Friday, April 30, 2010

New Toulouse Jardin

I was looking for ideas for a brief getaway when someone suggested the French-influenced New Toulouse. Having enjoyed my earlier visit, but never having seen the two newest regions of Jardin and the Bayou, this seemed to be a terrific idea.

My first stop was Jardin, an area of stately manor homes. Interspersed among these mansions is the church below - or, rather, what appeared to be a deconsecrated church and now the (future) home to the Museum of New Orleans History.


After that, my guide took me on a tour of the fine homes.

As we passed by the home shown in the picture below, my guide whispered that this was the residence of the Prim Minister herself, Miss Gabrielle Riel. We also passed by the Edison Ballroom, which looked to be the scene of formal dances.

Despite the heat and humidity that hung like a pall over the town and caused the vegetation to run wild in many places, I could not help but be impressed by the splendor of the town.


As we ended the tour along the riverbank, my driver said to me in the local patois, "Now that you've seen how the other half lives, do you want to see where the workin' men an' women live?" I nodded. "Well, jes' git yoursel' into this boat heah an' I'll show you. We'ah goin' to the Bayou."

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