In which Sid and Doris stay off the Inter State to come into New Orleans across the longest bridge in the world that runs continuously over water, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.
After Dr Stancill’s tour of the Lindsey House the day is all about getting to New Orleans.
The B&B served a traditional local breakfast including grits, biscuits and gravy. Sid tried them all in politely tiny quantities while Doris had to confess that she really doesn’t eat foot that wobbles when it is put on the plate. For the uninitiated, grits are NOT GRITTY, they are like porridge only without the lumps or taste, and we should never have left Doris in control of this sentence. Gravy is thick white sauce, so it is like gravy except it is not brown and it is not tasty and it is not runny and it is served rather lukewarm. Avoid that too.
[Sid wrests control of the keyboard back from Doris.]
Much the best meal of the day was the lunchtime gumbo and root beer at Bino’s diner. They vote Mr Jolly as best car of the day and take pictures. We vote them as best diner of the trip so far and take pictures.
More rain comes and Doris gives Sid, at the helm, directions in nautical miles to a port or starboard turn.
The Pontchartrain Causeway was opened in 1956 and a second two lane bridge was built alongside in 1969. So far it has proven hurricane proof. At almost 24 miles long it is mesmeric. The gentle and regular undulation of the concrete leads to a gentle boat-like motion. Even if you do not generally spend much time on these pictures please open the video.
The Hotel Monteleone is in the French Quarter in a most ornate building. It even has a good in-house restaurant (closed all the time we were there, we hope you are detecting a theme developing in this trip) and a rotating carousel bar. The concierge recommends a walk along the Mississippi and a couple of jazz bars.
Fritzels has the tuneful trad jazz that Doris likes with piano, bass, drums, trombone and sax. It is a small place with seats near the band. We have successfully piloted the JGG to its berth in New Orleans and are here for a few days to soak up lots of jazz for Doris’s Significant Birthday.
