First shock of the day - it's really, really cold here! Apparently it is not usually like this, but it's down to a cold north wind. I wore every warm item of clothing that I had, and just tried to stay on the sunny side of the street.
Second shock - ten minutes after getting off the ship we run into a Mardi Gras parade. This one was full of children from the local schools. I am photo bombing one of the bands as they made their way down town.
Also note the beautiful balconies over the carnival route.
We then wandered around the French Quarter, taking in Jackson Square and the cathedral.
Next up was Louis Armstrong Park, a lovely peaceful open space with fountains and statues.
We were fast ticking things off on our to do list, and then we heard the whistle from the Creole Queen signalling that it was just about to sail. We rushed over and were the last passengers to board.
The paddle wheels were turning, and the wind picked up on the water, but we found a sheltered sunny spot and took in the view.
The paddle steamer took us to the Chalmette Battlefield where the Americans beat the British in 1815.
Jumping forward a day, we took a look around the French Market and tried the famous King Cake. It comes with a tiny plastic baby Jesus. They used to hide him inside the cake and it was very lucky to find him in your piece, but nowadays they put him in the box, in case of insurance claims!
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