NOLA Treat

 Ms Cal: Welcome to the Magical World of Jackson Square Walking Tour! I'm your guide, Cal. I am thrilled to have you here today as we embark on a journey through this iconic location that holds a special place in the heart of New Orleans.

Taarna Welles: Woot woot

James Atlloud: I was here (RL) to celebrate new year's eve 1999!

The first Safari of 2024 began in style - NOLA style! on a new grid that has exploded onto the scene with some of the most realistic reconstructions of real places and spaces that you are likely to see anywhere. Ex alum of Lost Paradise Grid Ms Cal (call her Cal!) is the creative force behind an ensemble of New Orleans tableaux, bringing to life many of the historic houses and gardens that form the heart of the city which, almost 20 years ago, suffered a hurricane storm so devastating that for many Americans, the name 'Katrina' instantly is associated with terrifying winds and floods, a botched evacuation and rescue plan, and the physical, psychological, and cultural scars that this awful event in 2005 caused. 

However, in our virtual world, we get to see the brighter side of the storied city, in company with one who knows, and that's a delight! Cal is a writer in RL as well as a virtual builder, and has penned a number of books about her experiences in the Crescent City. 
Just a reminder, if you would enjoy a visit from the HG Safari group, please take a moment to read this page as it contains six useful hints that will make your life and our visit easier.

The name of the grid is Lagniappe, a poetic choice as it encapsulates so much. The word has a three-way etymology, reminding us of the rich and varied heritage of the city. It means a 'little treat, or extra', that a New Orleans shopkeeper traditionally gave customers - a sort of reverse tip of you like, reminding us of the canny commercial minds and the native generosity of the city too. 

On the waterfront we immediately got an idea of the treat awaiting us - beautiful textures and buildings, lots of details and very little lag (although, I can't lie, not everybody's clothes showed up, creating the usual photographic challenges associated with any Safari!) 

Ms Cal: you can walk through into the french market where you can find almost anything nola there

Forest Azure: /me secretly takes a bite from her croissant

Christi Maeterlinck: Love the rocks and the sea edge... some fantastic  mesh work & texturing here

Nara Nook: Beautiful... has me craving some coffee and a beignet

Kelso Uxlay: Construit 'a la main

Ms Cal

Ms Cal: as we exit we see The Pontalba Buildings. Baroness Pontalba, an accomplished businesswoman, constructed two Parisian-style row house buildings between 1849–1851, at a cost of over $300,000. The buildings include the first recorded instance in the city of the use of cast iron 'galleries', which set a fashion that soon became the most prominent feature of the city's residential architecture.

Ms Cal: Now, we arrive at the heart of our tour—Jackson Square. Known as one of New Orleans' most recognizable landmarks, it's a National Historic Landmark and a hub of culture and history...here is the iconic view that is the heart of NOLA

James Atlloud: It's Andy!

Forest Azure: the battle of new Orleans?

Tosha Tyran: andy who?

Forest Azure: jackson?

James Atlloud: Andrew Jackson - the statue

Nara Nook: I wonder if the statue is still there

Ms Cal: The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France,  is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States. The Presbytère is an architecturally important building in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It stands facing Jackson Square. Built in 1813 as a matching structure for the Cabildo, which flanks the cathedral on the other side, it is one of the nation's best examples of formal colonial Spanish architecture inside. 

Forest Azure: which Louis was that?

Dabici Straulino: very nice landscaping

James Atlloud: Wow excellent build of the cathedral.

Star Ravenhurst: Cal used actual maps and images to create this

Nara Nook: There is a orchestra above us

Christi Maeterlinck: Heavens;  whole concert party up here

Mal Burns: orchestra is awful quiet though

The cathedral merits a much longer stay than our momentary visit, just time to grab a few rushed photos, and then we hurried out through the back door into a lush garden to see another famous landmark of the city. This is definitely a place that would benefit from a more leisurely individual visit, and the attention to detail would clearly hold up to closer scrutiny.

 Ms Cal: behind here is the famous Jesus shadow and Pirates alley

Tosha Tyran: jesus shadow? what on earth...

Forest Azure: easier for a shadow to walk on water :)

Ms Cal: grins

Tosha Tyran: lol forest, true

Ms Cal: the shadow is meant to be seen from pirates alley

Christi Maeterlinck: I have the shadows turned on now... but what particular shadow should we be seeing?

Kelso.Uxlay: I see it

James Atlloud: james is in the shadow

Nara Nook: Oh I see it now, I got a picture.

Tosha Tyran: hmmm, ok, now even I see it... huge shadow for little james though, haha

Ms Cal: oh good :) whew the shadow is a famous on the church so I felt it belongs there

Christi Maeterlinck: Beautifully done

I missed the shadow in my photo!

Thirza Ember: Ms Cal, have you always lived in New Orleans?

Ms Cal: until katrina yes

Tosha Tyran: were you actually here during Katrina?

Ms Cal: yes. My home crashed down around me I was in the downstairs bathroom,  when io open the door my home was gone, the bathroom was only room untouched

Nara Nook: Scary

Tosha Tyran: omg what a horror that must be, so I am really glad you are still here

James Atlloud: I can only imagine that!  ow

Unadecal Masala: Yikes!

Forest Azure: would be a nice animation though, the buildings crashing.

Tosha Tyran: Forest!

Thirza Ember: lol we apologize for Forest

Ms Cal: yes it gave Me ptsd and depression and building has helped me. Its me putting back the pieces of my heart. I can't go back , I tried , it gives Me severe flashbacks still, so building it here is good for me, and I get to share my heart with you all.

Forest Azure: sorry ms Cal

James Atlloud: And it feels like being there.

Ms Cal: the rest of the building I just had fun with and made it feel like to Me

Star Ravenhurst: Cal has come a long way, but Katrina still weighs heavy... I was in VA at the time, and even we felt it, trees went down, buildings destroyed

Beautiful detail of the buildings in Pirate's Alley

Tosha Tyran: but what a good way of healing!

Dabici Straulino:Amazing work creating these building in prims.  Awwsome result ! Did you create your own textures from photo of the real places

 Ms Cal: I spend hours looking for the right ones or I find things and tear them apart and use what I need

Thirza Ember: Ms Cal, are there any other landmark buildings or parts of the city that you plan to build in the future?

photo op with ass.

Ms Cal: Yes, Bourbon Street, as it goes with my book I have written about my time on Bourbon Street. Plus St Charles, I am building the homes and the streetcar. The cemetery is open, so please check back often I am always here if not on this avi then as Kitty my builder and storage avi :)

We jumped over to see that... the landing point is a nice magazine kiosk. The feeling of space and elegance, and the nearness of the sea, are instantly upon you when you arrive here. The real city has an astounding 42 historic cemeteries, six of which are within minutes of Jackson Square. They are famed for their above-ground monumental tombs, a common sight in Mediterranean countries, but unusual in the US. Cal has combined these famous places into one representative 'city of the dead' surrounded by the spacious homes of the living, with beautiful trees and streets, and even the old powerlines adding charm and realism.

Dabici Straulino: Very high immersive impact - really gives the impression to visit the place Kudos

Ms Cal: all the graves are above ground, since nola is below sea level, so I just combined them all here to get the feel into one city of the dead in the middle of a nola neighborhood, and I put the levees up.

Aphra Hendrix: wow

Ms Cal: its huge, I used the blueprints to get as close as possible. I want you to be able to get lost in it just like real life. 

Kimm Starr: where is the cemetery?

Thirza Ember: cam up Kimm, and you will see it

Lafayette Cemetery

Kimm Starr: holy moly, is that a cemetery!!!

Thirza Ember: this must have taken a huge amount of time, so many different bits of architecture

Tosha Tyran: it does look real, yes, one can see that you really build with the blood of your heart Ms!

Ms Cal: its truly an experience  the city of the dead

Thirza Ember:  thanks so much Cal for letting us see this

Ms Cal

Ms Cal: Thank~You everyone, I hope you come back and explore,  I am always here :)

Aphra Hendrix: oj yes Ms Cal nice work and region

Forest Azure: thank you very much for this great tour :)

Kelso Uxlay: Thanks a lot

Star Ravenhurst: I am very proud of what Cal has done here

James Atlloud: This is simply amazing. Such great building.

Kimm Starr: You are amazing

Dabici Straulino: Awesome realisation !!

Ms Cal: Thank~You is an honor to have everyone here

Taarna Welles: It's amazing what you have build and so on. It's beautiful.

 HG Address hg.lagniappegrid.com:8402