Sunday, November 28, 2010

a bananagrams and banana crepe ending

The day ended with a spirited round of Bananagrams (banana smoothie version)...
...and on the day of my departure, a banana nutella crepe at Toad Hollow Cafe in the heart of Covington.

the amazing sunset at Fontainebleau S.P.

Sunset on Lake Pontchartrain...
looking back at the bath house...
and the beach...
and back at the sunset...
...then being on the beach with the bald cypress trees.

Fontainebleau S.P.

Off a wooded trail in Fontainebleau State Park, Kate had little trouble finding this fairly well hidden letterbox. She seems to have a knack for sniffing them out...
This park was once the sugar plantation of Bernard Marigny de Mandeville, and the ruins of his sugar mill live on... Just as I am a sucker for abandoned ships, I am a sucker for ruins of all kinds...

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Mandeville lakefront picnic

Perfect weather, perfect location, perfect food, perfect picnic...
Japanese soda with the glass marble...
BIG LOTS of spanish moss...
...and beautiful old houses.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Neighborwoods

We went to a great little preserve called "Neighborwoods" tucked away at the end of a street...
I finally got to see a gator, seen here sunning on a branch...
...as well as palmettos, chinese tallow trees, and other leaves I intend to identify.

Madisonville

Madisonville is where the Tchefuncte River spills into Lake Pontchartrain and where most of the local boats are harbored. Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for abandoned ships like this one... apparently a former ferry boat.There is also an old lighthouse that can be seen in the distance...
I also liked the road to the point.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Abita Springs

Abita Springs is a charming little town with a large gazebo, a river, and natural spring water...
...which tasted like nothing, not even chicken.
We also visited the Abita Mystery House and UCM Museum, a shrine of artistic weirdness almost too difficult to describe... except that it's a bit like the Louisiana version of Tio's Tacos.
Here I am bonding with Buford the Bassigator.
We also had to stop at the Abita Brew Pub -- not for beer, but for the neon sign that made me think of Kate when I saw it in the background of an episode of "True Blood".

coffeehouses and cafes continued

Every morning we had coffee at PJ's, sort of the local equivalent of Starbucks...
At Liz's Where Y'at Diner in Mandeville, we had Eggs Sardou, a local New Orleans dish consisting of poached eggs, spinach, artichoke and Hollandaise sauce... (note: the combination of creamed spinach and artichoke seems to be very popular in these parts).
We also visited Maxein's Coffee House in Old Mandeville, not far from the lake, which is visible from the upper deck... This was perhaps the most perfect, dream-like coffeehouse I have ever set foot in... extremely bright and clean and relaxing and uplifting, with almost no one in it, and perfect weather outside...