Good morning from the Cafe Du Monde, home of beignets and cafe au lait. If you've never had a beignet, imagine funnel cake in the shape of a cinnamon bun topped with powdered sugar. Since we had so much success with Gray Line tours in Niagara, we decided to give 'em another try and after our beignets and coffee we signed up for a combination paddleboat and bus tour.
The steamboat Natchez was about as authentic as they come. One of few true steam-powered boats on the river, the Natchez features two huge steam boilers powering the paddlewheel, a hydraulic rudder, three decks, two 
bars and a band.
The bus tour was so jam-packed full of information it was impossible to catch everything. There is so much to see in New Orleans besides the French Quarter, I'll just give you a few hilights. There are several cemeteries in New Orleans, famous for storing the remains of entire generations in one crypt. Space is literally so scarce that when another family member dies they empty the bones into the crypt, reload the coffin, and slide it back in, sliding the bones to the back of the crypt. We also saw Emeril's restaurant, Delmonico's, MTV's Real World house, and dozens of New Orleans houses big and small, featuring the iron lace that has become a trademark for the city.
After the bus tour we rested up for another night on the town. We had an excellent dinner at the Cafe Royal on Royal Street. We sat on the balcony and amused ourselves by watching the people on the street below (photos at the Royal Cafe courtesy of the Brunner family from Connecticut who sat next to us).
Chris wanted to get his ear pierced, so after dinner we searched the French Quarter for a piercing shop. That mission failed, but on the way I found a Bastille Day celebration marching down the street.