Laurie, la flâneuse

   Just Got my photos from New Orleans, and wanted to post my travel notes again — it might explain my change of theme and blog title. Enjoy!

My passionate observations, sent from the French Quarter:

I am enjoying the life of a flâneuse, here in this city of beads and jazz. In case you haven’t read Introvert Power, flâneuse is the feminine of flâneur, and both are French terms referring to the “passionate observer.” I absolutely love being in a new city, especially one as vibrant as this one, strolling free, turning down this street or that, popping into this shop or that gallery, as the writer Baudelaire put it, being in the midst of the crowd – and this is key – but not being a part of it.

Some of my discoveries so far:

• The waitresses at Cafe du monde are surly, but the beignets (pronounced “bin-yay” and French for “fried dough”) are soft and warm and sweet and perfect.

• I don’t mind the heat. It’s running around 90 degrees, but the breezes are pleasant and the evening air caresses like a warm blanket. (Note the theme of comfort here?)

• Wireless access is a journey. I am finally connected, compliments of Envie – a cafe and espresso bar here in the French Quarter. Alma Maleckar works the counter, and she’s just the type of person you want to meet at a place like this. I know her full name because the painting hanging beside me – the one I want to take home – is her work. (a little known fact is that introverts can enjoy meeting a stranger or two in the course of our flâneurie.)

• The Hurricane is a favorite drink at the clubs here, and it is dangerous. Pretty, sweet and dangerous. Welcome to Bourbon Street!

• The music gushes out of the bars like the fragrance of homemade cookies, drawing you in. Fat Al at the Funky Pirate was our favorite. Fat Al does justice to his name –seated on his stool, his body an expanding triangle, his bold, black eyebrows and goatee highlighting his brown skin. But the guy was sexy and he knew it. His voice could do things I’ve never witnessed, and though his lower body was planted on the stool, he was nimble with his facial expressions, the cock of his head, his gentle sway, and his playful, seductive gestures toward the selected lady in the audience.

• The bead selection is glorious. I love kitsy stuff like this, and to my delight, I found a string of beads adorned with flamingos!

• I have to mention another lovely artist: Cindy Armstrong, creator of the “New Orleans Original LuLu dolls” as well as some really cool voodoo dolls. Her shop is a treasure trove, and her dolls are works of love, handmade and adorned with trinkets and beads (of course) – and no two are alike.

• Food is a sport here. My “I would come here just for this” pick is the coconut bread pudding at Deanies. It is made with coconut milk and coconut flakes, and its heavenly moist texture, made richer by the creamy glaze, contrasts perfectly with a crunchy garnish of thinly sliced almonds. Oh, and the seafood was wonderful too.

Okay, time for me to buy one of the big, fat cookies I’ve been admiring. Then I’ll pack up my petite laptop and make my way to the courtyard pool at the Dauphine Hotel, our charming and surprisingly reasonable home base right here in the French Quarter.

Oh, when I say “we,” I mean Barron and I. And that is working very well, because he’s attending a conference during the day. I am free to roam at my whim, and to meet up with him just as I yearn for some companionship.

Bonjour,

Laurie