Four Very Different NOLAs

In light of yesterday's nonpost of a post, I decided to take another tack. Instead of trying to explain the days with Starbuck, I'm going to write about a conversation she and I had/thing I realized. NOLA is an amazing city and I have an incredibly eclectic group of friends.

Starbuck was the third of an expected four trips to NOLA. Cam and Mrs. Pike came first. Then Dr. B. Just now, Starbuck. And Lori and I are planning a visit for her, to the point that, even though it hasn't happened yet, I will be shocked ~ shocked, I say ~ if it doesn't. And I could not have experienced 4 more disparate experiences.

Cam and Mrs. Pike ~ Wanted Classic New Orleans. French Quarter. Carriage rides. Cemeteries. Haunted tours. We spent time on Bourbon Street. Wandered Marie Laveau's. Ate beignets at Cafe duMonde. Drank at Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Classic.

Dr. B ~ Was coming to see me. Had some stuff happening in her world and needed her friend. Her friend was about to have heart surgery, and she's a doctor. Where I lived was irrelevant. We left the apartment for food. Mostly, though, we left the apartment for chocolate. She loves chocolate. LOVES chocolate. NOLA has bazillions of places for homemade chocolates. We partook in an empirical study, in between sitting on the couch times.

Starbuck ~ Lives in the desert. Literally. Wanted green, growing things. And water. And flowing. And life. Hello. It's New Orleans. We spent every single day around green and next to water. We did other things. We rode the trolley and wandered the neighborhoods and drank in my favorite bars. She tried cajun food for the first time. But mostly, we found the parks. And the river.

Lori ~ Will appreciate culinary NOLA. Asian markets. Grocery stores. Neighborhoods. International groceries. Yes, a friend is coming to visit me and I'm taking her to...my grocery store. I can show a person a good time, I'm telling you. But it will be with her, that's the thing.

And as Starbuck pointed out, the amazing thing about this city is that it can give you this many different, unique visits. It can give you more than this. Notice culture hasn't been touched on, let alone specific arts. All things Jazz, or theatre, or visual arts. Shopping. Museums. Antiquing. Architecture. VooDoo. There are so many sides to this city. Luckily for me, I have friends who are just as varied and interesting.

Those are Pobble Thoughts, with some help from my friends, and my city. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.