Most of you know I have this attraction for the Mississippi River at New Orleans. I have written about my fascination with the duality of the river as it passes our fair city. The river makes life in New Orleans possible, it will probably be the thing that someday makes life here impossible. We continue to fight it with taller and wider levees but someday the river will win. I have a romantic attraction to the Mississippi River in New Orleans. When I am near or around it I am transfixed by it. I live a block and a half from the river although I cannot see the river from my house, the Nashville Street Warf blocks my access and view. I can however see and hear the life that the river brings to the city from my house. The trains, the tops of the ships, the sound of the horns from the ships. As I travel a few blocks west I can finally see the river from the levee behind Audubon park.
The river is wide at this location, if you look at the river you can see currents moving in different directions, swirling whirlpools moving downstream. Lots of traffic passes the point in the river. It is rare that you do not see a ship or a tug anytime you are there. The levee at the Riverview is park like as you travel further down the levee the batture side of the levee is natural and can be wild at times. On the other side of the levee is the city. sometimes this creates a scary picture.
When the river is up here.
And the city is down there.
You realize that a pile of dirt keeps us from being under water.
During calmer times of year the river and it’s batture are a great escape for me. Whether I am riding my bike on top of the levee or walking on the muddy batture, the sights, the smells, the sounds, take me to another place.
