After the storm had passed, I traveled into Mobile, AL. Without stopping to practice my pronunciation skills (honestly, sometimes it does feel like a foreign country in parts of this great nation of ours), I randomly drove through downtown Mobile, which was surprisingly beautiful.
Mobile is on the Gulf of Mexico. It has a subtropical climate, and was very green and lush when I passed through after the storm. It still retains that "Southern charm", and is very old - founded in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana (if I'd known the name was French, that would have cleared up the pronunciation problem weeks ago).
There's a big-time-Metropolitan section closer to the water, but I didn't see it. Instead, I found "Spanish Plaza", parked, and took a breather. This peaceful little park has arches around a fountain, presented to Mobile by the city of Malaga, Spain, as the "Arches of Friendship".
The park benches have a lovely Spanish theme as well. Spain occupied the city for about 30 years, during the turn of the 18th Century. Otherwise, this city is a nice little intro to New Orleans...where I was slated to arrive in two hours...sharing much of its historical roots.
This little park was so peaceful, and traffic in this part of town seemed to be slow and quiet for now. I took off my shoes and walked around, looking at the flowers, lounging on the benches. I felt like I could be just another local, in the empty park, taking a minute to call a friend. I wanted to linger here in the calm, despite my excitement of seeing New Orleans soon (the first stop on the road trip I'd never actually *been* to previously), and seeing my oldest friend on this Earth again.
New Orleans is intimidating. According to the stories I'd heard, it is the Mecca of party-goers, filled with ghosts, vampires, and voodoo, the city that has struggled through disaster, a dangerous and very old place. I looked at the quiet park and thought about how I am this place, and my friend's city is somewhere I will, most likely, feel out of place. Then I took a deep breath, and drove off.
~A
3 comments:
So Abs, I always thought it was pronounce mobeel. What are you trying to tell us, that it's pronounce mo-bil-ay?? I think you are right, it is a foreign country down "there". Please drive carefully - don't look thru the camera while driving. Cats have 9 lives - NOT Abigails!! HVFCU Drew
Hi Drew! It's pronounced "Mo-BEEL" or "MO-beel" from what I have gathered. I promise to drive carefully!! Hope to see you soon and hear all about safari adventures!
Don't go buying any Guse voodoo dolls while you're down there.
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