Short trip and taking it easy

I-10 welcome center near Slidell

New Orleans beckoned over the Columbus Day weekend.

We were ready to head out of town, and the Big Easy was an easy decision.

Our last trip of the vacation type was to the Smoky Mountains in June and July.

The weekend trip ended up being an overnight type as we sought to find out how things would work out for my wife who had suffered a stroke in April.  The stroke caused Linda to lose mobility in her left side.

She can walk, but not too fast. During therapy, she usually has level, even floors.

New Orleans was different. 

There were all sorts of angles to maneuver over and around. It seems that when one is not handicapped, obstacles, in the form of uneven sidewalks and streets, are not that big of a deal.

When the going is slow, and each step is thought out, one looks down and what is seen in New Orleans amounts to challenges.

But we met the challenges and managed to go from our hotel, the Provencial, down to Cafe du monde and around Jackson Square where we came across entertainment, artists and fortune tellers.

The going was slow and steady, and tiring.

We found a shop around the corner from the hotel and for lunch ended up getting the last sandwich in the store (it was a busy day).

And of course, at the Cafe Dumond, the traditional cafe au lait for me, cold chocolate milk for Linda and an order of beignets to split.

Temperatures were on the mild side, but heating up during the day.

Linda decided to pull a San Francisco bit on me. She sent me out to pick up something for supper (it's Sunday so it must be pizza) while she rested in the room.

It was a good test for what we could do under new circumstances. The trip wasn't as inspired for photography as past excursions (a little too warm).We still plan to return to do Miracle on Fulton Street during Christmas time and maybe both of us will have more stamina and will be able to "do the town right."

Next post: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011