Old Ursuline Convent

Outer

Beams

            The sun is warm against my skin. It is shining big and bright. Clouds are scarce. I am wearing double layers today since yesterday was a brisk morning. Jackson Square is starting to fill up all around. Vendors setting up for their day of selling and collecting tips. As we are standing in front of the St. Louis Cathedral I watch the artist hang all their creative, colorful, artwork. Some large framed paintings others just prints. We had to be at the Old Ursuline Convent by a certain time. We walked the streets to the Old Ursuline Convent. The sidewalks are uneven bricks. Some are different colors than others. They are old, cracked, and dirty. The history held here in New Orleans is amazing and never ending. Everywhere you turn there is always a story.

Chasuble

            Walking down the street and to the left there is the gated Ursuline. We meet up with this older gentleman, who is the guide through the Ursuline. The second room that we visited I believe is called the Ursuline Room. This room has a great deal of history to it. I found interest in the architecture of course. The original beams are still holding up except one. One of them had been destroyed from termites. The gardens that are outside are something you would see in a magazine. The Old Ursuline Convent is one of the first original French architecture is what the tour guide shared with us. The Ursuline room had multiple statues that were carried over on the ships in the 1970’s. There is a case with a handmade Spanish chasuble inside. It is beautiful. It has gold and silver stitching, blue and white flowers, burnt orange and white flowers, and green leaves. The details and time that were involved in making this are amazing.

Mary's Statue

Inner

            Food is a way to my heart. I love food. Not all food though. I was excited to try new things today. We were going on a cuisine tour today to sample New Orleans cuisine and get a little culinary history. Beef Brisket Po Boy with Creole Horseradish Sauce, Red Beans and Rice, Seafood Gumbo, Praline, and Shrimp Remoulade and Turtle Soup was on the menu. The Po Boy was okay. I did think the brisket was a little dry and the sauce was not something I would care for again. The red beans and rice was really good. It reminds me of one of the dishes I have had back at home. I learned that Monday’s were for red beans and rice because it was able to cook all day while they did wash and other chores. I also learned what a holy trinity in culinary means. It means onions, celery, and green pepper then you have the pope garlic. I love learning new cooking terms and dishes. I have also learned about the different rous and what the colors mean. I meant to take a picture of the chart she had shown us but I forgot. Damnit. I would have taken that and tried to make my own creole dish of some kind. I can always look them up online, I suppose. Another ingredient that was foreign to me was chicory root. I know that it is in coffee here. The lady told us that it is used for upset stomachs and that usually when traveling you will notice Creole’s never leave without it.

           

Red Beans and Rice