Three Days After Christmas
We went to Arnaud’s for dinner. I had pork. Alex had quail. It was excellent.
Afterward, we went upstairs to see the “museum”. It is a small Mardi Gras museum. The Mardi Gras ball gowns of Germaine, Count Arnaud’s daughter, were on display. They were from the 40s and 50s. She was the queen of more than 22 carnival balls for over 30 years. The whole thing was sort of dark, faded, and creepy. The dresses were on mannequins who all had the same face. I guess they were supposed to look like Germaine who was not all that attractive. After just a few minutes I became overwhelmed with Germaine. Was she really germane to this museum? Must I ask such stupid questions? Not only was Germaine germane, but she was also German. Okay, I don’t know if she was German but I do know that she was New Orleans royalty and that’s what counts here.
Susie Richardson reigned as Queen of Carnival and Queen of the Krewe of Proteus in 1883. Proteus was the god of the sea. To be a queen you needed connections. Your family had to be prominent in New Orleans society. The first parade and ball were held in 1857 in New Orleans. The first Queen of the Carnival was not crowned until 1871.
We attended a performance of The Nutcracker by The Moscow Ballet. Maureen twirled like a ballerina all through the first act. She fell asleep during the second act.
Maureen broke the DVD Player that Santa gave her.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Guess what? The French Quarter in New Orleans isn’t good enough for the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization. What does it lack? History? I think not. It’s 300 years old. Beauty? It’s drop-dead gorgeous. Charm? It’s the one place Americans can go and feel like they’re in a little bit of Europe. Music? C’mon. Give me a break. I say UNESCO and all of its snobbery are not good enough for the French Quarter. Belonging to that group will not make it a better place.
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