Visiting An Old Friend

I just returned from another trip to New Orleans, probably my tenth trip in the past twenty years, and each time I go, I find my spirit renewed by the energy and creativity that abounds there. After several failed attempts, I was finally able to stay at the Columns Hotel, a grand boutique lodging in the Garden District that remains my favorite venue for one of my favorite activities, Happy Hour. It was a comfortable and welcoming place to stay. I walked extensively through the Garden District, enjoying the beautiful homes and the lovely campuses of Tulane and Loyola, and the vitality of Magazine Street. I discovered the Garden District Bookshop, where I held a book-signing, and was impressed by the graciousness of the shopkeepers, who have now become friends. I met faculty and students from Tulane, and left impressed by the premedical and medical curricula there, with its infusion of the arts along with the sciences.  I ate at new, incredible restaurants, and revisited my old favorites.  I also discovered an oasis in the midst of the French Quarter, and enjoyed another drink at the Carousel Bar. And, I worked on my latest novel. All in all, it was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with my old friend, and I look forward to our next visit.

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