Napoleon House in the French Quarter

Napoleon House in the French Quarter is one of my favorite places. Its gets that name form a popular local tale that it was built to be a residence for Napoleon Bonaparte after his exile and part of a plot to bring Napoleon to Louisiana. However, Napoleon was killed before the plot was hatched.

The interior looks like it hasn't been touched since the days of Napoleon. The atmosphere is great. It is a place were the bar tender's fathers work ... a long tradition. There is nothing like settling up to the bar or sitting in the courtyard and having a Pimm's Cup.

It is just another one of those things in New Orleans that has so much character.

Biking to Bars on Bourbon

While I was in New Orleans for Jazz Festival and ChazFest last week, I spent some time in the French Quarter during the morning taking photo. Yes, this photo was taken in the morning. There are bars that have never closed in that city since there is no 'official' last call.

One of the things that I realized during this trip is how many people were on bike. For most artist or locals, they find that they only need a bike to get around. Finding a parking spot in the quarter is a like an act of magic, so it is not a bad idea to just be able to lock your bike up.

Local probably spend more money on their locks (as my Brother Bill pointed out) than on the bikes. Hey man, you need to keep your ride safe. Even the pigeons in this photo look like they might take off with the bike if it wasn't locked.

The Herringbone Orchestra kicks off ChazFest

The first band to kick off Chaz Festival was The Herringbone Orchestra. The group was an eclectic group of musicians with a very unique sound. Sitting in the verdant stage area made their smooth grooves a great way to start ChazFest.

The lead singer has a petite and skillful voice that really matched the throwback 1920s vibe of the band.

Personally, how could you not love a band that has a barefooted harp player?

ChazFest Sign Post

This sign post reminds me of the Hopper Farm sign that I shot last summer. I think it really shows the very folk art nature of the ChazFest.

I think it was really cool how many local food and drink booths that were at the festival. The sign really shows all of the variety that was there.

Manicures at ChazFest

As I mentioned in my other post about ChazFest, it really is a local festival. All the neighbors in the Bywater area participate with making food and in this case, opening a manicure booth. Actually, she spelled it manaqueres. Maybe that was the Cajun version of the word?

I loved how she was super patient and all the little girls were waiting patiently for the $1 manicures.

Hard Liquor Stand at ChazFest

At ChazFest, there is more than local music, there is local flavor. In this case, the local flavor is the "Hard Liquor" stand - one of the mottos of ChazFest.

I really loved the folk art aspect of all of the food and beverage stands. It is not that is seemed authentic. It just was authentic.

French Quarter Door

One of the great things about the French Quarter in New Orleans is that the shabby is not thrown away. It is simply left to enjoy and show its age.

As I was walking down the street, I noticed this door and thought it really encompassed that thinking. I also love that it is 1/2 in the number - like they had to squeeze it on the block between two existing houses.