It took me wayy to long to get there. And by “there”, I mean New Orleans. It seemed that everyone I knew or talked to had already been to ‘The Big Easy’…except for me. So when my friends Sami and Daniel moved there in December, it only took me about two weeks to find a flight special to get there, now that I had a place to stay (yes, I invited myself) and friends to explore it with! It was nice to visit on a non-Mardi Gras weekend so that I could see the city in its normal state. Well, mostly normal. None of it was normal for me. (Um, eating a fried oyster sandwich? Me?) Thus the reason for my visit, and that’s what vacation’s all about – stepping outside of your norm. I was ready to explore the food, the sights, the sounds, and the colors of ‘Nawlin’s’! And, boy, did I indulge!  Take a look!

Cafe du Monde is a must-visit. It’s legendary, and yes, I realize I might be the last person ever to be here. But if you haven’t visited, the pounds and mounds of powdered sugar are a sight to see and taste.

Sami knows me. She knew THIS was my kind of place. This being Sucre. I come from a long line of sweet-tooth bearing family members, so an adorable, colorful, and artistic bakery such as Sucre on Magazine Street seemed to be made for me. It didn’t matter that we stopped in at about 5 p.m. I quickly lost all concern for ruining my dinner appetite. It was just happening. I pretty much jumped up and down like an excited little girl at the counter of sugary possibilities. We finally settled on decadent White Chocolate Bread Pudding (tasted like french toast covered in maple syrup with the consistency of very moist cake) and a little S’mores skillet, both of which came with a side of our choice of gelato. Such a simply beautiful bakery that knows how to do it right.

Yes, those are macaron towers below. Aren’t they adorable?

I fell in love with this local New Orleans artist at Greg’s Antiques on Decatur. I was told by the shop owner his name is John Ordoyne, but I cannot find his work online! Aren’t the vibrant colors amazing?

I was lucky enough to be in New Orleans on the weekend of an annual pre-Mardis Gras parade known as Krewe du Vieux. It’s a crazy parade full of brass bands, colorful R-rated floats, and inappropriate humor. Sami and I ended up with beads (no, we did not do anything inappropriate to get them), even dreidels and silly trinkets given out by the paraders.