History & Cuisine

Wow, talk about an adventurous day! Day number two in New Orleans was nothing short of an adventure. The day started out as a foggy morning but somewhat warm. Well, that changed really quickly. As soon as we got off the street car to walk to the cemetery, it started pouring down rain. This rain was a trend the rest of the day leaving me to feel wet, cold, and gross. The first tour of the day was that of the St. Louis cemetery. I did know that New Orleans built their cemeteries above ground because of the water issues, however seeing it in person was still shocking. The tombs are all so different, some are really nice and some not at all. I actually thought there would still be grass between the tombs, like there is in our cemeteries back in Illinois, but this one was all concrete. I don't know why, but I think it made it feel like less of a cemetery for some reason. I originally thought that I might feel sad walking through the cemetery, but because there was so much history and information I actually felt intrigued not sad at all.
The next big adventure for the day was the cuisine tour. Now, I know that we have not even finished half of our trip, but this might be my favorite part of the whole thing. Not only was this tour great because we got to try all different kinds of food, but the tour guide was absolutely outstanding. We started out at the oldest restaurant in New Orleans, Antoine's. I can't even begin to describe this place other than beautiful and elegant. I would not change a single thing about this place, I absolutely loved it. The food we tried here was gumbo. My first gumbo experience ever and it wasn't as bad as I thought! I actually liked the gumbo, which for me is surprising because I don't stray too far from pizza and pasta usually. The next place we went was a sweet store where we got to try pralines. This is a very sweet treat full of nuts and sugar. A lot of people thought it was a little too sweet, but I really liked it! Although I do have a sweet tooth and will eat just about anything with sugar. Next we went to the dreaded oyster restaurant. I absolutely have never ever wanted to eat oysters. They look gross and smell gross and I have never been interested in trying them, ever. Well, nobody else in the group wanted to volunteer so of course, I did. What an experience that was. First of all, learning how to eat an oyster correctly is an art all on it's own. I had no idea what I was doing and was terrified I might puke it all back up. I finally worked up the courage to eat the whole thing and it was almost as awful as I expected. Thankfully, the load of hot sauce I put on there helped block out the oyster taste, but it still was far from anything I'd ever want to eat again. The next food tasting was my absolute favorite. One word, muffuletta. This mouth watering, yummy sandwich full of awesomeness was one of the best things I've ever tried. Now, I like all sandwiches and probably would have liked the sandwich no matter what. However, this sandwich was especially extraordinary. The meats were delicious, the olive salad was just the right extra touch, and the bread was phenomenal. I absolutely can't wait to go back and get another one!
The night ended with a walk to Frenchmen street. This street is so bright and full of wonderful music and rich New Orleans culture. You can begin to hear the music and see all of the lights before you even reach the street itself. It is not your typical nightclub, bar theme though. This is so much more different than anything I've ever experienced. I felt that even in a city as big as New Orleans, these tiny little music clubs can make you feel right at home. Some people were not as interested in the music because they don't like older music, but I am a huge fan so the music was by far my favorite part. I loved old music and to hear these local bands, even if it was just from the sidewalk outside, was really a great time! I can't wait for what still awaits us on this trip!