Scully visited the historic French Quarter in New Orleans today. Happy to report that the French Quarter is going strong, and the city of New Orleans is working hard to make a comeback after facing Katrina's wrath. There were a lot more tourists out there than we had expected, but Scully didn't let them keep her from her appointed mission.
First stop was Muriel's Restaurant on Jackson Square. The main resident ghost is former owner, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan. Having lost his adored house in a bet, he committed suicide on the 2nd floor. Now he is frequently sighted as a cylindrical incandescence walking through the lounge. Another ghost haunts the courtyard bar area, where he has been known to fling glasses. Lastly, the carriageway is said to contain troubled spirits remaining from an era when servants were lodged there in the evenings.
Then on to the St. Louis Cathedral next door. It's the oldest cathedral in North America and was founded in 1720, and some people swear the spirit of Pere Dagobert can be heard singing the "kyrie" on rainy mornings.
Just the other side of the cathedral was Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, favorite haunt of Caroline. Caroline was an actress working at the theater in the years after it opened in 1927. One day, while frolicking with a director on the third-story balcony, Caroline tumbled over the railing and slammed to the flagstone courtyard. She died there, dressed for the evening's performance in a white wedding gown. Her body was hauled away, but her spirit never left. Caroline's been skulking about the old theater ever since. Besides Caroline, there's a ghost known as The Captain and another named Sigmund.
Next up was the historic Hermann-Grima House. This house is inhabited by friendly ghosts. They keep the powder room smelling like roses and light the fire in the fireplace on cold mornings.
Final stop for today was Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo on Bourbon Street. Marie Laveau, born in 1794 was the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. She sold potions and conducted ceremonies from her home in the 1830s. For sixty years she seemed to not age at all. Many speculate that there were two woman, perhaps a mother and daughter pair, who made this possible. By 1895, both Maries had disappeared. Now her ghost and the spirits of those who followed her are said to still practice her voodoo rituals in her old house.
[This entry was edited by Henki on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 9:08:02 PM.]