Woke up early this morning and got a cab from the campground to the AUDUBON AQUARIUM OF THE AMERICAS. We were so impressed with this aquarium. It was huge and there were so many different exhibits, including a sea otter, penguins (which swam right up to the glass to visit with you), the sting ray bay (where you could pet and feed the sting-rays), the baby shark (whom you could also pet -- he felt like sandpaper!), the teeny tiny sea horses (SO teeny), the frogs, the rain forest and, of course, all the great fish!
While we were buying our tickets, we saw a group of ladies from the RED HAT SOCIETY I've never seen such a big group before. They were beautiful!
As you can see, I made a friend. This penguin was up against the glass trying to see me as much as I wanted to see him!
At noon, we went to see the HURRICANE ON THE BAYOU documentary at the Entergy IMAX theater right next door to the aquarium. It was so sad and touching and Eric and I both cried. It is not just depressing to see the devastation that Katrina brought to this beautiful city, but it is also frightening to think that it could happen again, because the wetlands are disappearing.
After the movie, we went back to the aquarium to finish viewing all the exhibits.
Notice the little green frog on the bigger brown frog's back? How cute is that?
Then we walked along the Mississippi River to the French Quarter, where we shopped and had lunch at PETUNIAS RESTAURANT on St. Louis. Our friends, Sergio and Lourdes, had recommended it highly and said we had to get the crepes. We happily complied! It was as good as they said it would be.
We continued our walk of the French Quarter, ending up at CAFÉ DU MONDE
Where I got a café au lait and Eric and I shared 3 beignets. They were covered in heaps of powdered sugar and were so delicious.
After that treat, we went to JACKSON SQUARE, home of the Cabildo and Presbytere Museums.
This park was so beautiful, so pristine, clean and perfectly manicured. Eric and I were so impressed.
We flagged a cab and went back to the campground to shower and change before Sergio, Lourdes and Angela picked us up for dinner. They took us back to their house, which is on the other side of the Mississippi River, in a beautiful suburb of New Orleans. I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that they are big Betty Boop collectors and Eric and I could not believe our eyes. Their collections are fantastic, but are not limited to Betty Boop. They also collect a lot of DISNEY figurines, WARNER BROTHERS, advertising memorabilia, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND figurines. Their daughter, Angela, loves THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (from the Disney cartoon).
They have everything displayed so beautifully and were truly lucky, because they didn’t lose anything in the hurricane, even though their home had extensive damage. I took a LOT of pictures of their collections, but are only showing you one, because I'd rather show you Sergio's art. He is an amazing artist who loves to draw Betty Boop. He only does it for his own pleasure, but he could do it professionally!
After getting a tour of their beautiful home and lovely backyard garden (including tall plantain trees, which they use to cook their traditional Cuban dishes), they took us to a local sushi restaurant called EASTERN (Chinese and Japanese Cuisine). We had another great meal and really enjoyed their company. They are such a lovely family and getting to spend time with them has really been the highlight of our trip to New Orleans!
Tomorrow Eric and I will take a bus or boat tour of the city. No more walking for me until the next city we visit. My feet were killing me today after all the walking we did!