Live from the Breakaway March 17-31, 2024

[SenatorsFan]

Just now, YVRteacher said:

thank you!!❤️

 

Have a wonderful time on the Jade! I have such wonderful memories of cruises on her.

Thanks, we have never been on Jade, but a friend and I sailed on Pearl in 2014, so I'm guessing the layout is similar. Jade was updated in 2022.

[NikiPinkston]

So sorry to hear about the incident with the guest performer. It's amazing how a grown man could be so cruel to fellow humans, especially to a child. Good for you for calling him on it. Just push it out of your mind and, if it comes back, push again, and enjoy your time in New Orleans and on your upcoming cruise. A trip to the Botanical Garden today might be just what you need.

 

That chunk of land off the coast is indeed Catalina Island. When I was a child, I took my first cruises on the SS Catalina, "the big white steamship," and spent a week there every summer with my family. You can also see the smaller San Nicolas Island behind it, which is a training facility for the US Navy. 

[YVRteacher]

Thank you, Niki! That’s great advice!

[YVRteacher]

I woke up today after a wonderful sleep and feel refreshed and lighthearted. 

Ignoring the warnings that advise not to use

hotel coffee makers because people wash their underwear in them, I made coffee and watched the sunrise over the Mississippi. The coffee maker is so small there wouldn’t be room for anything bigger than a thong anyway.

 

The two hour time change works in my favour since I don’t see a lot of sunrises at home.

Are you the kind of person who enjoys lingering in bed? I am! I loved my morning in the hotel, sunlight streaming in,

texting friends, savouring the homemade chocolate chip cookie from home for first breakfast in bed.

 

Now I’m craving freshness and am off in search of a smoothie for second breakfast.

 

[mimi'sgirl]

As a 1:1 support aide and the mother of a wonderful son with autism, I thank you for standing up to this despicable individual!  I am also sorry that they turned violent and you have the lasting effects of doing such a courageous thing.  I hope your administration and coworkers are giving you the support you deserve and need. ❤️

 

I love your writing style and reading about your cruising adventures! I also love hearing about your Dad. You are an amazing daughter! Wishing you a relaxing and peaceful cruise! 

[Travelicious]

@YVRteacher I love your humor!  Have you written any books yet?  

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, YVRteacher said:

Ignoring the warnings that advise not to use

hotel coffee makers because people wash their underwear in them

Uhhhh....what? Now I can never use a hotel coffee maker again. 

[justhappy]

 Since I’m about debark tomorrow and end my trip report I hand over the ship to you and am hoping you have a great and stress free cruise. ❤️

 Love your trip reports and can’t wait to  read about your adventures!

[odie1024]

Look forward to following along as I found your Star review last summer very enjoyable. So sorry to hear about the episode at school, hopefully this vacation will ease some of that nastiness you witnessed and experienced.

Have a fun trip, I embark on the Sun for an 18 day Panama Canal cruise on April first and cannot wait.

[graphicguy]

Lemmeat that performer.  He'll be whistling Dixie from his eye lids when I'm done. 

 

Seriously, what is with people?  I just don't understand how some folks have this cruel streak in them and seem to want to take it out on everyone around them instead of working it out through something like therapy.

 

Anyway, the sure cure for that incident is a cruise!!!!!!  

 

🙂

[YVRteacher]

And a Sonny Margarita at the carousel bar at Hotel Monteleone

[Sugar Magnolia]

Well, what an exciting turn of events for me!

 

I just returned from a cruise out of LA and was bemoaning the month long wait between now and my next cruise…and here you are to save me from my despair.

 

Looking forward to more songs and stories from the librarian….LIVE!

[AKR2011]

I can't believe people entering a school can be so insensitive in this day and age when everyone seems to be on the DEI train. Your poor student and aide! They are lucky to have you standing up for them, but like others have said, this absolutely never should have happened. 

[YVRteacher]

10 hours ago, mimi'sgirl said:

As a 1:1 support aide and the mother of a wonderful son with autism, I thank you for standing up to this despicable individual!  I am also sorry that they turned violent and you have the lasting effects of doing such a courageous thing.  I hope your administration and coworkers are giving you the support you deserve and need. ❤️

 

I love your writing style and reading about your cruising adventures! I also love hearing about your Dad. You are an amazing daughter! Wishing you a relaxing and peaceful cruise! 

Mimi’sgirl, thank you for being a 1:1 support aide! 
 

My colleagues have been incredibly supportive and so have my friends.

[YVRteacher]

Things they have in New Orleans that we don’t have in Vancouver:

 

Pickle salt water taffy

Nordstrom

 

Bars in the middle of the mall

 

Alligator 

Things we have in Vancouver that they don’t have in New Orleans:

Personal space

[YVRteacher]

9 hours ago, justhappy said:

 Since I’m about debark tomorrow and end my trip report I hand over the ship to you and am hoping you have a great and stress free cruise. ❤️

 Love your trip reports and can’t wait to  read about your adventures!

Challenge accepted!

[YVRteacher]

After a leisurely morning I went to the Riverfront Outlets. I wanted to see where I would be going tomorrow to get to the port and I wanted a dress.

 

This one was hard to resist. 

Who doesn’t want to look like a prop from Roseanne?

 

In the early afternoon I walked from Riverwalk, along Canal Street then covered a sizeable portion of the French Quarter by zigzagging back and forth along Bourbon Street, Royal, Decatur and North Peters. 

 

I didn’t go to the Botanical Garden because I figured I only had one full day here and I needed to experience the French Quarter.  I did see a pretty succulent though.

Here’s what caught my eye in the French Quarter today:

this is the streetcar I didn’t take 

 

 

 

 

 

The art galleries are a treat here, as are the antique shops with their ceramic plates with sections for individual oysters.

 

 

 

 

This poor horse was over it.
 

 

 

 

The best part of the French Quarter (for me!)?

Balconies!

Edited March 17 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

Whenever and wherever I travel, I will always find a market. The French Market did not disappoint!

 

Music invites you in!

 

if you head down Dutch Alley you’ll arrive at a local artisan’s co-op

 

 

Anyone hungry?

 

 

 

I asked this man if I could take a photo of his food 

 

 

good to know

 

You don’t always see a fellow with palm fronds in his backpack at the market

 

On the corner of Decatur and Barracks

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Needing some nature, I headed to the Riverwalk. This provided a reprieve from the bustling intensity of the vibrant French Quarter  and afforded great views of the workings of the Mississippi River.

 

 

Families were picnicking and tossing Frisbees, dogs were greeting each other with barks and leash tugs, locks weighed down the gate to the pier

 

and I found a tree that made me laugh.

 

 

Beautiful yes, but all I could think of was the star-nosed mole. Have you seen those creatures? They have 22 tentacle-like appendages for noses!

 

 

Someone is getting married on the riverboat tonight. The florist arrived just as the last passengers boarded and their team wheeled on cart after cart of white roses.

 

 

 

This fountain is a splash park!

 

 

Last photo of the day:

 

Edited March 17 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

Let’s talk about pralines.

Have you tried them?

 

 

At home a praline would be a roasted pecan coated in caramelized sugar. The only way I’ve had that type of praline is in Baskin and Robbin’s Pralines and Cream.

 

In New Orleans pralines are cookie shaped hardened dollops traditionally made with only four ingredients: cream, sugar, butter and pecans.

 

 

You can buy them individually (freshly made or prepackaged) or in boxes. Most of the candy stores I visited yesterday (and I visited every one I encountered- for research!) provided free samples. I tried traditional pralines, chocolate pralines and sweet potato pralines.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are reading and are pronouncing these sweet treats with a long a as in rail, try again. It’s more like a drawn out a as in crawl, so it sounds like prawlines.

 

Most blocks in the French Quarter have at least one candy shop/praline confectionary.

 

I’m glad I had the chance to sample before potentially purchasing because they are too sweet and gritty with sugar for me.  If you, like me, don’t care for pralines there are other options:

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

It’s cruise day!

 

[Travelicious]

Love the Easter gators!  You saw more in one day that I have in numerous trips to New Orleans.

Edited March 17 by Travelicious

[laudergayle]

16 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

It’s cruise day!

 

 

16 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

It’s cruise day!

 

OH MY!! Stay dry.  

Edited March 17 by laudergayle

[YVRteacher]

34 minutes ago, Travelicious said:

Love the Easter gators!  You saw more in one day that I have in numerous trips to New Orleans.

I think I lost weight with all the walking I did yesterday! My clothes are a little loose today.

[YVRteacher]

27 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

 

OH MY!! Stay dry.  

It really is a lightning storm now!!

 

I did not pack a jacket but I do have one of those dollar store emergency raincoats in my travel bag. Should I use it on myself to keep my hair dry or over my luggage to keep my new dress dry? Such a dilemma.