A View From a Room

I just returned from a trip to New Orleans.  Of course the uniqueness of French architecture in the Quarter is the hallmark of this very old city.  Selecting a Historic Inn for accommodations has its advantages and drawbacks.  I found myself in a constant state of wanting to redefine the decisions made by the Innkeepers.  The convenient location had unfortunately made the owners lazy in having a pristine inn one would want to return to in the future.  All this being said, I could not help but look more closely at how the structure must have been in its more glorified days.  When one mentally stripped away the black fencing that surrounded the small oval swimming pool, ignored the mismatched drapery and the bargain bath fixtures, the 200 year old shutters, crystal chandeliers, and stucco walls emerged.

Laying down for a nap one afternoon, I found myself instead of napping, sketching the view from our room, being certain to include the over-painted hinges and window trim.  Vines sprawled over the exposed timber and stucco exterior.  Details of small antique glass window panes in the 10 foot tall french doors and sunburst transom established the feminine grace of the Hotel St. Pierre.  Once I stopped looking at the inside, I could then see the parts of the building that were not altered, and could not be altered,...and it was beautiful.  She was like a aging beauty that could no longer afford the finer things, but was so classic in her lines, the frayed edges of her dressings couldn't deny who she really was.

Someday there will be a new innkeeper.  We can only hope that the new owners will see what I saw those few sultry days in July, a building that is simply holding its breath and waiting for love to return.