The city of New Orleans could not be more different from our idyllic island setting that we left behind a few hours ago. A change I appreciated; island life was getting old rather quickly for me.
“I want to get to New Orleans!”
New Orleans is a city like no other, at least not one that I’ve ever seen. The fusion of French, Spanish, and, of course, American influences provide the backdrop for a very distinct culture; one that, without being told, can be identified as New Orleans.
The geography of New Orleans lends hand to the city’s identifying features; it sits next to the Mississippi, on a grid, and at a 45 degree angle. The city itself is damp, dirty, and dark; being in the French Quarter at night feels like you’re standing in a different place, at a different time in history. A time where electricity does not exist and the street lamps are still lit using oil, real flames lighting up the streets. Except, you can see the flames are real and electricity does exist. But still, you find street lamps with fire instead of lightbulbs, and you wonder to yourself about the existence of these things in the modern age. In simple terms, New Orleans is a spooky city. A fact that I find fascinating as a lover of spooky things. As our time in the city progressed, I was anxious to discover the French Quarter at night; we had been out in the daytime a few times, but I had a feeling the Quarter transformed when the sun went down.
The Bourbon-Orleans. See any ghosts in the window?
Lucky for me, on Wednesday evening, around 8pm, we took a classic New Orleans ghost tour. I had been waiting for this day since the beginning of the week. I had a feeling we weren’t going to see anything outwardly spooky, but I was thrilled to explore the quarter at night. Having recently finished Interview with the Vampire, I couldn’t wait to explore the city in which Anne Rice chose to set her novel in. As you walk past the oil lamps and dark alleys, there is no wonder Anne Rice chose this city for a story about vampires. Our tour guide was great, very comical which I appreciated, and had plenty of knowledge surrounding the haunts in the quarter. We passed by the Bourbon-Orleans Hotel, said to be haunted by a few ghosts, but unfortunately they were camera shy as I’ve yet to see one in any of my photos; we passed the iconic St. Louis Cathedral that overlooks Jackson Square where public executions were held, and a few more iconic sights that deserve their own sentence. Being built on a grid, the quarter is disorienting; every turn looks the same, there are plenty of dark corners to hide in, and if you’re not familiar with your surroundings, every corner and every street start to blend together. It’s wonderful.
Check out those orbs! Or maybe dust on my camera…
As we began our tour, the moon hung brightly over the cathedral, a perfect start to a spooky night. I think what jumped out to me the most was the overarching shadow of Jesus over the cathedral, a bit harrowing to me, but maybe a comforting reminder to some. It reminded me of Louis’ venture into the cathedral after his transformation; a crisis of faith is enough to make anyone go insane, vampires and mortals alike.
We passed through the alleyway next to Jackson Square and learned very quickly to avoid the puddles as, like our tour guide would say, that is not water. After walking away from the looming presence of the cathedral, we walked down some smaller streets and learned a few more ghostly stories. In between all of this we had a bar break, or bathroom break for me. My friends and I stepped into the Lafitte Hotel and Bar looking for a short break from the heat, but we found much more.
A pianist played in the lobby of the hotel, next to the bar. He was very lively and we quickly started to sing along with him, truly a wholesome memory I won’t forget anytime soon. He played a few songs and a lovely rendition of “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel, my personal favorite. Our time in the hotel was short as our tour had to continue, but we had a great time, regardless. On our way out we got his name, Steven Monroe, and his schedule. If you're near the Lafitte Hotel on a Wednesday or Friday night, pop in! You won't regret it.
We walked through a few more streets, saw some buildings that were used in the filming of “The Originals”, a great show, by the way. Reaching the end of our time, our last stop was the infamous Lalaurie mansion. Madame Lalaurie was a wealthy New Orleans socialite known for her cruelty, as well as the amount of slaves she kept locked away in her home. The tour groups gathered beneath the surrounding buildings, yet no groups stood directly under the outside terrace of the mansion. The tour guides are superstitious, aware of the energy that can be felt from being near the mansion, and consciously choose to stay away from it. As our tour guide was talking, I began to get the strangest feeling…
I have had déjà vu a handful of times in my life, always spooky, but I tend to take it with a grain of salt. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it means to feel like you’ve been somewhere before, experienced something despite maybe never having been there. Sometimes I'll be in a situation and realize I have dreamt about it before, or of something very similar. I don’t know what it means, nor do I try to interpret it, but I find it fascinating. As we stood near the mansion, I started to get the feeling that I had been in this exact place and time before, except I never have. I felt it for a moment, and then it faded, the familiar feeling had passed.
Curious, I asked the tour guide if she had ever had anyone mention it before, she said it's not uncommon, but still something to note. She mentioned that she doesn’t know much about it, but that I can take it as a sign of being somewhere I’m supposed to be, as if I’m reaching a place along my journey, whatever that may be.
I still don’t know what it means or how to feel about it, but I know I’ll be thinking about that long after I leave New Orleans.
All of this is to say, New Orleans is strange. And interesting. And beautiful. And every adjective in between that I can’t think of right now. Anne Rice made the right choice, if there is one, in choosing New Orleans for the setting of her gothic novel. My experience is just one of many from the thousands of people in the city, and from this I'd say everyone should experience at least one night in the French Quarter, maybe you'll meet a real vampire. Or at least hear Robert playing a lovely song.
Steven plays my favorite Billy Joel song. I sent this video to my mom.