In the two days we were off the bikes we discovered the real New Orleans and the true spirit of Mardi Gras. Walking along Bourbon Street on Fat Tuesday is like nothing any of us had ever experienced before. It was hard to believe you weren’t moving through a film set.
We visited Congo Square, Preservation Hall and Armstrong Park, stayed up late eating wonderful sugary beignets and drinking coffee at Cafe Du Monde in the French Market, and danced to a series of incredible bands at The Maison in Frenchman Street.
Watching the Zulu Parade pass through the streets of a mainly black community away from the tourist spots was an entirely different experience from the Bacchus Parade the night before and it was wonderful to see how excited the children were to receive gifts. The further you got from the main thoroughfares the parades got smaller, but somehow more authentic.
It’s an experience that is almost impossible to describe and everyone’s Mardi Gras will be different. For me I fell in love with the place and left wanting to know more about its history, culture and music. Once New Orleans gets into your soul it seems there’s no going back.
But let the pictures do the talking….
