After our brief time in New Orleans (see my previous Blog “NOLA”), we were determined to see more of Louisiana, as we slowly made our way back to Houston.
Our eventual destination for the next evening would be Lafayette but along the way, we headed alongside the Mississippi so as to get a feel for old school Louisiana.
As you turn off the highway and start to drive along roads lined with sugar cane plantations, it is like stepping back in time.
Something that struck me were the Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. I could imagine standing in the same spot 100 years ago and it would not have looked any different.
I find these oaks dripping with moss quite stunning.
Of course, behind the dramatic scenery and the beauty of the surroundings there is a much darker side. I am not in favour of cancelling out the failings of man and / or re-writing the history books. So many wrongs occurred to get where we are today. The current generation need to see these with clarity so as to be reminded that they should never be repeated.
There is no starker reminder of this than the beautiful plantation houses that line the road. They truly are something to behold and a reminder of the wealth that was generated in this part of the world by the toil of those less fortunate.
The images below show the beautiful St. Joseph Plantation in all its glory and the juxtaposition which is the accommodation of the labourers who toiled on the land and who were responsible for generating the wealth of the plantation owners. This is a vivid reminder that all countries have a dark and murky past. Rather than try and cancel them out, let us make sure we inform and educate the youth of today so that we perhaps treat our fellow man with more respect, kindness and understanding. Who knows what we might achieve if this were possible.
The St. Joseph.Plantation
The Labourers’ Accommodation
As we continued along the side of the Mississippi we came across this wonderful driveway with a canopy of oaks. Rachel pulled over and we both jumped out of the car to capture the scene. For me this was the image of the trip and I loved the fact that we managed to capture an oncoming lorry at the very end of the drive.
“Plantation Drive” - my favourite image of the entire trip.
I love the geometry of the bridges crossing the Mississippi.
Railway crossing - don’t forget to look in both directions!
After our trip along the Mississippi we headed across a railway line and onwards to a small town call New Iberia. Our destination was to visit the Conrad Rice Mill, America’s oldest independently owned operating rice mill, having remained in operation since 1912. It sells its products under the Konriko brand.
The Conrad Rice Mill.
Unfortunately we had arrived too late for the tour of the mill but we were warmly welcomed in to the mill shop.
The lady who welcomed us said they they had just cooked some of their wild pecan rice and we were welcome to try some. It was so delicious I nearly ate the whole pot!
The Conrad Rice Mill Shop.
We then moved on in to the centre of New Iberia. Once again, if you blinked you would have travelled the length of Main Street. The quant little town was founded in the late 18th century by French, Spanish and Arcadian settlers.
Main Street
The girls fancied an afternoon ice cream and so we parked opposite a family owned bakery and dessert store called “Fudge It Bakery”.
The door was locked but there was a very polite sign that said “please knock”….so I did. A charming elderly lady nervously answered the door. In my best English accent I said “Dear lady, would I be correct in assuming that you are a purveyor of delicious ice cream?”. She smiled, let us in and said that she assumed we were not from around these parts.
She was correct and when we told her we were from UK she said that we were the first real life English folk that she had ever seen.
Having formally been anointed as a first, we ordered some of their delicious ice cream and I took an image of the lady and her niece as the first real life residents of New Iberia that I had ever met. Such charming and welcoming people.
Fudge It Bakery
Everything in this wonderful store was home made and looked and smelled delicious.
What a delightful team.
After our delicious interlude we walked along the back streets to the nearby river which gave me an opportunity to grab a few images of New Iberia.
Back streets of New Iberia.
Reflections of the Bayou Teche.
What another wonderful day we had going off-piste and exploring places that perhaps the average tourist might not see. That’s the benefit of having such a wonderful tour guide.
We left New Iberia as we found it, peaceful and content and headed on to Lafayette. That evening we dined at a local restaurant, Bon Temps Grill, sampled the local brew and I had my first taste of “alligator balls”. So there is a thought on which to end this blog!
More adventures to follow so stay tuned as we go “Rajin Cajuns”.
See Y’all again soon.