We started off this morning by walking back down to the river and buying tickets for the Riverboat ride at lunch time, then we walked along the front to Jackson Square to finish the walk around the French Quarter we had started the other day. To continue the belief that the American’s don’t get up early we walked through the market and everyone was just setting up for their stalls. We walked round the market which was nice but not quite as pretty as I had expected then continued up the road to Old Ursulines Convent. This is one of the oldest structures in the Mississippi Valley. The Sisters of St Ursula who came to New Orleans from France in 1727 moved into the building in 1749. This was the first nunnery in Louisiana and they conducted the first schools for Catholics, Indian, Negro and also opened the first orphanage. We walked around a lot of other impressive French and Spanish style houses and also the City’s most famous private residence 1140 Royal Street which is know as ‘The Haunted House’ It was built before 1831 by Louis Barthelemy de Maccarthy. One of his daughters acquired the house in 1831 and it quickly became the scene of brilliant social events. In 1833 a neighbour told police she had see Delphine mercilessly lashing a small Negro slave girl who then fell from the rooftop. In 1834 a fire broke out, neighbours crashed through a locked door into a smoke filled room and found seven wretched, starving children’s chained leg and neg in the most painful positions. There was speculation that Delphine had set the fire and neighbours suddenly saw a carriage burst out of the gate and race away. She fled to France and was only brought back to New Orleans after she died in great secrecy to be buried. the house is said to be haunted by groans, screams and the hissing of whips. We walked back to the front and had an ice cream before getting on the paddle boat. We sailed on the Steamship Natchez, this is the ninth steamer to bear the name. Natchez VII Rachel the Robert E Lee in the most famous steamboat race, even today Natchez IX is the undisputed champion of the Mississippi. Steamships made the Mississippi a two way river, until then cargo was brought down to the ports on barges which were then broken up and the materials sold along with the cargo, the captains then had to make the journey back overland to start all over again. This ship was built in 1975 and is one of only six true steam powered sternwheelers plying the Mississippi, it was great because you could stand at the back and watch the wheel go round and also go into the engine room to look at the pistons driving the wheel and the rudder. The engines were built for U.S.Steel Corporations sternwheeler Clairton in 1925 and the whistle is a antique although they didnt say from when. Probably most impressively the copper bell is inlaid with 20 silver dollars which apparently makes it produce a purer tone. As we boarded the 32 note steam calliope was being played although I think it might need some tuning. We sailed down the river with various landmarks being pointed out on route, then after about 30 minutes we turned round, although we still made good speed coming back it was quite a bit slower as we were now pushing agains the current. We went up to the bridge then turned round and came into dock all of which was done with the captain shouting instructions through a bull horn which is modelled on the original ones used. It was about 1.30 by the time we docked so we went and got something to eat which was actually one of the best meals we have had this holiday, we had Boudin balls again and this time we had Jambalaya with blackened chicken which was lovely. Then we went back to the hotel for a relax, shower and to get changed before being picked up and heading to the airport for the flight home.
