Whoa… knocked out of a deep sleep at 4:30 AM with a huge crack of thunder and pretty impressive lightning display overhead. Forecasting for more inclement weather over the breadth of Monday may cramp our daily walking trips through the French Quarter. Regardless, first task of the day was to head for school!
Monday morning saw our last segment of training. As expected, the format saw us taking some of the learning captured over the first two days and transforming that into a plan for action. Sections 9 & 10 actually zipped by very quickly, and after thank yous and good byes we closed this chapter of training. Being quite new to the world of IB, the introductory nature of the workshops were appropriate for myself, not having a lot of formal background with the program. So thankful to my Admin team and Lindsay for supporting and coordinating the opportunity.
Okay… Next up, dinner. No lunch at conference so I did a quick search for an option in our immediate area. We landed upon the St James Cheese Company. Nearby, excellent menu and everything “fromage”. We enjoyed a salad, grilled Gruyere sandwich, and scored a wonderfully balanced charcuterie board. All washed down with a delicious Portuguese red wine. Highly recommend this place for “lunch plus”!
Monday afternoon was to be a paddle boat cruise on the Mississippi, but upon arrival we met a sign saying “No Tours – Coast Guard Inspection”. Oh well… Can’t argue with safety! Thus, back to the Sheraton to regroup and relax for a bit. At roughly 4:00 PM we left in search of music. We settled in the growing line at Preservation Hall… A New Orleans Jazz institution. We gained access at 5:00 PM and the music was underway shortly thereafter. The music was superb, seating non-existent (we sat on cushions on the floor, to which I wasn’t positive I would be able rise) and show 45 minutes in length. All good things to know up front. Leroy Jones, trumpeter and band leader, drove the show and the all acoustic session had a rich, authentic groove and feel. Excellent use of $15 bucks!
Last scheduled task was to source up some supper. We were wandering aimlessly when we stumbled across an eatery on Chartres St., Original Pierre Maspero’s. Service was great and we were eating within minutes. Janie really enjoyed the Jambalaya and my salad was exactly the light supper I needed. Unknown to us, the site of the restaurant is quite historic. It was here that Andrew Jackson plotted the battle of New Orleans and later on conspirators met to instigate revolutions in neighboring countries. “It was also here that thousands of human beings, fresh off the slave ships, found themselves in the entresol (the hidden room tucked between the present restaurant and the spacious apartments above) awaiting their fates in the slave exchange below, where they would be sold to the highest bidder ” (Cafe Maspero – Henry H. Mitchell). New Orleans was once one of the largest slave trading ports in the Americas… Sobering thought with your meal!
We were home by 7:00 PM and began the process of putting together clothes / computer gear for the morning, a Tuesday travel day. I’m thinking we were both a little glum knowing the adventure was coming to an end and that we were facing a day of “hurry up and wait”.