Today’s journey started with a brisk walk to the street car followed by some more brisk walking because we had missed the street car. I wanted to cry. My legs were already very sore from yesterdays adventures. I’m pretty sure I have shin splints, at least that’s what I imagine them feeling like. Again the fresh air is welcoming to me. The air does not smell like the air I am used to. It is often filled with cigarette smoking, trash that has been left sitting out on the street side, aromas of food cooking and baking. The smell of the food cooking is not the familiar smells of the food I am used to. They leave me guessing what’s cooking.
We made it to our meeting point on time. First stop for the day was the St. Louis Cathedral.
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| St. Louis Cathedral |
It is not only gorgeous on the outside but on the inside as well. It is one of New Orleans notable landmarks. The cathedral over looks Jackson square. Which is also beautiful. It has an enormous fountain and is covered with beautiful green foliage. There are three steeples that tower above the other historical landmarks. The outside appears to be a prestige white and I feel a sense of peace and beauty while I stand out in front of it. The inside of the cathedral is breathtaking. As we walk in the large wooden door it creaks loudly, there are hardly any other noises. You can feel and smell the history when you walk through. No matter what direction you look an oil painting is looking at you. The craftsmanship of the painting and statues are jaw dropping. The stained glass windows just add to the awe. The golden detail makes me feel like I am standing before royalty. I almost don’t feel worthy enough to be in such a sanctuary. The quietness is a little eerie. If you look closely at the floor you can see fossils throughout. We are soon given a proper history lesson on the catholic cathedral from our tour guide. I found it interesting that she doesn’t live in New Orleans but used the cathedral as her home church. She was a wealth of information. She explained how people were buried underneath the pews, there was a special burial place in the crept that only a select few were buried, and there were priests buried out in the garden. She showed us where baptisms were done and are still performed today. The first baptism was done there in 1727 and it was not destroyed in the fire. The urn that is used for baptisms dates back to 1805 and is still used today. The platform the priest speaks from looks like a giant wooden shell. I didn’t know that it was personally designed that way. The shell helps carry out the voice of the priest to the congregation. The lighting of the candles have always intrigued me. I wanted to light one but didn’t want to be disrespectful. I waited until we had left the sanctuary and there was candle lighting in the lobby. I grabbed the stick out of the ashes and lit it from another candle. I said a prayer for my family, blew the stick out, and placed it back in the ashes. May the year bring prosperity, peace, health, and blessings.
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| The beautiful cathedral ceilings |
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| The alter at the cathedral |
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| The candle I lit on the the right |
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