New Orleans pictures, part the seventh

But there were other signs as well. Signs that life was returning to normal.


The shops, many of them, were open again.


The tourists were returning, that Easter weekend:




And with the tourists came the street performers:




The characters that make up the heart of New Orleans were either back, or never left:




You'll still find surprises in your food:

Like the crab's claw I found in my gumbo at Coop's Place, but it was still amazing food. I miss it, and before this I never particularly cared for spicy food.

The beautiful buildings haven't gone away:




And some things never change:

This is Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, said to be the longest continuously operating bar in the America, located on a far end of Bourbon Street. It's quiet, almost entirely lit by candles, and the interior is largely unchanged.

After all this, though, I felt just about like this: