New Orleans by (Saturday) night!

The best way of visiting New Orleans is just walking around. And we did that a lot, but we decided that we needed a bit of information, so we took the very popular Haunted History Tours.

There are many of different tours, but we chose the one in the French quarter, that costs $20 a person, but we printed coupons before coming here and got a discount of $3 each. You can get a bunch of coupons for different services and stores in New Orleans at: http://www.neworleansonline.com/ (New Orleans Official Visitor's Guide).

Ken was our tour guide who, for two hours, showed us where some of the very interesting stories happened in the city and talked about their freaky characters. Some tales are really scary, and I got goose bumps as he told us.

New Orleans is considered the most cursed city in North America. It has been through a couple of fires that destroyed almost the whole city, many floods and tropical storms, hurricanes, being Katrina the most devastating one, and lately the oil spill. Definitely this city had its share of bad luck. But every time, the place has came together and its residences have re-built it!

We had a 10 minute break at the longest continuously bar running in North America.

It is a very cool bar, kind of away from the action, but worth it a visit.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a tavern located on the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Philip Street. The tavern's building, built sometime before 1772, is one of the older still standing structures in New Orleans (the Ursuline Convent, for example, is older) and has been called the oldest continually occupied bar in the United States. According to legend the structure was once owned by the pirate Jean Lafitte, though as with many things involving Lafitte, no documentation of this exists.

Ken - the tour guide - recommended a couple of drinks: the hurricane, which would probably make me crawl back to the hotel; and the voodoo brew, also strong, but at least didn't end my evening... almost though!

ACCORDING TO OUR TOUR GUIDE...

(little curiosities about the French Quarter said by our tour guide)

- pedestrian don't have the right-of-way in New Orleans. So, if a car run over you when you are crossing the street, the driver has the right to sue you!

- cops don't need a warrant to search.

- 60% of imports in North America come through New Orleans (Mississippi River).

- local don't pronounce the French street names in French. They read it in English, and "only tourist try to pronounce it in French."

- prostitution was legal here until the 30s.

- although it is called the French Quarter, the architecture predominant here is Spanish. Most of the French buildings were destroyed during fires, having only three still standing.

- New Orleans was under the Spanish rule longer than it was under the French one.

- back in those days you MUST be catholic to live here.

- men were allowed to have a mixed blood mistress, but by contract, they had to support her for life, buy her a house, and support any of the kids that she might had, sending the kid to study in France. But they could never get married, because inter-racial marriage was against the law.

- the French Quarter didn't flood during the Hurricane Katrina because it is above sea level.

- New Orleans is an immigrant city and is the second greatest destination in the States for people from different countries to settle, after New York City.

- The Sicilian Mafia in the States was created here, not in NYC.

- "Barking" is an old practice still seen in the streets of New Orleans. It means to yell, selling your product.

- the front of the houses are actually the back, where they used to bring in their horses. Inside, you can find big court yards with beautiful gardens.

- Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have a house here. "Brad Pitt loves to talk about the ghost stories. Angelina won't talk about anything," said Ken, our tour guide.

After the tour was over we had an amazing southern dinner at an affordable restaurant on Bourbon Street. But we wanted jazz music and the Bourbon has everything, but good music! That's when we discovered Frenchman Street!

What a great street! Far away from the busy and crazy bars filled of obnoxious drunk tourists, this area offers many different bars with great Louisiana music.

We picked the Spotted Cat Music Club and enjoyed this amazing band, that I unfortunately didn't get the name. But they played jazz with a progressive twist, almost funk.

What a treat!

Here was the good stuff again!

So, if we can give you a little tip: don't expect good traditional southern music on Bourbon Street. If you are looking for the good jazz bands, Frenchman Street is a much better option!

Another great day in New Orleans.

I just wish I was younger...

Talking about that...

Oh well! Tomorrow!

New Orleans by day!

After the crazy evening we had last night, we woke up to a beautiful and much calmer New Orleans.

We had a light breakfast offered by the hotel - coffee, juice, muffins, danish and a couple of fruits- and headed outside back to the French Quarter.

It is SUPER HOT here! with the humidex, it feels like 36 Celsius outside!

"Unseasonably warm today," the weather guys is saying on TV right now!

The region has broken a few records! And it will stay like this for another week!

All this walking around made us hungry and we chose to try the traditional PO - BOY, a local sandwich. Mike had the sausage one.

And I tried the shrimp Po-Boy. It wasn't a big deal - just white baguette, with popcorn shrimp - but the craw fish sauce saved the deal!!!! OMG!!!! It was creamy and a bit spicy... Delicious!

We kept walking in the French Quarter in the afternoon.

It is common to see wedding ceremonies happening in public parks and squares.

This is right downtown in the French Quarter, where the French Market is. Busy and fun place. You can't hear, but everywhere you go jazz music follows you!

FROM WIKIPEDIA: The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest and most famous neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans (La Nouvelle Orléans in French) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré ("Old Square" in French) as it was known then. While the area is still referred to as the Vieux Carré by some, it is more commonly known as the French Quarter today, or simply "The Quarter." The district as a whole is a National Historic Landmark, and contains numerous individual historic buildings. It was affected relatively lightly by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as compared to other areas of the city and the region as a whole.

There are artists and art sales everywhere! Lots of artists still show the sad reality of Hurricane Katrina. Others prefer to portray the beauty of the jazz culture.

A must see place is the Cafe Du Monde, at Ann Street and Decatur St. This is a very traditional place, always busy that sells beignets, a kind of French doughnuts covered with fine sugar.

Mike, a big mini- doughnuts fan, eating the super sugary Beignets ($2,14 a portion with three).

I had one too. My teeth all hurt on the first bite. Yuck!

Happy couple at Cafe Du Monde!

Behind me is the Jackson Square, the most famous square in the French Quarter.

In the back is the St. Louis Cathedral; and in front of me is the Mississippi River.

Mike admiring the Mississippi River.

My little feet in the cold water of Mississippi River.

If you could hear, you would be singing with us: "When the saints go marching in..."

A local hangs out close to the river. Perhaps this is his home, as his sunburn face shows how tough life can be on the streets. But there is something special about his face.

A monument honours immigrants.

There are still old street cars running on the major streets of the French Quarter.

This is Hannah's Casino, one of the oldest Casinos in United States of America.

Inside, the decoration celebrates the jazz and Mardi Gras (New Orleans' carnival).

Tonight we will do one of the haunted History Tours.

Stay tuned for scary stories and out of this world pictures!