Day 44 Cross Country Bike Trip – REST DAY!
Today was supposed to be a rest day for Tobey, but I walked his legs off! We took the bus from the RV park to the French Quarter and spent the day there exploring.
La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) was founded in Spring of 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. The statue in his honor located on Decatur Street wasn’t erected until 1955!
We wandered ALL over the French Quarter – sometimes covering the same area twice (or three times). We saw some interesting things in the French Market. Not sure why you would want to buy an alligator head, but they certainly have them in all sizes for sale!
Some stores are still protesting the Super Bowl contestants (I would agree).
Not sure if they mean next year’s or still upset over this year’s, but don’t expect to see reruns of the Super Bowl at this establishment!
Our lunch stop was at the Central Grocery and Deli to try a muffuletta. A muffuletta is a sandwich made with round Italian bread and was filled cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad. We split a HALF sandwich and were stuffed. It wasn’t my favorite, but I am not a huge fan of green olives so I am not the best judge. Tobey liked it.
For dessert we went to Café Du Monde to get beignets. Beignets were brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar – LOTS of powdered sugar! They are served in orders of three. Café Du Monde has been located in the French Market since the early 1860s!
We took ours over to Jackson Square to enjoy.
Jackson Square, originally known in the 18th century as "Place d'Armes," was later renamed in honor of the Battle of New Orleans hero Andrew Jackson. This famous landmark facing the Mississippi River is surrounded by historic buildings, including the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Cabildo (Louisiana State Museums. We didn’t go into the museums today – there are just so many things to see!
We did go into the Cathedral which was completed in 1851. It was built over the foundations of a 1727 colonial church. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis has been the city’s center of worship for over 280 years and is the oldest active cathedral in the United States!
All around the French Quarter were impromptu musical groups or individuals playing for tips. Horse-drawn carriage tours were also available. 
We had a nice view of the Mississippi. The next two pictures are for our neighbors, Dante and Lisa. They will get it!
Here are some other sights in the French Quarter. The architecture is a mix of French and Spanish.
The police department has a “mini” fleet of Smart cars!
We decided to take the French Quarter Ghost & Legends Tour this afternoon. Our guide explained the “grim and ghastly deeds of the old French Quarter.” We walked by sites of documented hauntings taken from police records, city archives, while he to told us the history. 
One stop was at LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop which is actually not a blacksmith shop, but the oldest, continuous operating bar in the US. They stayed open during Prohibition in the 1920s and during Hurricane Katrina in 2005! Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop was built between 1722 and 1732 by Nicolas Touze. It is supposed to be haunted by a young boy who ran away from home and wanted to join a group of pirates, but was murdered there by them instead. 
This was the home of Madame LaLaurie, a wealthy socialite. On the morning of April 10, 1834, a fire broke out at the luxurious home. The fire not only destroyed part of the house, it also brought to light seven slaves who were starved, tortured and chained in the upper part of the building. The house is supposed to be haunted by several of those slaves.
The tour was interesting, but not quite what we expected. Afterwards, we went to Mahoney’s for dinner and tried their shrimp poor boy sandwich and French fries. It was okay, but the one we had for lunch yesterday was better!
The Poor Boy Sandwich originated in the French Market in 1922 during a streetcar strike. Whenever one of the striking street car workers came up to the stand Benny Martin would say “Here comes another poor boy” and he would give them a sandwich for free. Hence the name Poor Boy Sandwich or Po Boy!
We spent some time walking on Bourbon Street before calling it a day. 
Tomorrow we plan to visit the Garden District to see a different part of New Orleans.
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