4 days in the Big Easy
We found out just before we left that BA had kindly upgraded us all but half on the outbound and then the rest on the inbound, so I found myself in Club Class for the outbound journey. This was fabulous. The food and the attention from the crew were lovely and the 10-hour flight was over before I knew it. We were invited to visit New Orleans because BA has started this direct service to the city which now makes it a good alternative to Vegas or New York.
Our group of 19 were split over two hotels which was a shame, but I was not disappointed with The Sheraton New Orleans where we stayed. The rooms were very large with beautiful views over the Mississippi. It is a very busy hotel but in a good location just on the edge of the French Quarter.
On day one we had brunch at the Court of Two Sisters Restaurant in the French Quarter. This is a large restaurant with a beautiful tree-covered courtyard. The buffet offered the best food we had all week and with the sounds of a small jazz band playing background music. It was a lovely start to our New Orleans experience.
Then it was our two-hour city tour which was a good insight to what the city has to offer. There are some beautiful parts to New Orleans. The guide was amusing and very knowledgeable. We had no lunch planned because of the late brunch and then the cookery class. We got to sample the food Harriet, from the New Orleans School of Cooking demonstrated for us. She again was hilarious and the food we sampled was true Louisiana cooking.
After a quick wash and brush up at the hotel we joined the group at Dave and Busters. The least said about this place the better as the food was awful, the service even worse and it was just like a seaside arcade.
Wednesday was a full day visiting outside of the city starting with a Swamp Tour. This boat took about 30 of us gently through the swamps, watching and feeding marshmallows to the alligators and turtles while listening to a hilarious local guy telling us all about what we were seeing. This was a highlight of the trip.
We also visited two plantations which is like stepping back into the “Gone with the Wind” era. The staff at the first one, Oak Alley Plantation installed a TV in the restaurant, so we could watch the England vs. Croatia world cup football match while we ate our lunch. Disappointed we missed out on the final but it was a magical time and it was very generous of the staff to allow us to spend time watching it.
On Thursday we spent the afternoon visiting hotels all situated in the French Quarter. They were all within walking distance, but the heat was getting to us by the last one.
Our last night was spent on the Steamboat Natchez dinner cruise. This is a two-hour cruise and most of that time you are eating inside so you lose out on the views, but the food was better than most of these types of trip.
Our flight was late in the evening on the Friday, so we had the day to ourselves. The hotel kindly allowed us to keep our rooms until 7pm which was a fabulous help. Four other TC’s and I decided to take advantage of the VIP ticket which allowed free entrance into the Mardi Gras World. This is where they build and make all the floats for the Mardi Gras celebrations in early spring. It was fascinating, and you could feel what it must be like to be in this wonderful city during that time.
Our flight home was on time. I was in economy but having extra leg room seats allowed us to stretch your legs. The seats are very narrow because of the dinner tray and entertainment screen being stored in the arm rest. It is also noisy being next to the toilets.
These fantastic four days opened my eyes to a fabulous city I had heard so much about and meeting these lovely southern state people was a joy.