New Orleans is experiencing record-setting cold temperature. The highways are closed due to ice, and frozen pipes mean no bathrooms in the airport, no water in many parts of the city, etc. Some restaurants were closed, some offered only two meal options served in take-away containers, others were so full that as a lone diner, I could not get a table so I had to get take-out and take it to my hotel room. But the city is beautiful and coming from Chicago, it didn't feel too cold.
The picture is so neat. The church, the statue, the few people walking. It’s interesting that you could not get a table. The same happened to me in New Orleans and never anywhere else. And it wasn’t even cold. They discriminate lone customers. I was very mad, also because it was my birthday and I had planned on a nice dinner. I think I ended up at Mc Donald’s!
@caterina -- oh, so sad, and on your birthday! I could actually understand why they wouldn't want me to occupy a table alone under the current dire circumstances but I would have been quite happy to share with others, had they made a big community table by pushing a few square tables together, But now that I think back, this was the third restaurant I couldn't get a table because they claimed all were "reserved" even empty ones. I did get a table at one restaurant but it was near a drafty window and I waited 15 minutes and nobody even came to bring water or take my order so feeling awkward by myself I just left. Hmmmm... I'm sensing a pattern here.
There is so much detail in your gorgeous image. And it was fascinating to read all of the nitty-gritty of the super cold weather. Frozen pipes, no toilets, no water and limited food - all so foreign to our part of the world. :)
My wife and I flew into New Orleans Wednesday and had to stay over to Thursday. We managed to leave yesterday after noon to drive to Mississippi. Pathetic situation actually got worse for water, restaurants, and general living over the night, but we managed to leave the city using side streets since I 10was shutdown and drive to Gulfport, Mississippi. Your pictures of the city are fantastic.
@agedrunner -- It really is unbelievable, isn't it, how much our lives are disrupted by seemingly not-so-cold temperature (well, at least to those of us who live up north). But I have to say that the people here have been warm, welcoming, apologetic, and accommodating. Even the Starbucks had a sign that ended with "Thank you for your forgiveness." Safe travels as you continue onward -- and too bad we didn't get to meet in New Orleans! I've signed up for a Photo Walking Tour this morning. My meetings start this afternoon so it will be busy the rest of my time here.
@agedrunner -- one funny story. My friend is staying in a hotel with no cold water but he has hot water (i guess that pipe didn't freeze!) so he was pouring hot water into his toilet tank to keep it running.)
Lovely to see the Cathedral and General Jackson again! I grew up just east of NO on the coast of MS and spent a lot of time in what my grandmother called The City. We never got out of Kenner (airport area) Wednesday night and ate dinner from my carry-on bag. I always have food with me. Two young women in a coffee shop drew maps for us and gave us advice on a motel. When that motel was full, the wonderful people behind the desk called around until they found us a room. There are other ways through the swamp to the Coast, but I didn’t want to chance it at night. I have no idea how we got to I-10 yesterday. I trusted to Google and wandered through New Orleans East as directed. We go through NO several times a year, but I haven’t been into downtown since the early 90’s. I’ll be very interested to hear about the Photo Walking Tour. We keep saying we are going to stay over sometime.
Wonderful image! What a bad experience you had with those restaurants! Definitely descriminating against the single person! Hope you enjoy your photo walk! Keep warm!
Oh my golly whizz, that is serious cold. Must be very hard for people to manage. I like this shot, the symmetry is very good and buildings interesting. Great work to get the passers-by too.
