Day One Update from New Orleans!
Yesterday was a jam-packed day exploring the city of New Orleans. We arrived at our hotel by 11 am and we were relieved and happy to have our rooms ready. After checking in, we headed to Mother’s for lunch. Strolling through the French Quarter, we indulged in some shopping before a cooking demo with the talented chef Eric. His expertise shed light on New Orleans’ food culture while preparing Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee, Pralines and bread pudding. It was all delicious and we were entertained by his jokes and stories! A fascinating tidbit we learned was about the ‘Trinity’ – onions, peppers, and celery – a staple in Creole cuisine. Chef Eric told us onions represented The Father – most high and double The Son and Holy Spirit, so a 2 to 1 ratio of onions to the peppers and celery. He also said you can make the Holy Trinity by adding garlic – The Pope. After the demo we had some time to rest at the hotel while Sharon went to the Convention Center to register our team for the Gathering and to pick up Leah (a youth from Omaha who joined us, but traveled to New Orleans with the Sheridan Lutheran team). Then we were off for a ghost walk! Though the eerie tales didn’t spook us, they provided insight into the city’s legends and folklore. The day clocked over 7 miles of walking, leaving us hot, tired and looking forward to showers and much needed sleep.
