"This is the heart of America!"

Big Man's older sister and her husband arrived on Sunday from Pennsylvania for the husband's business conference downtown at the Convention Center (the annual "Corrosion Conference" whatever that is). We picked them up that morning at the airport and drove them to their hotel, giving them the quickie tour along the way, showing both damage and progress since Katrina. (Newcomers never get it about the progress, they're too blown away by all the damage they can still see 2 1/2 years later.) We made a date to pick C up on Monday to give her the "full treatment."

Monday was warm and muggy and while not a picture postcard kind of day, at least it was way better than the bitter cold winter it still is in Philadelphia, so C was appreciative. We drove down St. Charles Avenue, pointing out the sights, and recommending the streetcar both for diversion and transportation. We turned into the Garden District and slowly went round and round the blocks, C's head swiveling from left to right as she exclaimed over the gorgeous houses and the full-blown gardens, showing off Japanese magnolias, azaleas, irises, lilies, snap dragons, petunias, camellias and gardenias. At lunchtime we stopped at the newly-reopened Copeland's Cheescake Bistro and enjoyed their enormous portions and good food (that crawfish, lump crabmeat, artichoke heart and 3-cheese dip is *unbelievable*!) We took C to our house (we had cleaned up for the visit) and then to my sister L's house Uptown, with its $100,000 kitchen renovation (they had to do something with the insurance money from my brother-in-law's drowned Lakeview house). We pointed out some restaurants off the beaten path we recommended, and then parked on our favorite stretch of Magazine Street (between Felicity and Jackson -- I've written about this section of the Street of Dreams in this blog before).

We popped into several shops (including one with no one inside, the door unlocked), checked out our favorite antique stores (in the warehouse behind one we found an intact ancient pharmacy, counters, cabinets with multiple drawers and glass fronts, jars with calligraphy labels, and a chopping block with a worn top. Dunno how much it was -- probably negotiable -- but it made me dream of opening a spa or beauty boutique, and having these beauties as my store fixtures. We cruised through a couple of dress shops, House of Lounge's incredible collection of delectable undies, and Aidan Gill for Men. We showed her the old movie theater that is now an antique rug shop, and we looked into windows of places being renovated.

Then we took her into Prince Michael's Chocolates, and we all almost lost our minds. C bought 2 of everything, and I had to taste the marzipan-stuffed fig dipped in dark chocolate. Big Man and I also had to split another one of those *incredible* dark chocolate truffles with cinnamon and chipotle. (We had to see if the first one we ate was a fluke -- it wasn't. Just as amazing the second time.)


On the way back to C's hotel, we drove past Congo Square, and Big Man explained all about it, the enslaved people with their drums, the Native Americans, how the French came to see it and didn't forbid it, how ALL American music was born there, and his own powerful emotional/spiritual reaction to the place on his first visit.

C then exclaimed, "Why, this is the heart of America! And I never knew it before! You are so lucky to live here!" Yes, we said, it is truly and really the heart of America, and we are lucky to live here.