Day 7 New Orleans last day 1st Jan

Up and off on the Hop on Hop off bus. We had to sit on the open top level and if I have thought this once over the last few days I have thought it 20 times "I wish I had brought my puffer jacket"!  A high of 9 degrees today and windy. At one stage we popped into a shop and got Lance a hoodie and he found a 2 for one deal on beanie hats.  If I never wear my beanie again it was worth the $10 just for today.  It is FREEZING!  I had two pair of pants on, a singlet, tshirt, light sweat shirt, hoody jacket and a light parker and was still freezing. Honestly I really did have two pair of pants on!

T

We really just toured the city today lapping up information.  For example, did you know where the word Dixie came from? Well, here you go, the French and the Americans did not get on back in the day.  The French had a ten dollar note and they called a dix meaning ten. The Americans just took the mickey out of it and called it a dixie. And here we are in Dixieland. 

We stopped on Magazine Street where there are some lovely shops, but being New Year's Day they were not open.  Never mind, we stopped for brunch at Red Dog. Great place to eat clean, nice staff and excellent food. Lance said the the eggs benedict was the best that he had ever tasted and I had sweet potato pancakes and grits. I was curious about the grits and asked the waitress to explain them. The noises she made and the look on her face was enough, they were like a very creamy porridge and I had to put butter, salt and pepper on as well. No wonder we have seen so many very large people here!  

Back on the bus and we got a good look at more beautiful old homes, in fact Beyoncé owns one!  And on that note Usher gave a free concert in town the other night!  

We came home and packed, as we are off to Galveston tomorrow. Dinner was at a nice restaurant  called Bourban House Seafood, and we had a fantastic meal.  Oysters in the shell with crawfish tails, spice and Parmesan under the grill (broiler), blackened fish, and shrimp, which are more like tiger prawns in a tasty saucey gravy. I finished with pecan pie but they call it pecarn here.  They had no NZ wine 😢 but I had a lovely Pinot noir that made the grade. 

Words: 

Bathroom not toilet

Trash not rubbish

Elevator not lift

Cab not taxi

Check not the bill (at the restaurant)

You go past the red light not through it

You make change not give change

Lance keeps saying cheers instead of thank you and they have no idea what he is on about, he may as well say Kia Ora. 

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