Le Weekend

[rebness]

It was the UK Bank Holiday today. I had great plans for it, but it mostly revolved around writing and reading pretentious Proust stories in the garden. Oh, well.

The weekend played host to various festivals through Britain, so Mary and I went to have a looksee at the Mathew Street festival in Liverpool. There were the usual things; the Beatles tributes, live Irish music in the bars. We had a drink at The Cavern and met a sweet German tourist who asked us things about the city. Er, that we most didn't know the answers to.

We went to the fayre, as well, and probably sustained severe brain damage from a hellish ride that involved bouncing us up and down extremely quickly, backwards and forwards. Hmph. The European markets were also in Liverpool for the festival, so we sampled Dutch cuisine, French and Italian biscuits and salami, ogled at the gorgeous Spanish guy who was giving out free paella and educating us just how to say "chorizo" properly, and politely turning down a weird concotion at the Swedish stall.

I also managed to pick up Antonia Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette for £3.99, as well as some weird old book on symbology in world cultures. I really meant to read a good portion of these books today, but I seem to have done little but sit in the warm sunlight in the garden and check the BBC news for updates on that friggin' hurricane.

The lastest news I've read, from The Guardian, had this to say:

In New Orleans' historic French Quarter of Napoleonic-era buildings with wrought-iron balconies, water pooled in the streets from the driving rain, but the area appeared to have escaped the catastrophic flooding that forecasters had predicted.

On Jackson Square, two massive oak trees outside the 278-year-old St. Louis Cathedral came out by the roots, ripping out a 30-foot section of ornamental iron fence and straddling a marble statue of Jesus Christ, snapping off only the thumb and forefinger of his outstretched hand.

I'm torn between shaking my fist and being extremly grateful in the most selfish way that the French Quarter apparently escaped too much damage. Strangely, all it's done is make me look up flights to NO for next year (£280 from Manchester! Bargain!) and check out hostels there. New Orleans, why are you so tempting even in your er... stormy times?

Comments

[verastar99.livejournal.com]

But you LOOOVe the Beatles! lol

Spanish dude inserted the freaky "th" in chorizo, didnt he? snobs...*sneer*


Becky me do...mark my words *ominous echo* do not--i repeat DO NOT--even attempt to visit NO in the late spring or summer...white people will be melting, for certain...certain white people of uber-european-Britton-descent....

But let me know, and i'll totally meet you there!!

[gairid.livejournal.com]

About New Orleans 2006...I am going to begin on plans for a visit in Oct 2006 to celebrate my half century birthday. I planned on seeing if any of the VC folk I am still in touch with might want to go at that time as well , along with my family (who will likely decline) I'd love it if we could meet :)

I am glad to hear the reports that the Quarter seems to be holding up, though things are still sketchy since people are only just now beginning to venture outside again. I've been sick about it all day.

[versailles-rose.livejournal.com]

You know, it's a pity that all of Christ's fingers except the middle one wasn't snapped off. That way he could give the finger to Pat Robertson! (A TV preacher who said yesterday that New Orleans deserved to be wiped off the map)

[fioredelmale.livejournal.com]

I SO want to go to New Orleans too! It will be quite some time before I can, but I'm patient... BTW, how aboutyour trip here? Have you planned something more? Let me know if you need help (don't know, maybe to find a cheap place to sleep ;)

[saffronlie.livejournal.com]

How come when cyclones come near me no one cares? Pffft. They're just as scary when they rotate the other way, you know. And we don't get bank holidays. Or fayres. Or the BBC. DAMMIT, AUSTRALIAN SUX0RS.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

You were here? Cool.. we discussed going to the festival but its got so popular and so crowded, and last time I went I passed out in the street and Forest had ot fend off well-meaning and very young-looking policemen wanting to be helpful, so um, yeah, we gave it a miss. Do love the Beatles tribute bands though :)

[tsaress.livejournal.com]

howdid you get cheap flight where from oh and janegave me this link for cheap hotels in the u.s http://www.travelworm.com/ loads in NO

[tsaress.livejournal.com]

2006 yeah sure I'm always interested still working on going to New York in spring to see silly lestat msucial.