Last night, the temperature in New Orleans plunged into 30s. Brrrrrr! This was perfect timing for my adventure in City Park to enjoy the Christmas light show, Celebration in the Oaks. The chilly weather made the holidays seem more "authentic" as we were walking down palm lined drives that spoke more toward a tropical- than northeastern-style Christmas.
Before heading to the park, Jessica and I went out for Ethiopian food at a place called Cafe Absynnia on Magazine street. The place was fairly crowded for a back street restaurant. All of the normal tables were full, so we sat on little stools around a woven table with something that looked like a sombrero on top. We both enjoyed the vegetarian sampler, which was just the right amount of something flavorful and spicy for my tastes. This was the second time I've eaten Ethiopian food, and the cuisine is growing on me!
After dinner, we raced off to Angelo Brocato's to grab some gelato and cannolis before it closed at 9:00. We arrived at nine on the dot, and the nice security guard let us sneak in just as they were preparing to close. I opted for the Boci gelato -- chocolate hazelnut. Yum. I think my northeastern roots were shining through yesterday -- who else would eat an icy dessert on such a cold night?
With our bellies full, we headed off to City Park to frolic around with scores of other New Orleanians. We made our way along the meandering paths that wove through the botanical gardens, the children's amusement park, and along the oak lined streets. Jessica and I enjoyed listening to a light show based on a Cajun reading of The Night Before Christmas. Santa's sleigh was pulled by alligators instead of reindeer. Ha!
When we were walking through the theme park, we definitely got in line with a bunch of kids to go down a dragon-shaped slide. I have no shame when it comes to experiencing these kinds of small thrills. Right by the slide, there was an entire street lined with Christmas trees decorated by local schools. We enjoyed perusing the various themes: Who D'at?, Snowflakes, Snowmen, Angels etc. My favorite tree was the "Making Groceries" tree. The school children had taken food labels and turned them into ornaments (classic local companies like Zatarain's, Luzianne, etc.)
Before heading to the park, Jessica and I went out for Ethiopian food at a place called Cafe Absynnia on Magazine street. The place was fairly crowded for a back street restaurant. All of the normal tables were full, so we sat on little stools around a woven table with something that looked like a sombrero on top. We both enjoyed the vegetarian sampler, which was just the right amount of something flavorful and spicy for my tastes. This was the second time I've eaten Ethiopian food, and the cuisine is growing on me!
After dinner, we raced off to Angelo Brocato's to grab some gelato and cannolis before it closed at 9:00. We arrived at nine on the dot, and the nice security guard let us sneak in just as they were preparing to close. I opted for the Boci gelato -- chocolate hazelnut. Yum. I think my northeastern roots were shining through yesterday -- who else would eat an icy dessert on such a cold night?
With our bellies full, we headed off to City Park to frolic around with scores of other New Orleanians. We made our way along the meandering paths that wove through the botanical gardens, the children's amusement park, and along the oak lined streets. Jessica and I enjoyed listening to a light show based on a Cajun reading of The Night Before Christmas. Santa's sleigh was pulled by alligators instead of reindeer. Ha!
When we were walking through the theme park, we definitely got in line with a bunch of kids to go down a dragon-shaped slide. I have no shame when it comes to experiencing these kinds of small thrills. Right by the slide, there was an entire street lined with Christmas trees decorated by local schools. We enjoyed perusing the various themes: Who D'at?, Snowflakes, Snowmen, Angels etc. My favorite tree was the "Making Groceries" tree. The school children had taken food labels and turned them into ornaments (classic local companies like Zatarain's, Luzianne, etc.)
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