Cajun Encounters, cont.

New Orleans, part deux.

On Sunday morning, we woke up late and headed over to Morning Call for yummy beignets and coffee. Now, Stace proposed that we split orders of beignets, because we had scheduled a 12:30 p.m. lunch at The Palace Cafe. But you know how I hate to share. So we all got our own orders, struck up conversations with our servers, and ended up finely misted in powdered sugar. YUM.

After bumming Morning Call hats from the staff, we headed out to the cemetery. (Right? Or was that later? Sheesh. I AM getting old.) I was really excited about this, because, though I've been to New Orleans many, many times, I'd never actually walked around in one of the beautiful cemeteries there. Plus, I have a serious thing for taking photographs of statues. I have pictures of statues from every major city/destination I've ever visited. Hubs thinks it's weird, but I find statues fascinating. I love the idea that what I'm looking at, something that can appear so alive and real and filled with emotion, was once just a hunk of rock. And some guy (or girl) looked at that rock and thought, "There's something in there. Maybe I can find it." It just boggles my mind.

Anyhoo, the weather was absolutely heavenly, so we spent a little while in the cemetery, taking photos and enjoying the quiet. I think I got some great shots, and I'm super-glad that I've finally checked this off my "New Orleans to-do list."

We also drove around the Garden District a bit, checking out all the huge mansions and paying our respects to the "Touchdown Jesus" statue in front of Loyola. ("And the Lord goes WILD!!")

Then, it was back to the Quarter for lunch at The Palace Cafe. If you have not been, please go. Do. The place is super-swanky, and they have a gorgeous grand staircase that I could totally see myself floating down in a floor-length evening gown. (It just wasn't the same in my jeans and rayon top, though I at least had musical accompaniment from the three-piece band.) I had the oyester pan roast, and it was slap-your-mama good. I ate it ALL and washed it down with a nice, refreshing mimosa.

After that, we stopped in at the St. Louis Cathedral, which was ornate and historic. It was a nice bit of peace in the day. It's hard to believe while you're looking at the shiny altar that mere yards away are clusters of skeezy fortune tellers. You feel as though you're a million miles from everything.

Next, we stopped by a boutique because I wanted to buy a dress. More specifically, I wanted to buy a really sexy red dress to wear when hubs and I go out for Valentine's Day on Saturday. (We already have posh dinner reservations; I just needed the dress.) I'd seen a couple of likely candidates on display at a shop called Violets. Now, I'd never bought a dress at Violets, but I think I've picked up an accessory or two there. After we walked all the way to the shop, I got in there, picked out two dresses, and tried them on. The first one was very ladylike, but tight. The second one looked pretty dang amazing. It had a halter top, it was bright red, and the length was right. It was made of a sheer jersey-type fabric. And I felt fantastic in it.

Only one small snafu. It was expensive. Like, really expensive. Let's just say it's more than I think I have ever spent on a dress. I consulted with my fashion team. I weighed the options. I assessed my reflection. Then I bought it. I've since vacillated about whether I made the right decision, but the dress DOES look wonderful on me. And as for sexy, well, let's just say I won't be able to wear too much under it other than my best intentions. (Besides, I don't think I can afford underwear now! HA!) I'll throw it on come Saturday, and I have a feeling hubs will clearly remember why he married me. ;-)

After draining my wallet at Violets, Stace told us we had to have cannolis at Brocatto's. We stopped there on the way to City Park and got the sweets to go. Once we got to the park, we settled down by a stream bank and wolfed down what were perhaps the most delicious cannolis in the world. Now, I've had a few cannolis in the Jackson area. And I must say, I've been disappointed. I can now state with confidence, however, that I have had a REAL cannoli. And it was delish.

After cramming those into our stomachs, we of course went tree climbing! The trees in City Park are really old, with lots of low branches. Climbing them is often just a matter of putting your feet in a few knotholes, and then you're on your way! You can see me and Sandi above. We climbed a couple of trees and then laid around in the grass for a while, letting our food digest. We talked. We threw acorns and sticks at one another like junior high kids.

Then, perhaps more full of food than I have ever been in my life, I climbed into Stacey's car for the drive back to Jackson. We had a TON of fun (and I do mean a ton), and we are already thinking about where we'll go next!