Staff Vacations #3 - Steph's trip to New Orleans!

Friday, August 25, 2017 by Steph Voichita

According to Wikipedia, New Orleans is a city on the Mississippi River, a melting pot of French, African, and American cultures, known for its round-the-clock nightlife, vibrant live-music scene and spicy, singular cuisine.

In August, I was on a trip to New Orleans and discovered, what I would call, a live version of the ‘Aesthetics of Ugliness ‘ literary term. With its old European architectural beauty, resilient people still fighting the aftermaths of Katrina’s natural disaster (but not only), and raw jazz music at its core, New Orleans seemed to me a multidimensional gem engaged bravely in an ongoing effort to keep alive its inner spirit and revive its splendor.

A few highlights of my trip:

Staff member Steph (author of this post) stands in front of a New Orleans welcome map.

A large number of the famous Mardi Gras beads hang in a tree.

A collection of photos from Mardi Gras World, New Orleans, LA.

“Embodying the city’s festive spirit is Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties”.
Mardi Gras World, Blaine Kern Studios.

Jazz group Buku Broux play outdoors.

The sound of the Kora instrument touched my soul. Check out this fantastic group Buku Broux!

A collection of images portraying the importance of jazz music in New Orleans, LA.

Jazz culture and musicians in Jackson’s Square.

A collection of images of the Mississippi river.

The Mississippi river looms large in the New Orleans identity.

A collection of images of the famous Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, LA.

Enduring extreme heat just to be at the renowned open-air ‘Coffee Monde’ shop, a New Orleans landmark, known for its café au lait and hot beignets.

A collection of images captured while walking around New Orleans, LA.

A stroll through the city of New Orleans.

A collection of images of William Faulkner's home in New Orleans, LA.

"William Faulkner's house. He was an American writer and Nobel Prize laureate".

St. Charles streetcar in New Orleans, LA.

"The oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world, the St. Charles streetcar".

The Eiffel Society in New Orleans, LA.

A piece of Paris in New Orleans! The structure of the Eiffel Society is built from the steel that made up a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.

St Louis cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the United States, in New Orleans, LA.

"St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the United States".

Two images showing homeless men living on the streets of New Orleans, LA.

Regrettably, New Orleans is gravely hit by a homeless & heroin epidemic.

A collection of images of the WWII museum in New Orleans, LA.

A visit to the WWII National museum, showcasing the United States contributions to the Allied victory.

A collection of images that depict the local foods of New Orleans, LA, including turtle soup, gator burgers, raw oyster bar, and Emeril's famous banana cake.