A good walking tour, like a good book or a good movie, should have a narrative arc: it should tell a story. New Orleans, and, in particular, the French Quarter has a very unique story to tell first under the French, then the Spanish and, finally, the Anglo-Americans. On this Saturday morning tour of the French Quarter our guide obviously had the facts at his command but he didn’t tie them together in any cohesive or meaningful way.
Perhaps every French Quarter tour should start with the admission that just about all of the original Quarter burned to the ground in the fires of 1788 and 1794. So the “story” has to be about the people who built the city under the French and rebuilt it twice under the Spanish: the whites, free people of color and slaves. The fact that as of the 1810 census 29% of New Orleans’ population were free people of color whereas only 3% of the US population outside of New Orleans were free people of color indicates what a unique place New Orleans was and continues to be. The story is in the dynamic relationships of this multi-racial, multicultural society.
But, perhaps I was looking for something that most other visitors are not looking for on a two hour tour. Bring an umbrella, water and a little collapsing stool if you'd like though the guide gave ample opportunity to sit and rest.