Day 23 - 8 Oct: New Orleans, LA, to Montgomery, AL

So checking the paper this morning, got the sad story on last night's situation. Little did we know how serious it was, nor that three other people had died a few blocks the other way earlier in the day.

These things can and do happen anywhere. It's a shame that this will colour our memories of such a wonderful city.

We had a fascinating cab ride to the airport this morning to pick up our hire car. The driver was a former psychologist who drives his cab part time in his retirement. A very friendly, talkative and amiable chap, he turned out to have very different politics from us, but we had a forthright and very interesting talk about it all during the 20-minute ride.

Once at the airport we picked up our Hyundai Elantra and headed for the plantation, 'Laura', that we'd wanted to visit yesterday. Squeezed in the very informative tour...

..with the very camp Doug, who told us all about the fascinating history of the place, showed us what was left of the slave quarters, and really put things in perspective. The slave history is such a significant part of what makes up this area, it was great to hear more about it.

But Dylan started complaining of feeling unwell halfway through the tour. He maintained a headache and fever all day, and developed what looks to be tonsillitis. We'll see how he is in the morning...

Meanwhile, we're heading out of Louisiana into Mississippi and on to Montgomery, Alabama. It was a fair way - we'd done 400 miles by the time we got there, Laura being in the opposite direction and so adding a good few on - but we got to the hotel before 6pm to find it pretty much on top of 'The Alley', apparently one of the best spots in the town for live music, food, general merrymaking...

With Dylan not so well, Finley and I set off in search of some takeaway food, and returned to the hotel with the options of Japanese or Mexican. The kids favoured the former, so having decided what we wanted I went out again to order the food, grab a quick beer while waiting for it, and bring it back.

I made a small mistake, though - when ordering the beer in the Mexican bar (it was close to the Japanese restaurant and much livelier) I was asked whether I wanted small, medium or large. Silly question, but silly sizes, too - the large I received was bloody enormous!

I suspect it was a quart, so about one-and-two-thirds pints, or about two-and-a-half schooners, but it seemed like a lot more...and I only had 10 minutes in which to drink it. Of course I coped and got the food back home, where it was duly scoffed.

The kids enjoyed a bit of TV for pretty much the first time in three weeks, then it was abed, hoping Dylan bounces back again tomorrow.