But before that, we had our first sazeracs at the Hermes Bar at Antoine’s with Ken Bickford, who first gave us a tour of the Garden District:

One of the dining rooms at Antoine’s

At Tucker Carlson’s suggestion, when the concert ended we hit up Lafitte’s and listened to a piano player to round out the evening.

The next morning after peeking into St. Louis Cathedral, saw the Ogden Museum of Southern Art:

where I especially enjoyed the top floor, currently featuring an exhibit on Jim Roche, here are a few photos: They had a far out piece by George, “the dot man” Andrews:

And here is “The Deceiver of the Whole World,” by Reverend McKendree Robbins Long:

The whole museum is awesome, though, and this is only a small part. If you’re ever in New Orleans, go. After lunch with Kevin Boyd, we hit the Confederate Memorial Museum:

The coolest/strangest thing there is a crown of thorns allegedly woven by Pope Pius IX and sent to Jefferson Davis while he was in prison, along with a photograph whose provenance is not contested. If you have theories, leave them in the comments:

After that we took the streetcar down to Christ Church Cathedral, home of the first Episcopalian parish in New Orleans, and resting place of Leonidas Polk, the “fighting bishop:

On the way back to the French Quarter we stopped by St. Mary’s of the Assumption and the shrine to Blessed Fr. Seelos, who ministered to the Irish Channel briefly before dying of Yellow Fever in 1867. The Catholic Worker house is in the neighborhood too:   That evening we went on a ghost tour, which I don’t have any pictures of, before retiring.

We woke up for 7:30 Low Mass the next morning at St. Louis Cathedral, then stuck around Jackson Square, getting coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde and touring the Cabildo before meeting up with The King Dude, Mike Church, and his lovely wife and daughter at the Royal House for oysters, raw and chargrilled. Mike gave us a care package that included this truly badass shirt:

After a quick tour of the pharmacy museum and bourbon milk punches with Ken Bickford, that evening we went on Dr. Gumbo’s cocktail tour of the French Quarter, which I recommend highly, but be prepared, it’s not for the faint of liver.

One of the other highlights was not a cocktail; the award-winning Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Ale. After some gumbo to recharge, we caught a set of the Preservation Hall Band, then went to Frenchmen Street to listen to some music:

The next morning we took the bus to the City Park and saw the St. Louis Cemetery #3 and the New Orleans Museum of Art and sculpture garden, which had an interesting exhibit on modern Louisiana artists, among other things: 

Next, finally, was the oyster festival. Here’s round 1: scallop and oyster pasta and an oyster po boy, with Abita Strawberry Lager:

Round 2: Oyster sliders, oysters flamenco, Acme raw oysters

Round 3: ceviche oysters, pepper jelly oysters

Afterward we cleaned up and headed to Ken Bickford‘s, where we enjoyed a bucket of mint juleps and contemplated the good life.
Sunday morning we went to the Tridentine Mass at Old St. Patrick’s:

Then scooted over to St. Augustine’s on the southern edge of Treme, for the end of their gospel Mass:

 We had a final lunch at Pat O’Brian’s, a Hurricane for me and a Bloody Mary for the lady, and shortly thereafter, the rain that had mostly held off the rest of the week finally cut loose on the way back to our airport cab.