Visiting New Orleans

Sight Seeing Day One

June 16, 2015
Maria Compagno and friend Gloria, took us around New Orleans to see the layout of the area and points of interest. Here we are at Lake Pontchartrain, it looks almost as big as the ocean, 40 X 24 miles wide!!
Standing at the Lake, looking at the levee. If you look above the green you can see the tops of the houses that have been rebuilt. Water was 4ft deep in the streets.
A beautiful picture looking at the docks and boat house's!! This is the Lake that flooded New Orleans caused by Katrina!!
New Orleans is noted for having Cemeterys above ground, because the water level is only a few ft. deep. Above left is and example of how artistic some are constructed. On the right is noted Italian singer, actor, trumpeter Louis Prima!! Whose grandfather came from Ustica!!
Here Maria is explaining they felt that putting alot of bodies in the big piece of cement would keep it from being dislodged during a flood.
Maria Compagno standing by vault that contains a lot of the Ustica Italians. Their names are not on the huge vault.
Looking down one of the streets in the French Quarter and and a colorful building on the corner!!
A popular mode of transportation for tourist when downtown!!
They were celebrating the tomato festival, Marlenes cousin Tony gave her a bag of tomatos and they were beautiful and large.
The highlight of the day was for lunch!! We were meeting other Italian cousins at the resturant that Mary and her husband Sal Compagno operated until 1998. Marlene and Maria are pictured on the left outside. Tony Pittari, Chris Caravella and Marlene on the right are inside!!
At the dinner table, Tony, Marlene, Chris, Gloria, and Maria!! The food and service by the current owners was excellent and they are still using Maria's recipes!!
This is a picture on the wall inside honoring Maria and her late husband Sal Compagno as founders of the restaurant!!

Click on the Pictures for Enlargement or Click on the Flag for Page Two!!

Music, Oh Marie by Louie Prima
After lunch, we all went to this wonderful Italian Coffee Shop for dessert' Gelato, Goodies and Coffee!! What a way to wrap up the day!! Above is my husband Ron and I.