The most revered musical monument in New Orleans. Fun, tasty, musical New Orleans. Night streets, entertainment and attractions

This is how I got to New Orleans city left behind and NY, And Chicago, And American West Coast cities, and amazing National parks states of Utah, Arizona and Nevada - it's time to finally “slow down” a bit and relax in the largest city of the state of Louisiana, known for its easy attitude to life, in order to then rush to Miami with renewed vigor and further along East coast USA.

Upon arrival in New Orleans, a small adventure awaited me at a motel that I had booked in advance on booking.com. The fact is that in the interval between booking and my arrival there, I happened to change my credit card. The hotel on the eve of my check-in tried to write off money for accommodation and broke off. And, without thinking twice, I settled someone in the room reserved for me, and upon arrival I was offered the most murdered and miserable closet of those that they had unoccupied. Of course, there was a small and a little obscene quarrel with the staff of the motel and, as compensation for the “moral damage” I suffered, I was offered to settle in their sister-hotel of a higher class for the same money. In short, everything ended well, because the original hotel turned out to be an outright bum. True, later the cleaning lady in the new hotel cut my towel, but I think there was no malicious intent in this - it was just white too and I hung it in the bathroom to dry. Well, she decided that it needed to be replaced - and took it away along with the hotel towels. However, attempts to find him and bring him back were unsuccessful.

... The next morning I slept off my car adventures in monument valley, Grand Canyon And Antelope Canyon, so I crawled out for a walk around the city closer to dinner. First impression: the city of New Orleans is not for nothing called “carefree” in America, I immediately liked it very much, some kind of correct “vitamin” soars in its air - something similar to Cuban Havana, albeit very remotely. The city is just as cheerful and un-American gouging, at least in the area of ​​​​the famous french quarter. One of the most famous nicknames for the city of New Orleans is The Big Easy. Its origin is not exactly known, however, it very accurately reflects the special relaxed atmosphere of the city, carelessness and ease of perception of life.

The climate in New Orleans is tropical, in mid-October plus 30, which is not surprising, because the city is located at the latitude of Florida, almost on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. After the cold in the highlands of Arizona and Utah, it was very pleasant to wander around in shorts and bask in the sun. The abundance of tipsy citizens with bottles in their hands is striking (New Orleans is one of the few cities in America where open drinking on the streets is not punishable). In addition, the distinct smell of weed was repeatedly felt.

Besides alcohol, New Orleans is a city jazz, carnival mardi gras(Mardi Gras - "Fat Tuesday" or, in our opinion, Maslenitsa) and blacks: According to statistics, as of 2013, African Americans made up 58.9% of the total population. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, demographers predicted dramatic changes in the structure of the city's population: according to them, after the aftermath of the disaster, only 30% of the evacuees returned to New Orleans; the lion's share of those who returned are wealthy whites - the blacks simply do not have the money to start all over again and they are forced to live where the authorities evacuated them. But so far there are much more visually black people in New Orleans than in those US cities where I have been before - but this fact rather adds exoticism, a sense of indifference and an easy perception of life than causes any problems and inconveniences. The Negroes here are very relaxed, good-natured and friendly - a couple of times, however, someone came up to me and began to rub theatrically about his hard life in the hope of getting a couple of dollars for his story.

But still, as in many other places in America, it is advisable to exercise reasonable caution in New Orleans - the city is considered quite criminal, and as you move away from the city center, areas quickly turn into ghettos. Without a clear need, it is better not to wander into the suburbs of Martigny and Bywater, in the southern part of Magezin Street, behind Laurel Street. (Laurel St) and north of Rampart Street (Lakeside). But you don’t need to become paranoid either - according to police statistics, the vast majority of crimes occur among those who previously knew each other. Most importantly, do not wander around the slums with an expensive DSLR and do not count hundred dollar bills by the light of a lonely lantern. In principle, it is absolutely not necessary to climb into all of the above unsafe places - there is nothing special to see there, all the most interesting things in New Orleans are concentrated inside the so-called "old square" (Vieux Carre), the heart of which, in turn, is the world famous french quarter.

French Quarter New Orleans:

The famous Bourbon street, main street and semantic center:

Houses with cast-iron balconies - along with a unique atmosphere, a symbol of New Orleans:

bourbon street New Orleans is an abundance of cafes, bars, strip clubs and fun people. Prostitution in the state of Louisiana, as in most other states, is officially prohibited, which is repeatedly reminded by ads in hotels and other public places (with a list of penalties for violating this law). Despite the ban, this phenomenon is clearly flourishing here.

Bourbon Street looks even more interesting in the evening and at night, when saloons, jazz cafes, strip clubs and just taverns open, and it itself is filled with tipsy cheerful people.

To the south of the riotous and vicious Bourbon Street, it runs parallel to Piano(Royal), street of art galleries and street musicians:

In order to tune in to the right wave, even a teetotaler needs to walk through the authentic drinking establishments of the French Quarter. Most bars are open every day, usually from noon until 10pm, and many are open all night. If there is live music, they may ask for an additional admission fee. Despite some alcohol liberalism, the laws of the state of Louisiana still do not welcome the drinking of alcohol on the streets, so plastic camping glasses are handed out in all bars to those visitors who wish to continue their walk through the green and drinking places.

If you have strong nerves and you are not superstitious, I recommend visiting Voodoo History Museum, located on Bourbon Street between Dumaine and St. Ann.

In addition to Bourbon Street, another "center of gravity" in the French Quarter is jackson square(Jackson Square) on the southern outskirts, between Chartres Street and the Mississippi Riverfront, where there is a particularly high concentration of street musicians, artists and tarot readers. To the north of the square rises Basilica Saint Louis:

Monument to the founder of the city of New Orleans (Nouvelle Orleans) Jean Baptiste le Moine de Bienville:

The Frenchman chose a very good place for the new city: by the beginning of the American Civil War, New Orleans closed the top four largest ports in the world.

Main life in French Quarter of New Orleans centered between the street Channel(Canal) West, down the street dauphin(Dauphine) in the north, by the street Orleans(Orleans) in the east and by the street Decatur(Decatur) in the south. South of Decatur comes embankment Mississippi, and one of the lines passes between Decatur Street and the embankment old tram Another attraction in New Orleans.

This type of urban transport was glorified in a play Tennessee Williams "A Streetcar Named Desire". You can take the tram at a stop located near the former Carondele Canal and drive along St. Charles Avenue through the Park District - the bourgeois part of New Orleans. It was here that the New Americans, who had grown rich from the sugar trade, erected their dwellings, while the Creoles and other townspeople settled more poorly in the Old Quarter. Spacious estates surrounded by parks with palm trees, oaks and magnolias have survived to this day. Particularly beautiful buildings of the era of the “sugar kings of Louisiana” can be seen on Prytaneya Street. Park Quarter is located southwest of French Quarter and is bordered by Warehouse Street and three avenues: Louisiana, St. Charles, and Jackson.

Walking around New Orleans, I did not find any reminders of the sensational hurricane Katrina here - at least in the city center. Since New Orleans is surrounded by water on three sides (the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain) and, moreover, most of it is below or at sea level, the famous Caribbean hurricanes have been a constant "headache" for residents since the founding by the French colonists. and authorities. In 2005, New Orleans experienced a mini-apocalypse when Hurricane Katrina damaged its protective dams and flooded about 80% of the city. But, fortunately, the French and Park quarters, as well as other parts of the old city center, located on a hill, were not affected by the elements. And since the French Quarter survived, it means that everything is in order with New Orleans itself - and in 2006 one of the carnival carts at Mardi Gras was decorated with the inscription: “Hi Katrina, the party is on!”.

Another impression of New Orleans: delicious food here! Which is not surprising, because the city was founded by famous gourmets - the French. Mixing French cuisine with Negro and local influences has given the world a very distinctive and interesting Creole cuisine - and the city of New Orleans is one of the most suitable places to experience it. At least, after the rest of America with its total dominance of hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches, New Orleans is just “some kind of holiday” - as Karabas-Barabas said. In this sense, I can recommend trying crab cake in a cafe on french market(French Market) close to waterfront Mississippi and turtle soup (although the soup is quite an amateur):

In addition, Creole cuisine was influenced by the culinary traditions of the Cajuns - immigrants from Canada, who, according to the Creoles, eat everything that floats, flies and stands on legs - except for ships, planes and chairs. Connoisseurs of the local culinary arts recommend to taste jambalaya(jambalaya) is a Creole version of paella and gumbo(gumbo) - vegetable stew with okra pods. In general, a Creole dish tastes better the more difficult it is to identify its ingredients.

You can also sit in the round-the-clock Cafe du Monde, located on a real French terrace and serving visitors with real brewed coffee (and not espresso diluted with boiling water - this gastronomic incident is very common in America, and in Europe it is so and is called: americano) and beignets - square-shaped fritters sprinkled with powdered sugar. At all, french market and the place itself is colorful and worthy of attention: an ordinary covered agricultural market is successfully complemented by shops, shops and summer restaurants, in which the indispensable New Orleans jazz sounds.

In addition to the French Quarter, the sights of the city of New Orleans include the Mississippi waterfront with its monument to immigrants:

…After walking through the French Quarter of New Orleans, I bought a ticket for a two-hour Mississippi cruise on the authentic paddle steamer Natchez the next day ($27.5, departs twice a day, at 11:30 and 14:30). If you take a boat trip with lunch, you get 38.50 bucks.

What else to see in New Orleans and its environs

We remember Mark Twain: along the Mississippi on a paddle steamer. In the morning I took a bus to the intersection of Canal and Basin streets, and from there I walked through the French Quarter to the Natchez steamboat landing (located at the end of Toulouse street). At 11:30 a.m., the steamboat set sail and for two hours rode vacationers along the symbol of the American South: the great Mississippi River, first east towards the Gulf of Mexico and the seaport, and then back to the city. My impressions: not much enthusiasm. That is, the ship itself, of course, is interesting and even one could go into the engine room (they say that the ship’s bell is cast from 150 silver dollars, which is the key to its “purest sound”), but the landscapes along both banks of the Mississippi during the walk are somewhat disappointed. There was something worthy of a camera only at the very end, when we sailed past downtown New Orleans and past Natchez's competitor, the Creole Queen:

The rest of the time, along the banks of the Mississippi, a dull industrial landscape dominated - docks, warehouses, an oil depot ...

The guide on the ship's radio spoke proudly about the oil depot: they say that Louisiana in general and the city of New Orleans in particular are very industrialized places, how much GDP is forged there and other similar garbage. Personally, it would be interesting to me if I came there to look for a job. And as a tourist, the oil depot only spoiled the surrounding view for me. All in all, in my opinion, a paddle steamer ride down the Mississippi is not worth the time and money. O it, unless you have already looked at everything in the city of New Orleans itself and you really have absolutely nothing to do in it.

If you are a fan of long river trips, then in New Orleans there is an opportunity to purchase a ten-day Mississippi tour - with stops along the way to the Midwest in the cities of Memphis and Natchez and the end point in the city in St. Louis (Missouri) .

Excursion to the Louisiana swamps

When I got off the boat, I decided to correct the impression a little, and, having reached Canal Street, I bought a Swamp tour at a discount, an excursion to the wetlands that stretched between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Alligators, pelicans and other interesting animals live in its unique ecosystem. The price of the tour at the street agency was 52 bucks, I bought it at a discount for 45 bucks. I can safely recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in nature and wildlife. First, for about forty minutes we were taken by bus to a certain reserve, then we were loaded into a large boat and for an hour and a half we rode along the rivers and streams in this swampy area:

On the way we saw alligators - they swam very close to the boat and the guide fed them with some special sugar gingerbread.

According to him, alligators are very peaceful creatures and in order for them to attack you, you need to “get” them strongly with something.

Famous local pelicans (I don’t know what exactly they are famous for, but they almost made the emblem of the state of Louisiana out of them):

I personally liked this second excursion much more than a paddle steamer ride along the Mississippi - but here it’s all about taste and color ..

The latest women's fashion in New Orleans: a lady in a cap "a la Gleb Zheglov"

- I often met such people in the city for several days :-) by the way, I have never seen men in caps.

Where to stay in New Orleans

Of course, this is not New York with its annual millions of tourists, but here it is also advisable not to let the housing issue take its course, especially if you want to settle near the famous French Quarter.

How to get to New Orleans

By plane: there are currently no direct flights between Russian cities and New Orleans, so you will have to fly with at least one transfer - in New York or in one of the European hubs; the minimum price of a round-trip ticket (two transfers) is approximately $600.

To search for flights to Las Vegas, you can use this search form:

By train: Amtrak trains (1001 Loyola avenue) can be reached from major US cities to New Orleans, timetables and prices can be found at www.amtrak.com.

By bus: New Orleans is connected to other US cities by the Greyhound route network. Buses arrive and depart from the station located at 1001 Loyola avenue. Check the schedule and purchase tickets at www.greyhound.com.

How to get from the New Orleans airport to the city center

The region's main airport is Louis Armstrong International Airport. Louis Armstrong International Airport(www.flymsy.com) is located in the suburbs of Kenner, you can get from the airport to the city by the E2 regular bus, the ticket costs $ 2, the stop is located next to exit 7 from the airport on the second (upper) level - next to the check-in counter Delta Airways. The bus stops at the Airline Highway along the way. (Highway 61) final stop at Tulane and Loyola Avenue. After 7:00 p.m., the bus only goes to Tulane and Carrollton Avenue in Mid City. The cost of a trip to the city center by taxi is $35-40 for one or two passengers, another $15 for each additional passenger.

Life hack: how I save on hotels and insurance

In addition to traditional and well-known tools such as Booking or Hotellook, Lately new online services have appeared that greatly facilitate the life of the traveler and pleasantly protect the thickness of his wallet. One of them - roomguru I use it all the time and recommend it to all my friends and family. This service compares prices for an object in 30 booking systems at once, and offers you the most interesting options. In addition, it tracks discounts and special offers.

As for a good working travel insurance, it was not easy to find it before, but now it has become even more difficult due to the constant fluctuations of the ruble against world currencies. For the past few years, I have been taking out insurance for my travels through an online service - here you can compare the products of different insurers and choose what is best for you:

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden

Another interesting place in New Orleans.

The Sculpture Garden is a unique cultural project created right in the city park of New Orleans. It is part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, which, unfortunately, we did not get.

By the way, the entrance to the park itself is free.

Museum of Art building

This garden was opened in 2003, and then there were 50 pieces of art in it.

Today, the garden contains more than 60 sculptural compositions that fit perfectly into the surrounding nature.

They stand along the paths, or are reflected in the pond, or hide in the shade of living oaks and pines.

Diana, Augustus Saint-Guadens

Large Seated Cardinal. Giacomo Manzu

Standing Man With Radiating Words. Lesley Dill

Source Figurine. Robert Graham

Monkeys, Rona Pondick

Curious work! What beautiful hands!

LOVE, Red Blue, Robert Indiana

Spider Louise Bourgeoise

I really liked this composition. I would translate its name into Russian as "Overflow". Overflowing with ideas, for example, or unspoken thoughts, desires, confessions... I have many options.

Overflow

Restrained. Deborah Butterfield

Also a nice sculpture. You can interpret it in different ways, with humor or in a philosophical way.

Mother and Child, Fernando Botero

Here is such a curious obelisk built from fragments of violins.

Obelisk. Pablo Casal

Peculiar work!

Travelin' Light. Alison Saar

This sculpture, of course, is the most interesting and large-scale, with deep philosophical overtones:

Karma

The seven-meter sculptural composition "Karma" from the height of human growth seems to be launched into the sky by a rocket. Created by Korean artist Do Ho Suh, the art object consists of 98 male steel figures squatting and covering each other's eyes.

The installation, resembling a symbolic silver-plated spine, is an allusion to evolution, during which each next generation must be spiritually superior to the previous one. Descendants, turning a blind eye to the sins and crimes of their forefathers, will rise, but will be forced to rely on the experience of previous generations.

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And one more, last, short walk around New Orleans:

Louis Armstrong Park

The park bears the name of one of the most famous sons of New Orleans - Louis Armstrong (1901 - 1971).

There is not much to tell about the park, you have to see it, so I'd rather write about Armstrong.

American jazz trumpeter, vocalist and band leader, he had (along with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane) the greatest influence on the development of jazz and did much to popularize it throughout the world.

Louis, as he was called in the Creole manner, was born in the poorest Negro area of ​​New Orleans. Ross in dysfunctional family(mother is a washerwoman, father is a day laborer). His father abandoned the family when the boy was still an infant. The boy, along with his younger sister Beatrice, was given to be raised by his grandmother Josephine, who still remembered the days of slavery. After some time, Armstrong's mother, Mayann, took Louis away, but she never paid due attention to him.

Since childhood, Armstrong has been involved in the delivery of coal, the sale of newspapers and other similar work. At the age of seven, he began helping around the house with a family of Karnofsky coal merchants, Jews who had recently immigrated to America from Russian Empire. Later, he began to stay overnight with them and eventually became practically an adopted son in this family. The Karnofskys lived in Storyville, an area known for its free spirits, as well as bars, clubs, ballrooms, and brothels. It was Karnofsky who later gave Armstrong the money to buy a cornet, his first musical instrument of his own.

By the mid-1950s, Louis Armstrong was one of the world's most famous musicians and entertainers, and he had starred in more than 50 films. The US State Department gave him the unofficial title of "Ambassador of Jazz" and sponsored his world tours on numerous occasions.

Armstrong's last hit was the life-affirming song "What a Wonderful World" (#1 in the UK).

And here is the monument to Louis Armstrong

This sculptural composition is dedicated to black people, their songs and dances.

In the distance you can see the building of the theater, which is located in this park, where various concerts are held. This theater is named after Mahalia Jackson.

Mahalia Jackson (1911 - 1972) is an American singer, born in New Orleans, who largely determined the modern sound of gospel and spiritual music.

The beginning of real success in a brilliant career should be considered in 1946, when she was invited to participate in a symposium on the origins of jazz. There she was asked to perform several songs in the presence of the most prominent American musicologists, and when she finished, the hall erupted in applause. Critics bombarded her with questions and forced her to sing until midnight, the symposium was canceled.

Mahalia Jackson captivated audiences on four continents. Four times overcrowded Carnegie Hall applauded her. Four presidents listened to her: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.

During the sixties, Jackson was a supporter and confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On August 28, 1963, in Washington, before Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, Mahalia sang the song "I've Been Buked and I've Been Scorned".

Another musician whose name is immortalized in this park is Buddy Bolden (1877 - 1931).

By all accounts, today he is considered the first bandleader who played improvisational music, later called the word Jazz. He was the first "King" of the cornet in New Orleans and is remembered by the musicians around him as the finest trumpeter they have ever heard or seen.

Buddy Bolden had a huge impact on the next generation of classical jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, who listened to Buddy as a child.

Bolden never made a single recording, but was immortalized in Jelly Roll Morton's "Buddy Bolden's Blues" (I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say), which is based on Bolden's "Funky Butt".

This park is a very pleasant place to relax, filled with sun, music, history and traditions of this amazing city!

New Orleans is a unique phenomenon, a city unlike any other in America. A place where cultures, music and lifestyles of different nationalities successfully combine. A cheerful, never sleeping city in the very south of the United States of America.

through the pages of history

The history of New Orleans began with its founding by two Frenchmen who appeared on these lands in 1699 to explore the Mississippi River.

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bianville founded a settlement in the swamps between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain in 1719, naming it after the French regent Philip II of Orleans.

The first inhabitants were the French and the African slaves they brought.

The subtropical hot climate, swampy terrain complicated the living conditions, prosperity did not come.

In 1762, the French, tired of economic failures, handed over these lands to the Spaniards, who, in turn, returned them back to their original owners by the beginning of the 19th century. The French Emperor sold New Orleans to the Americans in 1803. By this time, the bulk of the population were Creoles.
The Americans managed the settlement better than the French and Spaniards, and after 40 years New Orleans became the fourth largest city in America and a major center for the slave trade.

After the defeat of the Confederacy in civil war the slaves were freed, and New Orleans received a new round of development and became a thriving industrial center and the largest seaport in the United States.

History has left its mark on literally everything that is here. In New Orleans, the old architecture brought by the French and Spaniards has been preserved.

Despite the fact that in 2005 Hurricane Katrina destroyed almost all the buildings, they were reconstructed and rebuilt.

Today, tourists, like one hundred and fifty years ago, can stroll through the old French Quarter in the center or ride in a horse-drawn carriage along the stone streets.

New Orleans today is a colorful mix unusual people, all kinds of musical trends, gastronomic preferences and outlook on life.

It is worth coming to the USA even for the sake of visiting New Orleans alone. The local atmosphere is filled with charm and love of life, the aroma of unhurriedness is in the air and music is heard everywhere.

Endless outdoor cafes invite you to sit in the shade of canopies and drink coffee. Next to the open verandas of the establishments, right on the sidewalks, there are musicians.

New Orleans - gastronomic paradise

The cuisine of New Orleans is considered the best and tastiest in America - a French base combined with ingredients added by immigrants from around the world. The Spaniards contributed onions, red bell peppers and celery. Italians - canned tomatoes. Natives of African countries and the Caribbean - hot peppers and spices.

Traditional dishes are thick soups and stews in numerous variations:

- gumbo (Gumbo) - a thick soup with Creole spices, similar to stew, consists of vegetables with meat, chicken or seafood, made thick with French roux sauce;
- Jambalaya - a rice-based dish similar to pilaf, ham, fish or seafood are added to it;
- Étouffée - rice with crayfish or seafood.

In expensive restaurants, you can try deliciously cooked seafood, especially oysters.

Waiters, middle-aged people, are distinguished by the manners of royal butlers.

The interiors of many establishments are distinguished by sophistication and colorful style. In almost every of them, eating takes place to the accompaniment of a musical group.

French Café Du Monde is popular with the locals, serving only delicious coffee and beignet donuts with powdered sugar.

It is interesting that in these latitudes alligators are bred, like our birds. You can try its meat in any even a small cafe, or buy it in a supermarket and grill it yourself with a spicy tomato sauce. Bread is baked mainly on the basis of cornmeal.

At the famous K-Paul’s restaurant, customers are served dishes from the freshest products bought in the early morning at the local market, so the restaurant’s menu is seasonal and depends on the morning’s “catch”.

A special treat can be found in the old French Market, where food and a huge selection of sauces are sold in abundance, fairs are held and, of course, you can try many traditional Creole and Cajun dishes and listen again to fiery jazz tunes.

birthplace of jazz

The music of this area is as much a separate story as the cuisine.

New Orleans is the cradle of jazz music; jazz was born here - the most beautiful musical style in the world.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a new direction, which absorbed the folklore of people from different countries, blues, ragtime and brass band music, took shape, and jazz appeared. Louis Armstrong and Joe "King" Oliver presented their first performances to the New Orleans audience. Local jazz orchestras are innumerable. Everyone and everywhere plays music in this city.

In the spring, you can visit the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival, which is attended by the best musicians from all over the world.

Night streets, entertainment and attractions

The only structure that escaped the destruction of Katrina was the bridge. This is the longest bridge in the United States, its length is 38 km.

The bridge has become a symbol of the city's resilience.

You should definitely drive along it to experience an unforgettable feeling of infinity.

The central street of New Orleans is Bourbon Street, a kind of analogue of the Red Light District in Amsterdam. All the tourists of the city and the most cheerful and unusually strange (to understand what is hidden behind this definition, you need to come here and see with your own eyes) gather on this street in the evening.

Various melodies sound from all sides, artists of all possible genres perform on the sidewalks, people dance and spend time freely.

All institutions of Bourbon Street are open until the morning, and the musicians do not get tired until dawn.

On this street you can find "adult entertainment".

New Orleans, where many African Americans live, is the center of voodoo culture. As the sorcerers themselves say, voodoo is a religion that unites the souls of people and returns self-respect. In addition to many shops selling various souvenirs, New Orleans has a museum of this culture.

The Mississippi - the "big river" - one of the largest in the world, in the delta of which New Orleans is located, flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn - the heroes of Mark Twain lived on the banks of the Mississippi. Huge ships of international cruise companies call at the port, but it will be interesting for tourists to breathe the air of the old city and ride the ancient wooden paddle steamer “Delta Queen” along the river, it’s nice that the trip will be free.

A special festival held here annually is the winter-spring festival "Mardi Gras" (fr. mardi gras), an analogue of our Orthodox Maslenitsa. "Mardi Gras" is a celebration of the meeting of spring. Crowded processions with horse-drawn platforms and people in all kinds of costumes enter the streets of the city in the French Quarter.

Boat trips to the Mississippi swamps, fishing trips, river walks, museums, very good art galleries, markets and old quarters, restaurants, festivals, fairs, music parties, sightseeing of the cathedrals and architecture of the city ...

New Orleans is a place whose sights and all the directions "where to go and what to see" cannot be listed, because by the time you get there, something new will already appear there.

Most American cities have nicknames that reflect characteristics one place or another. The nickname of New Orleans - "Big Easy" (The Big Easy) - is a combination that cannot be translated into Russian, hinting at the free atmosphere on the streets and the carefree flow of life in this entertainment center that does not leave anyone indifferent.

New Orleans fills up with itself completely, and the impressions of it never leave the memory.

December 27, 2015 "Our idols were better than yours" - probably, this age-old claim of the older generation to the younger one well explains the logic of erecting monuments to famous performers of past years.

Other reasons for the appearance of such monuments - the desire of city authorities to decorate the city, attract tourists, as well as the demands of fans to give them the opportunity to gather near the monumental image of their idol, of course, also play a role, but not decisive. Be that as it may, there are monuments to musical idols all over the world, travel agencies willingly include them in the lists of attractions in different cities, so we have a reason to talk about the ten most, in our opinion, interesting and famous.

None of the people living today heard how Niccolo Paganini played the violin, amazing the audience with his skill in early XIX century. Nevertheless, he can rightfully be called the musical idol of his era - Paganini's popularity was enormous, famous writers and the poets dedicated many enthusiastic lines to him. But, as it turned out, his most ardent "fans" were the ministers of the Catholic Church...

After the death of Paganini in 1840, the church declared that such an unimaginable talent was nothing but from the devil, and forbade the burial of the maestro according to the Christian rite. The son of Paganini had to travel with the body of his father almost all of Italy, then divided into principalities and duchies. Nobody wanted to bury the "devilish virtuoso" anywhere. This went on for almost forty years, several times the already interred body was again pulled out, until the great virtuoso found his last refuge in the city of Parma. A bust with a colonnade is installed on the grave of the “great and damned” Paganini; it can be considered the first monument to the musical idol.

You can argue about the artistic merits of this monument in the park of New Orleans, but it was placed, no doubt, "on the spot." New Orleans is recognized as the birthplace and capital of jazz, here in 1901 Louis Armstrong, a singer and trumpeter nicknamed "Sachmo" was born - lipped. In the first half of the last century, jazz was the most fashionable musical direction, and the most popular jazz performer for many years was Armstrong, who came to music in a very original way - through a local colony for juvenile colored criminals.

There was a brass band in the colony, eleven-year-old Louis, who got there for stealing a pistol (from a policeman!), Learned to play the trumpet. And he fascinated millions of people all over the world with his game, as well as his voice with an inimitable "signature" wheeze. And he always looked a little confused and embarrassed on stage - these features the author of the monument, of course, managed to convey.

For those who remember Leonid Utyosov and are familiar with his work, the choice of a place for a monument to an outstanding singer, musician, actor seems to be the only correct one. Of course, Odessa, and of course - Deribasovskaya Street. Although during his long life, Utyosov changed his place of residence many times - he lived in Kremenchug, and in Moscow, and in St. Petersburg, then Leningrad. And in his youth, he simply traveled around the country along with a traveling circus, in which he worked as a gymnast. But in the eyes of fans, and they have been active for half a century creative activity millions of inhabitants of the entire USSR became, Leonid Utyosov has always been and remains an inhabitant of Odessa, perhaps the most famous in the entire post-Soviet space. And for the Odessans themselves - also Leonid Osipovich, or Uncle Lenya, with whom you can easily sit next to him on a bench.

"She was born like a sparrow, lived like a sparrow, and died like a sparrow." This is about the singer, whose pop name is translated from the Parisian slang - "little sparrows". Street sparrows have a hard life, Edith Piaf's life was also filled with tragedy. As a child, she was alternately abandoned by both parents, she lost her sight. In her youth, her only daughter died of an illness, in her mature years, a loved one died in a plane crash.

And all these years Edith sang - for the spoiled Parisian public, for the British royal family, as well as for the inhabitants of the working quarters of Paris, French prisoners of war in Germany - her passionate, with tragic notes, singing was understandable to everyone. And she herself, being already rich and world famous, treated kindly by male attention, constantly complained of loneliness. It is precisely this, lonely and restless, that the singer - “little sparrows” appears in front of tourists on a Parisian square, named after her Place Edith Piaf.

Vladimir Vysotsky, Russia, Moscow

Moscow (three), Naberezhnye Chelny, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Volgodonsk, Dubna, Sochi, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara - monuments to Vladimir Vysotsky have been erected in these Russian cities, the list is probably not complete. In Ukraine, the famous bard was immortalized in Odessa (twice), in Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkov, Melitopol. There are monuments to Vysotsky in Belarus, Montenegro and even in the USA.

The monuments are very different, both in terms of the degree of portrait resemblance and artistic decision, some depict the singer together with his wife, actress Marina Vladi. But it is hardly necessary to describe them all here. The most interesting for us is the monument to Vysotsky by the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli on Krasnaya Presnya. Muscovites have an ambiguous attitude towards the work of this sculptor, but in this case, we managed to recreate the most complex image of a restless singer, poet and actor.

There are even more cities and countries in which monuments to the “king of rock and roll” Elvis Presley are erected than in the list of Vladimir Vysotsky, it is simply impossible to list them. Some of them have a private status, the singer's fans made them at their own expense and installed them on their territory. Most often, the King is depicted with a guitar, although, by all accounts, as a guitarist he was nothing special. But such is his pop image, which remained in the memory of many millions of admirers of the talent of Elvis Presley. Most likely, it is the image that inspires sculptors all over the world to create Elvis monuments again and again - this broad-shouldered handsome man seemed to have been born to become a monument. This idea, in our opinion, is best illustrated by a monument in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the site where Elvis' concert took place in 1973, broadcast for the first time via satellite around the world.

Here we are again dealing with "mass production" - a great many monuments to the legendary four have been erected all over the world, only on the territory of the former USSR there are at least a dozen of them. Therefore, we confine ourselves to presenting a monument in the homeland of the quartet, in the British city of Liverpool. This one differs from many other monuments to the Beatles group by its “financial component” - Beatles fans from all over the world collected money for it.

Freddie Mercury, although he was certainly a talented singer and musical idol of the 80s generation, is inferior in popularity to any of the performers presented here. However, he also deserved his monument. The reason, most likely, is in the unusual fate, extraordinary appearance and tragic death of the famous soloist of the Queen group. Born on the exotic island of Zanzibar in a family of followers of a rare religion - Zoroastrianism, Freddie Mercury (Farrukh Bulsara) all his life surprised others with his incredible talent in various fields - painting, graphics, sports, music, and eccentric behavior. Therefore, all his fans were deeply shocked by the death of their idol in 1991 from AIDS, at the age of 45. A monument to Freddie Mercury is installed in the Swiss resort town of Montreux.

We publish here a monument to Viktor Tsoi by the sculptor Sergei Kulgachev, installed in 2010 on the Socialist Street of Barnaul. According to our ideas, it is he who most accurately conveys the image of the musical idol of the “perestroika generation”, very accurately falls into the theme and “A Star Called the Sun” - a symbolic reflection of one of Tsoi's most famous songs. Unfortunately, there is still no monument to Viktor Tsoi on the streets of St. Petersburg, the singer's hometown, there is only a bust on the singer's grave and several bas-reliefs. The mayor's office promises to perpetuate the memory of Viktor Tsoi only in 2016.

Probably, Michael Jackson himself, the official "Legend of America" ​​and "Icon of Music", if he were alive today, would be surprised by our choice. Of the many monuments erected in different cities of the world to “the most successful artist of all time” (the wording of the Guinness Book of Records), we have chosen for publication a monument in Russia, in Yekaterinburg, by the sculptor Viktor Mosielev. This huge, three meters high sculpture accurately conveys the main thing that distinguished Jackson's work - inimitable dynamics and expression.

New Orleans is one of the largest cities in the US and a very attractive tourist destination. Its geography and vibrant mix of cultures has given it a unique style that combines French, Spanish, Caribbean, African and American influences. Moreover, even a long stay in this city is fraught with more and more new discoveries: colorful parades, colorful street vendors, special architecture, Creole gardens and much more.

New Orleans is the birthplace of American opera, jazz music and Louis Armstrong himself! It is worth noting that the Americans themselves called this city "foreign", since in spirit it is more similar to European, and most of all - to French.

I must say that after Hurricane Katrina, some suburban neighborhoods of New Orleans are still in a rather deplorable state. However, the main part of it, on the contrary, looks as if no disaster ever happened.

Climate and weather

In New Orleans, weather conditions form a humid subtropical climate, which is characterized by mild winters and hot summers. The average temperature in January is +11...+ 17 °C, and in July - +26...+33 °C. The average amount of precipitation per year is 1630 mm, with most of it occurring in summer, with October being the driest month.

The best time to travel to New Orleans is from the end of November to June.

Nature

Located in the southwestern United States, New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana. It lies on the picturesque banks of the river Mississippi, near its confluence with Gulf of Mexico. In the north, the city is bordered by a lake. Pontchartrain, and in the east - with the aforementioned bay. The total area of ​​New Orleans is 907 km², of which only 51% is land.

Attractions

In New Orleans, almost every block is an island of unique culture with important historical monuments. One of the most interesting places became a magnificent French Quarter with many beautiful mansions. Its center is the street Bourbon, where popular nightlife, restaurants and luxury hotels are located. Other attractions in the area include Jackson Square with Saint Louis Cathedral, which is made in the original architectural style. Also worth noting french market and New Orleans Mint which now houses a museum.

Well, in general, in New Orleans there are a huge number of various cultural institutions, galleries and exhibition centers. For example, an interesting collection is gathered in National Museum of World War II. Also very notable Contemporary Arts Center, where exhibitions of talented artists, photographers and sculptors are constantly held. In addition, it is recommended to visit:

• The New Orleans Museum of Art, which houses a rich collection of paintings from various eras,
• Museum of Religion,
• Ogden Museum of Southern Art,
• Museum of family and children
• Museum of Nature,
• Museum of the Mardi Gras Festival.

Other attractions worth mentioning include:

• monastery Old Ursuline Convent,
• the ancient cemeteries of Saint Louis and Matairie,
• Federal Memorial Hall,
• bridge across Lake Pontchartrain,
• Tulane University Complex,
• mysterious temple of voodoo.

In the vicinity of the city, you can also find several interesting historical sites, for example, the town shalmitt, where in 1815 a battle broke out, led by the famous General E. Jackson.

Nutrition

New Orleans, with over a thousand restaurants, bars and cafes, is a real find for gourmets. Moreover, local establishments offer a variety of cuisines: European, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, etc. However, the most popular restaurants here are specializing in Creole dishes brought here by the first colonists. In such establishments, it is first of all recommended to try " gumbo"(stewed seafood and vegetables with rice)," jambalaya"(ham with sausages, rice and tomatoes)," etufi» (stew) and red beans. In addition, in New Orleans you can always enjoy a variety of seafood dishes, such as crab soup, baked oysters, fried shrimp and mussels.

Also the pride of local chefs are " beignets" (peculiar donuts) and " mufulettes» (original sandwiches). It is worth noting that the desserts here are also completely different from American ones: buns, croissants, cakes, popsicles and ice cream.

The most common drinks are fruit and vegetable juices, milkshakes, sodas, iced tea and coffee. If we talk about alcohol, then it is distinguished by a wide choice here: from first-class bourbon to specific beer.

Accommodation

In New Orleans, there are many different hotels and hotels, both old and recently opened. They are located mainly in the central part of the city, as some suburban areas have not yet been fully restored after Hurricane Katrina. The cost of living, as elsewhere, depends on the category of the institution, as well as its location. The city has many very cozy and very inexpensive hotels that are scattered throughout its territory, for example, Queen & Crescent Hotel(from $45) or O"Keefe Plaza Hotel(from $67). Also here, as in any major American city, there are luxury hotels ( Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans) and budget hostels ( AAE Bourbon House Mansion).

Entertainment and recreation

In addition to historical sites and museums, New Orleans has a number of various entertainment venues, so you definitely won’t be bored in this city. For example, there is a magnificent zoo Audubon where animals live in spacious enclosures that are fully consistent with their natural habitat. Not far from the zoo is the city aquarium Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, offering to get acquainted with a variety of colorful fish, as well as an interesting collection of birds, frogs and giant sea turtles. Those who prefer to spend time in nature should definitely visit the most beautiful with many centuries-old trees, benches, gazebos and walking paths. Moreover, it is ideal not only for a serene pastime, but also for active sports. It is worth noting that in order to inspect it completely, it will take at least a whole day. Smaller, but no less beautiful, is Audubon Park, which boasts numerous fountains and statues, as well as lush vegetation. In addition, it is perfectly equipped for cycling and walking and walking. For fans ecological tourism and hiking is recommended to visit the National Park Jean Lafitte with many tourist routes, and for nature lovers - a botanical garden New Orleans Botanical Gardens, on the territory of which there is a wonderful collection of roses, orchids, ferns and other exotic plants.

In addition, New Orleans can safely boast of an abundance of discos, nightclubs, bars, pubs and jazz clubs that are open until dawn.

Purchases

For those who love shopping, New Orleans has a wide variety of shops offering everything from the most casual to the very original. First of all, it is recommended to go to french quarter, where the most popular shopping, luxury boutiques, jewelry stores and souvenir shops are concentrated. Also in the area is a colorful french market, simply striking in the abundance and choice of its products. Moreover, along its rows, where merchants offer various delicacies, art objects, clothes, dishes, original gizmos and much more, you can walk for hours. It should be noted that the prices in this market are very attractive.

In addition, it is worth visiting shopping centers. riverwalk And Oakwood Center, within the walls of which there is a great variety of shops and fashion boutiques. In addition, high-quality fashion clothes, accessories and much more can be found in stores on Jackson-Brevery.

Lovers of art and antiquity will also like the city, as many antique shops and small galleries of young artists are scattered throughout the city. In general, in New Orleans there are a large number of very interesting and rather unusual shops, for example, a shop of voodoo goods The Island of Salvation Botanica where a mysterious and slightly intimidating atmosphere reigns. Moreover, voodoo dolls are considered one of the main souvenirs of the city, and the memory of the voodoo queen Marie Laveau is still alive here. Among other popular souvenirs, it is worth highlighting colorful carnival costumes, masks and jewelry, which are sold both in specialized and ordinary stores.

Transport

chief public transport New Orleans are red trams, whose routes run along the central streets of the city. They go often enough and always strictly adhere to the schedule. The fare on the tram is about $1.7.

In addition to trams, you can move around the city by buses, which are available almost around the clock on weekdays, although they run a little less frequently on weekends. Tickets for travel are sold at special kiosks and from drivers, their cost is also $ 1.7.

It is worth noting that it will be most convenient for fans of excursions to travel on foot, since almost all the main tourist sites are located very close to each other.

Connection

All the streets of New Orleans are equipped with telephone boxes that allow you to make a call to any city in the world. Negotiations are paid for with coins and phone cards, which can be bought at any major store or post office.

Mobile communication is carried out through a huge number of operators, and roaming is available to all tourists. It should be noted that in the United States, for the full functioning of communications, it is necessary triband telephone.

Internet access is provided in almost all hotels and public institutions. In addition, there is a great variety of free and paid Wi-Fi hotspots.

Safety

Despite the mixture of different cultures and nationalities, for tourists, a stay in New Orleans does not involve any serious dangers or troubles. At the same time, nevertheless, you should never forget about the elementary rules of caution. For example, you should not carry large sums of money and very valuable things with you, and in public places you should be wary of pickpockets.

Business climate

New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana and the most important industrial center with its own port on the river. Mississippi. The economy of the city is mainly based on maritime and trade, and most of the local companies are connected with shipbuilding, logistics and transport. In addition, New Orleans is a major center for the petrochemical and oil refining industries, since a huge amount of oil is produced in the Gulf of Mexico and processed at the enterprises of this region.

Real estate

The consequences of Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans are still being felt, as this disaster caused enormous damage to the city, estimated at several tens of billions of dollars. However, today, after a long stagnation, the demand for local real estate is beginning to increase. Moreover, both recently appeared new buildings and old houses are popular here. Currently, you can buy a medium-sized house for somewhere around $85,000, but the cost of houses affected by the hurricane is still very low. However, in the future, analysts predict a rise in prices for all residential properties in the city.

New Orleans is home to a wide variety of music festivals and lavish festivities:

• Essence Festival,
• sugar bowl,
• international jazz festival,
• Southern Decadence,
• dog parade,
• Voodoo Music Festival, etc.

The main local holiday, which is recommended to visit, is mardi gras. It takes place annually every Tuesday before the Catholic Lent and is a magnificent and colorful carnival. This holiday is very similar to the Slavic Maslenitsa and also symbolizes farewell to winter.