LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

Mardi Gras!

This is Mardi Gras time, and Tuesday, March 8th is Fat Tuesday. No matter where you live or what your religion, Mardi Gras is an excuse to let your hair down and party before the Lent season of penitence and devotion leading up to the Christian season of Easter and the Jewish season of Passover. For many people, this is a time to make penitence worthwhile. LOL



When Hero and I were planning our wedding, we decided New Orleans would be a nice place to go for our honeymoon.


Bourbon Street night scene



Know that time in a relationship when you’re so in love you think the world revolves around the two of you, and you’re oblivious to the rest of the world? Yeah, that was us (and sometimes still is). What can I say, we are...um, a unique couple (sounds better than eccentric, right?). When Hero made hotel reservations, he learned our honeymoon coincided with Mardi Gras. How nice was that? All of New Orleans celebrating our marriage! Or not. Great timing for a honeymoon, except that all the hotels were booked.

Hero's motto,
"Stubborness
is a virtue!"

Stubborn Scot-Irish descendant that he is, Hero secured us what was surely the last room in any downtown hotel. The room was about ten by twelve and featured a perfect view of the air conditioning system--not that we cared. We were relieved we had a room in a city packed to the gills. Besides, if you're on your honeymoon, scenery is optional. All you really need is one another. A nice location is a only a bonus.




New Orleans Jackson Square


Hero and I took several tours--a city tour, a graveyard tour, and a trip on a paddlewheeler down the Mississippi and back. We ate begnets at Drummond’s, gawked at the architecture, bought a watercolor from a street artist, and generally visited most of the famous tourist stops. We even shoved our way through revelers to watch parades. Sentimental packrat that I am, I still have some of the beads, a fan, and other trinkets tossed from the floats. 



Mississippi River paddlewheeler
similar to one on which we toured

Yep, we have been there, done that. Loved the experience, but don’t plan to return. Why, when New Orleans is such a popular travel destination?

Here’s what we learned. We’re just not the let-it-all-hang-out kind of people. In fact, those people would no doubt say Hero and I are boring and straight-laced. Hmmm, maybe we appear so to them, but NOT to one another! Thank heavens!

Watching the sunset

Actually, what we are is more the dinner-and-a-movie type. Or the reading-side-by-side in the evening type. Or the sit-and-talk-while-we-watch-the-birds-at-the-birdfeeders outside. Or the watch-the-sunset-together type. You get the picture. Live and learn, though. We’re certainly not sorry we ventured to the Big Easy! New Orleans is a unique city and everyone should visit there once in a lifetime.

Of course, you don't have to travel anywhere to celebrate Mardi Gras. If party-hearty is your style, this is the day to “Laissez les bon temps roiler!”

Let the good times roll!