This morning, feeling rested, we managed to move at a decent hour.
We started with an unusual activity for us : shopping ! It’s colder than anticipated since we got here, and we mainly had summer clothes, so we were very cold when going out, and since we won’t be reunited with our wardrobe anytime soon, we decided to complete our packs. We have some coats and pull-overs waiting for us in Paris, but we needed one pair of pants each so we could wash ours and survive the drying time. We went to a mall and tossed aside our wishes for ethical, sound or organic stuff : first because there weren’t any, then because, even without being picky, the prices were hard on us. They weren’t that high, but our Central America’s habits die hard and everything seems expensive to us.
What’s definitely not helping is the display of prices without the taxes, so you always get a nice surprise at the cash register… But as foreigners, we have a huge advantage : after shopping, we can go to a Tax-refund Center and get all the VAT reimbursed, just by proving we will get out of the country. It seems a bit complicated, but it’s like shopping duty-free for other things that perfume and booze…
Then, we braved the weather on around 200 meters and got to a chicken-joint. It seemed like a classic fast-food, but we had gumbo (it was deliciously hot) and fish, both local Louisianan dishes, which was funny. Then, we got back in the streets for a few minutes. People here are clearly not used to winter, because the streets were deserted and bars and restaurants were closing due to lack of clients, everyone being holed up at home.
We warmed up again in the Presbytere Museum, which has an historic exhibition on Mardi-Gras, and one more recent on Katrina. If you like these topics, we recommend the place. One was full of extravagant costumes, and the other with trivia and objets from the hurricane crossing the city.
We also went into the Cathedral, founded by the French, with statues of St Louis and Joan of Ark. For once, it was warmer in the church than outside, and we were thankful !
After all that, it was that late, but our toes and ears were talking strike, so we went groceries shopping (and found a big bread like a baguette that turns out delicious, especially toasted !) and we went home. Ben cooked us a great quiche and it had been too long since we had one of these !
The weather is not getting better and the house’s insulation is not good, so if we don’t end up frozen in our bed, see you tomorrow !