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New Orleans is one of those cities that has a special place in the imagination of a traveler, even if you haven’t been there. It’s famous for loving life — for Mardi Gras parades, a vibrant music scene, drinking and eating and gorgeous architecture in the French Quarter — but it’s also known as the City of the Dead, with cemeteries, Voodoo, ghost stories, vampires, and of course, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

In today’s episode, native New Orleanian Laura Martone and her husband, Dan, talk about the history of the French Quarter and some of the haunted buildings there, the best cemeteries to visit, vampires, voodoo and Creole cuisine.

Laura and Daniel Martone write fiction in multiple genres including space opera, post-apocalyptic and urban fantasy. They lived in the French Quarter of New Orleans for many years and produced several audio walking guides. Laura has also written a guidebook to the city and they now live in their RV, Serenity, and travel between New Orleans and Michigan, USA.

The various pronunciations of New Orleans
Why the French Quarter has mostly Spanish influenced architecture
Interesting cemeteries in the city
Why vampires are associated with New Orleans
How and why Catholicism and voodoo are so entwined
The importance of music and its influence on the culture in New Orleans
The different parades at Mardi Gras
Seafood boils as social occasions
The beautiful natural ecosystems that surround the city

You can find Dan and Laura Martone at TheMartones.com

Founded in 1718 by the French, New Orleans passed to Spanish control in 1763. It finally joined the United States in 1803. This change of hands, along with its history of slavery and connection to the local Chitimacha tribes, makes New Orleans a unique place to visit.

It’s suffered many disasters over the decades, including devastating epidemics and hurricanes. More recently, Hurricane Katrina took 1,836 lives in 2005. Thankfully, the city recovered and is open to visitors.

St Louis cemetery New Orleans by J.F.Penn — St Louis cemetery No 1, New Orleans by J.F.Penn

Most of my ARKANE thrillers have focused on the ancient world and Europe. But ever since Jake went to America for One Day in New York I’ve wanted to explore the legends and occult traditions of the New World.

What better place to start than The Big Easy, New Orleans? Especially as I visited the city in early 2017 as part of the research for Valley of Dry Bones. You can see some of my pictures in this article and the whole album here on Flickr.

Here are thirteen strange places to see in New Orleans if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in this very unusual city.

The City Of Life And Death. New Orleans With Laura And Dan Martone

13 Strange And Unusual Places To See In New Orleans

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