The Big Easy, Part Deux (they're French you know!)

It's hard to believe that we are 2/3 thirds done with our trip at this point!

Beignets are curious things...they are light but still a bit filling. Perfect energy boost to walk an hour or so around the French Quarter. It is a place of contrast...people eating and drinking and many who clearly go long periods without doing either. A place of art and music and a place of reflection. I don't think I could live there but it was interesting to see.

It is a lovely place to walk and, were I alone, I would have settled somewhere with a cafe au lait and watched people for a few hours...so interesting to me. A homeless man asked DH for a donation as we walked by and his female companion hit his arm and said, "can't you see he has five kids?!" The South is a different place indeed.

John Paul II's plaza, just outside the cathedral

Ok, the Spaniards were here too...

 

"Jackson Square" named for hero Andrew Jackson (on his horse) and his victory in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans

Having walked off our snack and determined to finally seek and obtain the sacrament of penance, we headed to the St. Louis Cathedral, which happened to be just on the other side of the square.

Intended to go but totally missed the Ursuline convent :0( I was done planning by then.

The ombrellone...one of two requirements to designate a basilica - read more HERE

Beautiful, old church...the clamshell above the ambo was so cool. There has been a church on this site since 1727!

After looking around and preparing in prayer, we queued up for Confession. We waited 10 minutes or so with about 20 other people and, with 15 minutes to go before Mass, the pastor walked past, said, "are you all here for confession?" to which we said, "yes" and then he murmured, " there's no way."

Well, there wasn't any way for everyone to go and those of us that did, it wasn't a deep, meaningful confession. Still, having tried several times prior, it was nice to know we had finally achieved our absolution and went on to have a wonderful Mass...the kind that follows a fresh penance.

Time was getting short and we had to push on to Florida so we bid Adieu to the Creoles and headed due East. We got as far as Mississippi and needed to make a "school" stop. Who knew, in the tiny hamlet of Pearlington, MS, exists one of ten NASA field space centers in the US? The NASA center isn't open to the public but the Infinity Science Center next door is and we had to stop for DH who loves all things space/rocket and had missed the opportunity in Houston (he agreed the funeral museum was better). We missed the last shuttle to Stennis but stretched our legs while we toured some pretty cool space hardware.

We arrived late in FL and had to head out early so, other than "checking off the state" there isn't much to say. It was definitely worth skipping the beach because the next day, the last Saturday of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, would prove a great end to our journey. Stay tuned...one more post!

We are blessed.