NOLA on my mind – Day 2

Mobile to NOLA, Sunday, September 11

After a well-deserved slow, lazy start and a quick bite at Popeye’s (oh how I’ve missed you!) we hit the road. We took I-90 so that we could enjoy the Mississippi coast and my partner could get her first view of the Gulf of Mexico. We dipped our toes in the water at Biloxi and got a first-hand look as how the Gulf Coast was and was not rebuilding. The coast is a strange mix of  shiny brand new buildings and empty lots and driveways that lead to nothing but weeds.

We got into New Orleans around 3 and went straight to our host church and settled in. We were met by Donna, a member of the host church, and learned the housekeeping details of our stay. We found out that we were the only people scheduled to be there that week, and that we had full access to the church and it’s kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry facilities. And we were going to be honored guests at a church potluck dinner on Monday. Talk about keys to the kingdom!!! There’s nothing like southern hospitality. We got settled quickly, went grocery shopping, and headed out to the French Quarter.

We soaked in all of the sights and sounds of the Quarter. I had several flashbacks to my time in NOLA and memories I share with my ex-husband – a bittersweet lining to our fantastical, neon clouds. We ate crayfish etouffe, gumbo, jambalaya, alligator sausage, and red beans and rice with a hurricane to wash it down. On top of that we saw a rockin’ cover band, a tour-de-force of a drag show, and ended the evening with hot buttered rum in a sweet little jazz club.

Pure bliss. We fell into bed knowing we were in for a hard day’s labor on Monday.

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