“In a Bourbon Street bar, I received my first scar
from an old man so tattered and torn.”
- Jimmy Buffet
I first heard those words around 1982, riding around in a car with my good friend Rob Slagle. On that day we had the windows rolled down and we made a promise that someday we would give New Orleans a go.
From that moment on I have been fascinated by all things New Orleans. It is simply a place like no other. It is a mixing bowl of cultures and one of the few places on Earth that being eccentric is not only accepted but encouraged.
“It’s a strange situation, wild occupation…Living my life like a song.”
New Orleans has many famous landmarks; The Acme Oyster House, Tipitina’s, Brennan’s, The Commanders Palace, etc. But there is one place that sums up New Orleans better than all the rest. That place is the Café du Monde. The Decatur Street coffee shop was founded in 1862 and has been open 24/7 ever since except for Christmas day and when the occasional hurricane blows through town.
“Coffee is strong at the Café du Monde. Donuts are too hot to touch.
Just like a fool, when those sweet goodies cool…..
I eat ‘til I eat way too much.”
The Café is known for its café au lait coffee, chicory blend and French style donuts called beignets’ and when a place is known for something worldwide, why mess with tradition?
The Café du Monde
This leads me to this morning, and my scratching off #34 on my Bucket List.
Café au lait and fresh beignets’
But the coffee and donuts really are not the point of this story.
The trip to New Orleans with Rob never happened. It was just another of the many things lost on a summer night when a motorcycle crash took his life in his early 20’s.
It may seem like a small item on my Bucket List, but it was one that was a long time in coming. I leave with a joyful sense of a promise fulfilled and a hint of sadness for a friend long lost.
“Cause I’m living in things that excite me, be they pastries or lobsters or love. I’m just trying to get by, being quiet and shy in a world full of push and shove.”
Thanks again for the inspiration Mr. Buffet
and to my friends Kamal, Jon and Larry for joining me on my mission.
