Froggy and Hollie's Excellent Mardi Gras

[infrogmation]

The weather was pretty much perfect for Mardi Gras Day this year. There are no doubt a thousand excellent ways to enjoy Mardi Gras in New Orleans; here's what mshollie and I did.


We drove out in the morning (with a few random float and bicyling costumers sightings on our route far from the parades) down to the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. We checked out some morning parties, chatted with friends and aquaintances.



Almost ready


Bywater backyard


Always lots of good costumes out



Then down to Bud Rip's bar, where the musicians gather for the Sociey of St. Anne parade. I was playing my trombone as one of the guests in the band, the core of which are the fabulous Storyville Stompers.




Inside Bud Rip's. I suspect they don't make hole-in the wall working class neighborhood bars like they used to.




The trumpet sounds!



The parade started a bit after 10 am. We paraded up through Bywater and Marigny, stopping at various bars and cafes where more costumers join the parade. We got up to the R Bar just below the edge of the French Quarter shortly after noon; things were getting crowded and we headed over to Frenchmen Street. We stopped in at the Dream Palace, then the Krewe of Kosmic Debris started up, and I played with the Pair-0-Dice Tumblers.


Kosmic Debris on Frenchmen Street

We did our traditional tumble parade, including a stop at the River side playing a dirge and remembering friends and aquaintances no longer with us.



Down by the Riverside


We continued on, then about 3:30 Hollie and I took a break and waundered over to CC's cafe.




Time for a spot of coffee


Coffee customers



After caffene and munchies we reconnected with Komic Debris at Laffitte's Blacksmith Shop bar. We socialized there for a while, but the remains of the parade seemed to have become stuck, so we took a leasurly stroll through the lower French Quarter taking in the sights.



Fine Art Melons

Unicorncycle

Zulu House


Then back down to Frenchmen Street for a while before heading out.



Are We Not Frenchmen?


The Savage Bees!



Many more pix!

My Mardi Gras Day photo set on Flickr (Or click the Detail version for larger thumbnails and captions.)

Flickr photographer "Cool Blonde Fun" (aka "Mustang Sally") did much of the same route as us, and got some similar photos from different angles.

Janelle Nanos of the National Geographic caught the start of St. Anne this year and has a nice description and video. You can even see Infrogmation at about 2:08.

[edit]

And YouTube video of St. Anne parade passing by a house in Bywater. (First half of the video is the most interesting, I think. Froggy can be seen c. 2:20 - 2:35.) I was surprised how long the parade continued after the band, even this early before many more people joined it later along the route.

Another YouTube of the parade with the band passing early in the route

Comments

[wrayb.livejournal.com]

thanks for sharing all that.

[jareyn.livejournal.com]

The Savage Bees! Hilarious!