**Note: we have been out of touch for the past couple of weeks because of unreliable wifi access while in Cuba. We are now going to catch up on some postings that we didn't have time to complete prior to traveling to Cuba, plus what we experienced while in this Caribbean nation.

While we may be a bit "... Long in the tooth" , we don't feel we have "...one foot in the grave" ( at least not yet!) . Soon, ...with that being said , one might wonder at our fascination with old graveyards. We can learn a lot about the history of a culture while exploring how they bury their dead. For instance, long before Katrina, flooding of cemeteries was common in New Orleans, causing many caskets to pop-out of the ground. It then became the responsibility of relatives to search for their loved ones and rebury them. Thus, became the tradition of building above ground tombs and mausoleums in these "...cities of the dead." Some of these are quite ornate, indicating the relative wealth of the owners. Many are built in stages, like steps. Most have two shelves for burials. After one year and one day (because one didn't want to proceed with the process on the actual anniversary date of the original burial) the casket is then removed and discarded. The bones of the deceased are then dropped into a lower level beneath the shelves, making room for new burials. In one instance, we were told that as many as 84 people were accommodated in one tomb. If more than two members of a family died at the same time, relatives could rent a wall tomb until space opened up. One issue we didn't anticipate was crime within graveyards. Because of the relative ease of breaking into tombs (as opposed to digging up plots, grave robbing of family heirlooms has been on the rise. Who would have guessed? As a result, freely roaming through Cemetaries in New Orleans is discouraged by only allowing guided tours (for a fee of course).
​ Still, this was a fascinating way of experiencing some of New Orleans' back stories.

Some of the tombs are quite ornate.

...as well as looking like steps.

Not all tombs are "family" burials. Some are set aside for members of certain society groups. This one is for members of an Italian society.

Wall vaults are available for rent in the case when more than two family members died in the same year.

Surprisingly, there were a number of tombs in the shape of pyramids.

Looking "...down the street."

Maintenance of graves are the responsibility of the family. When costs of an elaborate tomb is more than a family can afford, the use of stones to prevent caskets from floating up during floods is acceptable. If their are no family members left to maintain the gavesite, the state can take over, but it is a difficult task, , requiring extensive research to make sure there really are no family members.

Some of New Oeleans' favorite entertainers are still in evidence.

Many local artists put their works on display.

And beads could be found everywhere...

...as was trash.

They followed us from Atlanta!

The Lynn Daley band performing at Waldenberg Park.

The Garden District band performing on one of the street stages.

Even individual performers set up wherever they could find a spot.

If you were not watching, you were probably dancing...

There certainly was plenty to see.

I probably should not have had that last drink! (And I hope my insurance is paid up!).

It seems that the safe world is shrinking, yet if you play it smart, one can be quite safe from pickpockets and thieves. Don't be a target! Don't attract attention of thieves. They want to get your goods quickly and easily, then be gone in a flash. To keep them away from you, wear no jewelry, not even a wedding ring. Sometimes wearing expensive clothes, or even a hairdo, will attract their attention. We know of a woman who wore expensive jewelry, had a polished haircut, and expensive clothes. In London, this is a no-no. Upon exiting the train station, she was surrounded by a group of tall men, cut off from her husband, and every pocket was searched. Police found her purse in the trash. She lost money, Jewels, I.D., and her dignity. All of it could have been avoided if she had just blended in. She was an English citizen, traveling in her own country. Yet she forgot to blend in. To this day, she still looks like she is dripping in money. Wearing American logos is also unsafe. We wear very plain , yet comfortable, clothes. Our shoes are sneakers. My watch is a run-of-the-mill cheap one.
From French tourists, we learned to wear a vest with plenty of zippered pockets. Put credit cards and loose money in a pocket, zipper it shut, then safety pin the zipper for extra safety. Thieves won't have time to unpin and unzip, before being noticed. Expensive cameras are also a magnet for the light fingered. Even cell phones are being ripped out of unsuspecting hands. Know what is happening around you at all times.
We only go to an ATM at a bank, during open hours; never to a stand alone. If something goes wrong, just pop into the bank to resolve the problem.
Thieves can target you without your knowledge. They never work alone. Usually there are at least three; the watcher, the distractor, and the thief. An electronic scanner can be used while kept in a pocket. All a thief has to do is point and scan through a jacket, or pants, pocket. If they are successful in scanning your credit card, they get your money. However, if your passport, with the new identity chip, is scanned, they can steal your identity. To protect yourself, get an RFID wallet for the credit cards and an RFID sleeve for the passport. This happened to us in Brussels, Belgium. We were in the Grand Place, when, unbeknownst to us, someone scanned through our front pockets. They got the credit card name, bank, and number, but not the expiration date. This, they guessed at and submitted a charge for a dollar. If the bank, doesn't flag it, these scanners will wipe out your credit as quickly as they can. Luckily for us, our bank caught it , put a freeze on the account, and sent us a new card. Our best guess is that the expiration date was covered by a Euro bill, that had a metal strip (probably aluminum). A scanner cannot work through aluminum. Since we didn't have access to the RFID products in Europe, we used an Altoids tin and an inside-out chip bag (e.g. A Doritos bag). Both worked fine in a pinch. When we returned stateside, we purchased these necessary travel items.
One last hint, be ready to change your country of origin. In Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square, there was a bomb explosion not five minutes away from our apartment. This was January, 2015, and there were demonstrations against France and America by Syrian students. For the rest of our Istanbul stay, when asked about our country of origin, we'd say Canada. Always, the next question was "What part of Canada?" Our answer was Prince Edward Island. "Do you speak English or French?" English was our response. "Welcome to our country" with a big smile and a handshake, was always next. Syrian Muslims hated French speaking Canadians. Some American travelers buy and sew a maple leaf on their packs and clothes.
So there you have it! Remember, safety first, but if you're kept from traveling and/or in constant fear, they win.

A couple of additional bits of information; sign up for the U.S. State Department's STEP, and Smart Traveler programs to keep abreast of travel advisories. Also read Karen Workman's article "Is Europe safe for travelers?" In the March 30, 2016 New York Times.

We hope these tips have been helpful, and perhaps we will run into you during our travels and yours.

This was one of those experiences that have made our adventures unique! Following one of the walking tours of the city, we went in search of a lunch venue that several locals had highly recommended - The Napoleon House restaurant. Most New Orleansians know about this 200 year old National Historic Landmark. Originally built in 1794, for a time it was the home of Nicholas Girod, first public ally elected mayor of New Orleans (1812-15). Girod was a huge fan of Napoleon Bonaparte, and offered the Emperor of France his home while Napoleon was in exile. Napoleon never did accept the offer, but the name of the house stuck. While the ambiance of the building was fantastic, and the food delicious, the really cool part for us happened when we met the Executive Chef and General Manager, Chris Montero. Chris took an immediate liking to us , and offered to give a private tour of the building. This tour included the second floor former apartment of Mayor Girod (now used as private function rooms), as well as the third floor old apartments (now used as storage) and the rooftop cupola. The views of the French Quarter from the cupola were spectacular, as, at one time, this was the tallest building in the French Quarter. The building's owners have long range plans for restoring the third floor and the cupola back to their original 18th century splendor. This was truly a fantastic experience! The other cool part of this story is that Chris and his family plan to be in Madrid around the same time as our stay there, and hope to meet up with us then. That would be a real treat!

The Napoleon House restaurant, offically known as the Mayor Girod House.

Wall plagues designating the building as a National Historic Landmark

Old photo of the building, showing the rooftop cupola.

The main dining room.

The courtyard dining area.

The ground floor stairway leading to the second floor apartment of Mayor Girod (now used as private function rooms).

The repurposed second floor apartment.

Double-tap to edit.

Our gracious host and tour guide, Chris Montero, Executive Chef and General Manager of the Napoleon House.

Stairway to the third floor old apartments (now just storage areas).

one of the third floor rooms set up as an apartment.

Interior of the cupola.

View from the cupola towards what the locals call "The American Sector". Canal street is considered to be the "official" boundary between the French Quarter and the newer parts of the city.

  We didn't make it to New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras! However, based on some of the behaviors we observed, that are still occurring throughout the French Quarter, we probably didn't miss much. For us, there was something better - we got to tour Mardi Gras World! Blaine Kern's Studios and Mardi Gras World are where all the floats and props for the 56 different parades of Mardi Gras are created and built. The 60 odd Krewes (read social clubs here, with memberships ranging from 300 to 3000) that put on these different parades, provide the themes for their floats to the company and then rent them from Mardi Gras World. This is a massive place! The guided tour itself, about an hour in length, takes visitors through the various workshops, providing essential background information on the creative process. But the really cool part was after the tour, when we were allowed to roam freely through the workshops and warehouse, to our heart's content. Most items are made out of styrofoam and paper mache (a few are fiberglass) and have an estimated life span of 30 years. Everything is inventoried, re-usable, or re-purposed. Mardi Gras is not their only customer. They also provide props for Chick-Fil-A restaurants, casinos, and Disneyworld. We could have wandered around there forever! It was that much fun.