Books And BeignetsBy Madelyn Miller, the TravelLadyThere are not many things that will get me out of bed before 8AM. Mere coffee is not enough. But this signature event of the Tennessee Williams Festival was food for the body and mind. For anyone who reads a lot, munching on the city’s signature pastry with other bookies (not the gambling kind) is a great way to start a day. And the organizers knew how to get the group mixing and mingling and thinking with quizzes, and giveaways and lots of fun group activities.
After this intellectual warm-up, other tasks were easier. We were each asked to think of a title for our own autobiography and who would star in it if it became a movie. That was an easy one for me. Title: SEX AND CHOCOLATE. Star: Michele Pfeiffer. The interesting thing was many of the people chose stars who looked like them. Or more correctly, chose celebrities they looked like. This round got a lot of laughs and was a real ice-breaker. There were other games and quizzes and lots and lots of books given out. I won REAL MEN DON’T EAT QUICHE for having read the most books on a list. Interestingly, the list came from that same book, Maybe I am reading the same books as real men, but I would like to meet more of them live, in person. At the end, we were asked to address a postcard to ourselves which would be mailed to us around the time of the new year. It was to list our book title, and have a flattering greeting that we would like to hear. Mine was,”Hi, Skinny.” It must have been a reaction to all the good food I have been eating in New Orleans. It was obvious a great deal of preparation and thought had gone into this breakfast meeting. As had been true of all of the festival. FOR MORE INFORMATION HELPFUL WEBSITE WHERE TO STAY Chateau Sonesta Hotel New Orleans http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1391WheretoStay.htm Renaissance Arts Hotel WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE I WENT TO NEW ORLEANS There are two kinds of people who go to New Orleans, those who want to party and those who don’t. If you don’t plan to stay up all night, be sure to express that preference when you check in and request a quiet room, perhaps on a courtyard. Or consider staying outside the quarter if you value a good night’s sleep. I stayed at a to-be-nameless hotel (not in either of the two hotels recommended above) in the quarter and called down to the front desk because of all the noise. They were prepared. They sent up earplugs. That was not enough. Two sleeping pills and six hours later, I learned there was a long list of people who wanted to change rooms. I waited (and slept) all day in my room waiting for another room, wanting to be sure not to loose my place on that special list. The helpful front desk person told me that more people than usual had called down to complain the night before. BEST PLACES TO EAT This is a list of where I ate. No calorie counts given to defend the innocent. And you can read more about them in my reviews of the individual restaurants. Restaurant August (I had to put this at the top of the list, even though officially the name starts with R because it was my very favorite. The rest of the restaurants are listed alphabetically) Bacco Cobalt Galatoire’s Herbsaint La Côte Brasserie Muriel’s Ralph’s on the Park Rene Bistrot Red Fish Grill Upperline MOST LITERARY TIME TO PLAN YOUR VISIT The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, March 29 to April 2, 2006. Weather is cool, reception is warm, topic is hot. BEST FICTIONAL BOOK ABOUT NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT SCENE Prime BEST PLACE TO GET ONLINE FOR FREE 201 St. Charles in the food court BEST SHOPPING ADVICE And Madelyn’s favorite stores BEST LOCAL PLACE TO SHOP RHINO Bywater Art Market BEST SPA EarthSavers GREAT GUIDEBOOKS Feet On The Street Insight Guides New Orleans Access New Orleans New Orleans Eating New Orleans 2005 New Orleans Restaurants STORIES IN STONE: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography NEW ORLEANS COOKBOOKS Arnaud’s Restaurant Cookbook HELPFUL MAP MAPQUEST NEW ORLEANS City Map . This large scale detailed street map folds up to 2”x3” I’ll DRINK TO THAT The Museum of the American Cocktail is dedicated to providing education in mixology and preserving the rich history of the American Cocktail. The exhibit is on display at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum at 514 Chartres Street, now through September 2005- over two hundred years of cocktail memorabilia from the outstanding collections of the founders. BEST WALKING TOUR The Scandals Tour Another Great Tour Since July of 2004, City Segway Tours has been gliding through the city of New Orleans offering a new way for tourists and residents to visit the popular historical sites of this fabulous city. The 3-4 hour tour begins at the golden Joan of Arc statue in front of the office, then heads to Governor Nicholls Street Wharf before moving along the riverfront through Woldenberg Park to the Aquarium of the Americas and Harrah's Casino. Riders then take the ferry across the river to Algiers Point, glide down the Jazz Walk of Fame to visit Mardi Gras World and through the streets of Algiers. The tour crosses the river again, heads down the Riverwalk to end back at the Joan of Arc statue. If you are not familiar with the Segway HT, it is the first self-balancing, electric-powered transporter designed to enhance the productivity of people by increasing the distance they travel and the amount they can carry. The Segway HT uses a breakthrough technology called dynamic stabilization, enabling it to work seamlessly with the body's movements. It operates in any pedestrian environment and is perfect for City Segway Tour purposes. Photo by Earl Perry |
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When you arrive, each person has a quiz in front of them. Fortunately, you compete by table and I was smart enough to have some really knowledgeable people at my table, including a women who was a Tennessee Williams instructors at Lansing Community College. Many of the questions were answered in panel discussions the day before, but there were still several stumpers. We came in second. Maybe we would have been first if I knew some of the answers. I excelled at eating the delicious beignets and going back to the buffet line to get more for my co-contestants.