Halloween in New OrLeans
New Orleans and especially Halloween in New Orleans have always been high on our bucket list. In October 2022, on the occasion of my big birthday, we finally treated ourselves to 5 days in New Orleans. We had initially chosen a hotel directly in the French Quarter, but then read and learned from friends that it gets very loud in the French Quarter and on Bourbon Street, especially on Halloween, and so we decided on one of the large hotels on the edge of the French Quarter . We stayed on the 21st floor of the Marriott Hotel on Canal Street. Unfortunately, the windows on the 21st floor couldn’t be opened and our view was only the north tower of our own hotel. But there were meeting rooms on the 40th floor with very clean windows, from where you could easily watch and photograph the sunrise over the French Quarter.
Unfortunately, our friends were right and Bourbon Street in particular gets particularly loud in the evenings and the alcohol flows freely here. There are some people who like it, we’re not drunk party people. We prefer sophisticated cocktail bars with good music.
Since New Orleans doesn’t just consist of the French Quarter, we booked a tour to Oak Alley Plantation and took a look at the surrounding area. The old plantation, which can now be visited as a museum, is particularly worth a bus ride. Unfortunately, we had pouring rain while we were allowed to explore the property ourselves. Unfortunately, the yield of photos of the wonderful avenue was very small. But it is a beautiful property that takes you back in time.
In our opinion, a canoe trip through the Bajou is also part of a New Orleans trip. We were lucky enough to catch a very small group and so the four of us led through the Bajou with our guide and were able to observe great birds and owls. We were even able to briefly see a raccoon, but unfortunately I wasn’t fast enough with my camera to see him.
Unfortunately, since Michael was on October 31st. I was already sick, so I had to explore the city alone. But since I didn’t want to stand out among all the people alone, I left my vampire costume at home. Maybe I’ll need it another time. So I walked alone through the French Quarter and sat on the bank of the Mississippi to watch the Nanchez (one of the steamboats) leave. Then a group of people dressed in white came to the river with fruits and flowers and, singing and drumming, they offered their gifts to the river as a sacrifice. I think I got to watch a real voodoo ritual. I found it very exciting.
We walked a lot through the French Quarter and looked at many of the wonderful old houses, it’s like traveling back in time to another century. It’s a shame that many of the houses are empty and falling into disrepair. If you love jazz, a visit to the Preservation Hall is an absolute must. Music has been presented in this building, which is very inconspicuous from the outside, since the 1950s. You should book tickets in advance as there is often no or only standing room available at the back at the box office.
Bands also regularly play on the streets of the French Quarter, marching bands parade by or even accompany a wedding party. You just have to keep your ears open.
As you probably already guessed, a food tour through New Orleans couldn’t be missed. Unfortunately, Michael became ill on the third day and spent the last few days in the hotel room. So I had to do the food tour alone. In addition to great grilled oysters with Parmesan butter, gumbo, voodoo shrimp and a terrific Puboy sandwich, I was also treated to the original pecan pie. It was simply wonderful, I can only recommend that everyone try out everything that New Orleans has to offer in terms of great cuisine. Some images of the food tour you will find in the gallery below. The friendly guide on my food tour also told one or two scary stories about the individual houses and restaurants. Because if you don’t have a haunted house in New Orleans, then you don’t belong. Everyone has their own ghost in the house.
A culinary highlight in New Orleans was definitely the frog legs. I’ve never had it before. You have to try it to have a say. So I wouldn’t eat them every day, but I wouldn’t leave them on my plate either.
