes before the show, we ran down the street to the nearest bar, as we still hadn’t tried the famous Mint Julep. The bartender asked if we wanted doubles or singles, and of course we said doubles, but soon realized that meant 4 shots of bourbon, free poured, a splash of soda and some mint. So it was basically bourbon in a cup. That kept us hydrated during the amazing, if extremely hot and poorly ventilated, show. It was the perfect way to end the trip.
Our ride home from Preservation Hall