New Orleans

My hubby and I just had to get away for a few days, so last week we made a quick trip to one of the places I've always wanted to visit, New Orleans.

We stayed in the French Quarter at a hotel called the Bienville House, which was really lovely. The place had that New Orleans feel that I always imagined, with little balconies off the street and in the courtyard, flowers and plants hanging down from them. Very romantic indeed!

Loved the French Quarter and the French Market, especially the Cafe` Dumont, but did not even remotely like the humidity!

Probably the thing that was most amazing to me was the fact that so much of the city is still not recovered from Hurricane Katrina. In the hospital district, one of the largest hospitals, Charity, is still not rebuilt or even the beginnings of repair. Many homes and even churches are still boarded up and un-repaired.

With all the beauty of New Orleans, the devistation left after almost 3 years is heart-wrenching.