Big Easy Photo Album March 12, 2006
I wanted to take more pictures in New Orleans than I actually did, but since most of my out and about time was done solo, I didn’t always feel comfortable whipping out my camera and writing tourist across my forehead. Not that it’s not safe to go out by yourself during the day, but it is a big city and things have changed since Katrina.
The damage around the city wasn’t hard to find. (All pictures are clickable to enlarge.)
Here’s a building with significant damage that I snapped a picture of on the way out of town.
This is a blurry shot of a totally blown over billboard taken while we were driving on the interstate.
Blown out windows were a common sight.
Fencing down along the side of the road.
Piles of debris along side a building. Proof that there is still much work to be done.
This high rise with massive window damage is right by the Superdome.
Speaking of the Superdome, here’s a shot of that infamous building. It’s scheduled to reopen in late September.
A refrigerator thrown out on the curb, a common site after a major hurricane. In Lake Charles after Rita they took all of the discarded refrigerators all to one location. It was quite a sight to see such a massive fridge graveyard.
I don’t know if anyone remembers the reports of fire in the French Quarter in the aftermath of Katrina, but here’s where that building used to be. It was right across the street from the hotel we stayed at.
The streets of the French Quarter were so empty in places that it was eery.
This photo speaks volumes to me. An entirely empty section of Cafe Du Monde with members of the waitstaff sitting in the background. I never thought I’d ever see that place not buzzing and overfilling with customers.
It wasn’t all depressing. Beignets and hot chocolate from Cafe Du Monde can put a smile on just about anyone’s face.
All I can say is YUM!
The Saint Louis Cathedral was just as beautiful as ever as we strolled past it after our beignet feast.
The sight of this gorgeous arrangement of roses inside our hotel lobby was a nice little pick me up every day. I loved looking at them because they reminded me so much of the roses we used in our wedding.
This shot taken from our hotel room was a nice reminder that rebuilding is taking place and progress is being made.
After seeing what New Orleans looks like six months after Katrina, I can only imagine what it looked like immediately afterwards. It truly is humbling. New Orleans will rebuild, though. People down here are tough. I’m sure it won’t ever truly be the same, but I’m looking forward to a time when the streets are bustling with people and music once again.
- Posted in : Post cycle #6: Waiting for the final cycle, various other ramblings
- Author : amanda
Comments»
Wow, Amanda. What eye-opening pictures. Sounds like it was a difficult trip in many ways.
And those beignets? That’s an image I won’t get out of my mind all day!
powerful photos not in a sensationalistic way but in an understated life goes on way, thanks for sharing them. It’s so easy to not remember when follow up shots arn’t shown, even here way across the pond we saw the tv footage for the first week or two now nothing kind of sad when you think about when an event has such a huge effect how quickly people move on to the next story.
The roses are simply stunning and the beignets google had to tell me what they are and now I’m willing to break this sugar free diet and go in search of a bakery!
Thanks for the pictures. So sad to see NOLA still so empty. I heard that Bush & Clinton were doing my college’s commencement address, which will be good for drawing publicity back to the area and remind people how much help the Gulf coast still needs.
Thanks for posting the pics. We’ve been to New Orleans a couple times. It is strange to see streets and restaurants that are usually so crowded empty like that.
One of my favorite vacations was actually to New Orleans. DH and I went about 7 months after we got married. We had so much fun! I kind of like to think of that trip as our honeymoom instead of our actual honeymoon (which was a disaster!).
Living in FL, I’ve gotten used to seeing lingering destruction from storms. It all seems so distant now …. like it happened a really long time ago. It makes me forget how many people are still dealing with the after effects. To them, I’m sure it doesn’t seem so far removed.
Very sad, but beautiful pictures. The beignets. Yumm..
those photos are incredible to see. you don’t realize how much still needs to be done until you see current photos. thanks for posting them. (And yum on the beignets!)
I am now drooling over those beignets. Yummy. Very telling pictures - thanks for posting them.