Scenes from NOLA

My trip was excellent. I traveled with three gals I used to work with at my old University job. One is writing her dissertation and two just successfully defended. We had a great deal to celebrate and discovered that we work well as travel companions. It was a great long weekend!

More on the conference later, but here are some fun pics of a great American town:

The French Quarter Festival had tons of great, free music.

And since it was festival season, it seemed only right to join in the party fun on the first night.

After daiquiris in the street (no open-container law in NOLA), a girl needs oysters - obviously!

Good dinner is best followed by...outstanding dessert.
Triple chocolate bread pudding = yum

Don't worry, we saved the Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's for another night.
We're scholars for goodness sake! :)

For the last night in town, we rode the St. Charles street car to Uptown.

Where we waited for a table at the much lauded Jacques-Imo's. It was, as many of the locals assured us, well worth the wait.

I ate my blackened red fish before I thought to snap a picture, but did remember to catch the creme brulee before we devoured it.

Note to self: big, shallow dish = more creme brulee crust. Extra yum!

And that, of course, is me. Wearing my favorite dress and smiling because I had finished my presentation and enjoyed a great meal with good friends in a fabulous city!