Back from New Orleans

We just returned from four days in New Orleans. Mike had an RTOG meeting to attend, and I just went along for the ride. Well, actually HE came along for the ride, since I drove the whole way. Yes, I have control issues, but he doesn't even like to drive, so it works out better for both of us this way. This was the first time we had been to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. We stayed at the Sheraton on Canal Street, just across from the French Quarter. The quarter seems to have recovered well. There was no flooding there, just wind damage which, for the most part, has been repaired. Their biggest loss was personnel...many of the people in the service sector were displaced, so getting their staff back up to par was an issue that seems to have been resolved, 3 1/2 years later. We ate at many of our old favorites.

• K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, where we had cajun martinis,
  

fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade

and bronzed swordfish with fried oysters.

• Acme Oyster House for oysters on the half shell,

• Central Grocery for muffalettas,

• and of course, Cafe du Monde for cafe au lait and beignets.

I did take a bus tour that went into the lower ninth ward. Three and a half years later, there is still much evidence of the devastation of Katrina, but also signs of reconstruction, albeit it very slow. Unfortunately I wasn't really able to get any pictures that show what it is like. Certainly the indomitable spirit of the city shone through, as evidenced by the ubiquitous Blue Dog.