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It’s no surprise that America’s first cocktail, the Sazerac, was invented here in the 19th century – and this potent, Old Fashioned whiskey drink, all smoky woods, buzzing bitters and electrifying sugar, works like a metaphor for its explosive surroundings. We absorbed the French Quarter through blurred vision on an informative Gray Line’s Cocktail Walking Tour.
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The colorful characters, the voodoo curiosities and the hopscotch architecture – full of Spanish, French and American influences – are all unforgettable. The clearly-displayed jewel in a city full of hidden gems, the French Quarter, a Natural Historic Landmark, is the oldest district of NOLA. So we decided to take a little NOLA pre-tour, in an attempt to unlock the city’s secrets, from the quirkiest architecture to the best gay bars to the spiciest gumbo in town. Another of New Orleans’ biggest annual events is the LGBTI extravaganza Southern Decadence, which returns next month (2-7 September). The city is also known for the yearly pop of color that is Mardi Gras, an epic street celebration coming up on 9 February. (FYI, the The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, a NOLA institution, is dedicated to the iconic gay writer, and next takes place from 30 March to 3 April). We truly spent half the trip falling around in a dazed state of befuddlement, just like Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire.
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In fact, it’s like a geographical Rubik’s Cube: impossible to get your head around, a clash of influences and ideas and a rich history that’s almost overpowering.
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That’s the word that best describes New Orleans – the famed birthplace of jazz, capital of the occult and the most distinctive and mysterious city in America.Ī multicultural melting pot resting on a curve of the Mississippi River, the Big Easy was founded in Louisiana by French colonists in 1718, and makes a big impression despite its modest population of 380,000 (to put that into perspective, New York City’s is 8.4 million).