New Orleans...you stole our hearts. Posted on 2 Mar 12:21 , 0 comments

“Madame Lily Devalier always asked "Where are you?" in a way that insinuated that there were only two places on earth one could be: New Orleans and somewhere ridiculous.” ― Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume [caption id="attachment_2926" align="aligncenter" width="3264"]

new orleans, mardis gras, beads, big easy, fleur de iris

New Orleans Mardis Gras 2015[/caption]

Last week Ben and I traveled to New Orleans for our first experience with Mardis Gras. Besides the obvious fun of parades, beads, parties, and music—we got away from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter for a day and explored real New Orleans. The city bleeds authenticity—the Creole food is otherworldly, the warehouse district where abandoned factories sit are a constant reminder of Katrina, but the city has truly rebounded, and from what we heard from talking to the locals, for the better. It seems that the city has revived two fold and has rallied to share with visitors like us its uniqueness through the spirit of the culture and the people.

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bacchus parade, canal street, mardis gras, new orleans, lousiana

Bacchus parade rolls down Canal Street during Mardis Gras.[/caption]

The grandness of the parades was unlike anything we’d experienced before…the Macy’s parade in New York is paltry and unemotional in comparison. What was most unbelievable was all the beads and trinkets looting the streets in the night, but by sunrise there was no garbage in sight and the streets were washed down, anticipating another exciting day.

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View of Mardis Gras World and the Mississippi River from the Warehouse District.[/caption]

We took a bike ride to Mardis Gras World, a huge warehouse building filled with every float imaginable, as well as past floats. We even visited the Bourbon French Perfumes, a parfumerie that has been around for 164 years, and had a custom fragrance created. Each morning we stood on Cafe du Monde’s extensive line just to get our hands on some warm beignets and coffee, then took a stroll down the Mississippi River promenade, witnessing groups of friends winding down their night on the dock, and musicians playing the Big Easy blues. It’s a magical place, no doubt, and we can’t wait to return. New Orleans... you stole our hearts.

Did you make it to New Orleans for Mardis Gras this year? What did you think?

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