Postcards from New Orleans

   Nawlins.  Nola.  The Big Easy.  We've been saying for a long time that we should go there, and we were right.  The French Quarter - aside from the ridiculous Bourbon Street - is fantastic.  The countless unspoiled old buildings with ironwork railings and brick and stucco facades and hidden courtyards, the shops and galleries along Royal Street, the Cigar Factory on Decatur, the old school jazz at Preservation Hall, the fried chicken and gumbo at Eat, the crazy old bar that is Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, and the street musicians who put every other city's to shame.  The old green streetcars that rattle along St. Charles Street.  The outstanding fare at Herbsaint, especially the mussels with frites and a creamy sauce of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh thyme, while sipping a not-too-sweet Sazerac cocktail on the side, and then some terrific sauteed flounder with a glass of dry white burgundy.  The barbecued oysters and gumbo at Acme Oyster House, with a glass of the local Abita amber.  The stupendously huge raw oysters (but not so much else) at Redfish Grill.  The best fried catfish sandwich ever and old diner vibe at Camellia's on New Carrolton.  The beignets at Cafe Du Mond.  The quiet old neighborhood across the river in Algiers.  The refreshing breeze that always moves along the levee.  A great take for four days in April.