As THE birthplace of jazz, I had to (as a fan of the genre and its spin-offs) make a music pilgrimage to Louisiana's largest city, New Orleans, for her annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. My friends and I were there on the festival's second weekend of May 5-7, 2006. From New Orleans dixieland and big-band styles, to bebop, swing and vocals, the New Orleans Jazz Fest was superb in her ability to attract many different types of performers to play all in one place.
With a fascinating historical background comprised of one part French, one part Spanish, and one part Afro-Caribbean, the Crescent City is a hotbed for delightful n'awlins cuisine and stylish colonial architecture, which dated back to the 18th century. I feasted on a po' boy sandwich, a muffuletta, and a bowl of gumbo, among other local delicacies when I was at the festival. Back in downtown Vieux Carre ('Old Square'), or the French Quarter, we soaked in the ruckus with some fine dining, bar hopping, and dancing, before ending the night at the popular Cafe Du Monde, which was opened 'round the clock.
Above right: Fresh oysters from Acme seafood restaurant
Above: Cafe Du Monde's beignets (with liberal topping of powdered sugar) and (chicory-blended) cafe au lait
Nine months following the devastating Category 3 Hurricane Katrina (that hit southeast Louisiana on August 29, 2005), I noticed that rebuilding efforts (of lives and homes) in New Orleans seemed to follow the snail pace of life in the southeast. Many locals were still displaced (and living in hotels) and homes remained vacant and left to stand in their dilapidated and unstable conditions.
