The streets are wet. The rain is still puddled in some of the ancient cobblestones, tho the air is clear and dark. Neon signs flash off of dripping asphalt, the whole street is a swirl of color. I hide behind my guitar case as I walk down Bourbon Street. The tourists eye me curiously but take no mind, just another Bum Musician walking down the street. The hucksters and bar men trying to lure in the tourists with signs offering “Girls! “and “$2.50 Longnecks!” don’t hassle me either. They figure I’m on their side, another entertainer out to make a dime from the tourists come to gawk at this City. One stops me, says “If you can play that thing come by tomorow afternoon” and shoves his card in my pocket. Its easy for an artist to live in this city, if I were going to stay I might take him up on that offer. But I’m leaving soon and there are a few things I must do before I go.
A few more blocks I come to Saint Peter. I sit on the damp curb and pull out a cigarette, take a break from my midnight wanderings. All manner of people walk down the street; Bourbon is closed on weekend nights to facilitate the movement of the drunk and disorderly from bar to bar or bar to jail. You have the typical tourist types: Mr. and Mrs. Middle America wearing T-shirts and shorts, big cameras hung loudly around their necks along with Mardi Gras beads and it’s the middle of April. They’ll probably stick to Bourbon Street, the French Quarter at least, not venturing out into the rest of the city, the part that isn’t so safe or predictable. They’ll go into one of the century old bars here, order a Bud Light and a Cosmopolitan, then in the morning they’ll take pictures in Jackson Square and maybe throw the jugular a dime before getting back on the airport shuttle. God bless them.
Then you have the True Bums, hassling money from Mr. and Mrs. Jones or if they’re unlucky enough to venture down an alley, grabbing the lady’s purse and running off to where ever it is bums go. You can’t really blame them.
As I inhale the cigarette smoke and heady magnolia scented air I realize for the first time there’s a little crowd gathered around the bar behind me. There’s an honest to god Dixieland Band in there and all the people are grouped around the door watching the trumpet man blow out his soul. I hadn’t noticed the music before; the heavy “rock” coming from the other side of the street blocked out most other sound, but now naturally I strolled in with my guitar case in tow and took a seat at the end of the bar. Despite the crowd outside, the bar was fairly empty. A few old couples sat at tables around the stage, the bar was full of regulars or the more intelligent travelers of the world, digging this music what made New Orleans famous.
The barmaid is sweet and homely, she brings me a Pepsi and doesn’t even ask for my ID. I sit for about half an hour grooving on the music and talking to the eccentrics at the bar before the band takes a break. The leader/horn man is selling his CD which I buy with what little change I have left, then I introduce myself to the drummer. Little old man but he beats the hell out of everything. We get to talking and I tell him I’m planning on going to the University in a year or so, assuming everything goes to plan. He tells me jazz students have to sit in with the band at this bar in order to graduate. He then notices my guitar and asks if I’d like to sit in? I fumble with words a bit, being asked to sit in with a real Dixieland jazz band! He says he’ll ask the leader and get back to me.
He never does but it doesn’t matter, still I sit at the bar until late in the night. I wobble back to my hotel room, again no one hassles me, the only thing lower than a Bum Musician is a Drunk Bum Musician.
The radio is turned to the jazz station. They’re playing something sad, I fall asleep with tears in my eyes.
Stephen Settles of Louisville, Kentucky won Honorable Mention for this essay.
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P.E. Island was amazing! If you ever have the chance to go there take it! It was so beautiful and all of the places in the books were fun to visit.
your picture of the horses on the beach remind me of Sweden. Thanks for bringing back the memories
You wrote a really good article on such an interesting & sad topic!
I’ve always wanted to go to P.E. Island! I loved those books. Luuuucky
nicely written 🙂
This is a wonderful story, you will be a great doctor.
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Hello, Ralph. An email voice from the past. Would like to catch up some time. I left Amtrak in '95 and have been living in the Boston area since '97. Have wonderful wife and 3 daughters (the oldest a senior at Barnard). Hope you and Fran are well. Send me a note some time.
Peter
Its really informative. Thank you Goldenberg.In Australia I like Sydney more because of its added attractions. Thank you .
Its really informative. Thank you Arrien .In Australia I like Sydney more because of its added attractions.
thanks for the information. I can use this for my child, since i do not like ANY thing that moves!!!
http://www.orlando4holidays.com
Parents and guardians with questions about transporting minors between countries other than the U.S. should ask the Visa Division of each country's Embassy for exact regulations. Canada, for example, can be very strict about granting children visas and may require a health exam.
The paperwork for vacations and short stay visits can be found at this link:
http://www.familytravelforum.com/how/advice/10545-Required-Documents-For-Travel-With-Minors.html?p=4
Would appreciate a copy of the sample formpermission letter for minor traveling with other than parent situation.
Yoga today is very important in people’s life. Yoga is gaining more and more importance as there is a lot of stress at workplaces. Yoga is the best and easy way to reduce the stress. And I have some good yoga tips at http://www.jiyohealthy.com/category/stress/
Playground Safety Common-sense rules. We are getting parents and professionals to pool together to create a kid-friendly understanding of how to have fun safely on any playground.
Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze is so much fun, and clean for an outdoor facility. Pumpkins arriving in one week!
hi looking for a quote for a pick up from newark airport on the 22/10/09 for four people to east 88st
i had a report to do on martinique, and before my teacher told me what i had to write about, i had know clue about martinique. now i want to go there. this site helped me do my project,and hopfully i will get an A
Looking for what ever we need for my Fiance to bring his daughter from Jamaica to Canada. He is a single parent and has primary custody, but I'm sure travelling internationally, that he will need a letter from her birth mother.
Thanks
Pattii
The mother of my daughter left her with out my consent to D.r and left her there with her mother returning to the United State abondoning my child for 5 years and just to go visit her every year a 1 year old little girl ..Wjat u think is dat
love the pix, you really capture what’s so beautiful about all these places. thanks for bringing those thoughts to my screen.
I had the best family reunion ever with primo events beach homes in virginia Beach. They gave me a beautifyl resort house and provided family games which made it fun for everybody.
Dennis Carini
New Jersey
Eva, the document is available on page 4 of this story. Thanks!
Please send me Permission to Travel Form
THanks for this resource!
Hello,
I would like to introduce a famous restaurant in Budapest, Liszt Ferenc square 9. Café Miró Grande restaurant is located in the heart of Budapest.
I think Café Miró Grande's chef prepared the best Hungarian dishes in Budapest, for example Goulas soup, 'Lecsó', etc.
Don't miss it, when you visit the beautiful city of Budapest.
Another attraction of note is taking a canopy tour. When we filmed the pilot episode for our TV series "Paradise Hunter" we filmed with The Original Canopy Tour. They were excellent and provided some great knowledge of the bio-diversity in the cloud forest.
I would like to obtain a sample form or letter to authorize my mother in-law (my daughters grand mother) to travel to orlando florida where they will be meeting up with the other parent & then in a few days travel on a domestic flight to miami
please email me. Need a sample Permission to Travel letter for International Travel with one parent.
read the instructions first
We've book a number of trips to Phuket for beginners and more advanced divers. The've all had a great time. Although is a bit further than the Caribbean. If you stay longer it's worth the flight time.
I need sinple form traveling with my step daughter, her mother is deceased. Her Father will not be traveling with us to the Bahamas
Hi to parents and grandparents traveling with minors, in need of this Permission Letter.
You can get a free sample of this blank form by filling out the email request at the end of this story. We ask everyone to sign up this way so that we can send you email updates as these regulations change, which is often!
Please read the story through to the end so that you understand the issue in full. Thanks for your interest in family travel!
FTF Editors
please send me the Permission to Travel letter for International Travel with one parent form.
This resort is totally top notch. It's great there. And Amelia Island is one beautiful relaxing place. Love Fernandina Beach and also visiting Fort Clinch. All the best.
My granddaughter a minor,is travelling out of the country with me for two weeks, and I need a permission form for her parents to sign, in case of emergency, so that I can make medical decisions for her. Thank you.
This is really interesting take on the concept. I never thought of it that way.
Thanks for the comment, Paola! Fun story and glad you took the time to write.
Here's to roses and wine!
Can you please send me a standard document for a minor travelling with one parent.
Thanks
Javier,
You can request a sample Permission to Travel letter by using the form at the end of this story. For information on a temporary resident visa, please check with the Canadian High Commission at this webpage: http://www.visabureau.com/canada/canadian-high-commission.aspx
good luck!
Hello there i am looking for a letter sample of the one paren tarvel with child,the one Canadian Embassy requiring to extend temporary resident visa. Thanks for your kindly help.
What a great story, you were so lucky to be home at that time of year and your pictures are beautiful… Wish I could see it too.
This is soooooo right for all of us, not only Americans.
Anyway,about the roses, he is right especially about the odd number….
I liked hearing about Verona, I never knew there really was a balcony there and that any of that R&J story was true!
The legend of H? Long has it that, “Once upon a time, soon after the Vi?t people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Vi?t people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.
Diane:
Please go to the last page of this story and fill out a request form. Then the documents will be e-mailed to you.
Jillian
Need a sample Permission to Travel letter for International Travel with one parent.