Drove down to New Iberia, LA which is about 45 minutes from Breaux Bridge. This is a small town which James Lee Burke, an author of mysteries spent a lot of his childhood visiting family members in New Iberia.

If you read his books, especially the Dave Robicheaux series, you get a feel of living in the Louisiana gulf coast towns among the bayous. In fact there is walking or self-driving tour of places written about in his various books.

James Lee Burke's grandfather's house

In fact, in April there is a James Lee Burke Literary Festival. Unfortunately, we will be home by then. Otherwise, I would have attended.
  Rain has returned for a while, so we took a ride over to Grand Coteau and Arnaudville. Great little shops and restaurants. Browsed through antique shops where I found my funky lamp,

great kitchen store, and had lunch at Creola Cafe (only about 5 tables inside).

On the way back, we stopped at the Art Gallery in Arnaudville.

They were having a quilting bee going on.  On Saturday, LA-31 Brewery has life music. You never know what type of music. Local musicians show up; there is food barbecuing and of course their beer. Just pull up a chair or bring your own chairs and sit back and enjoy.  Off to Crawfish Town for Dinner -

There is no lack of food and music around Breaux Bridge and surrounding towns

Mardi Gras!!!!!
  Most people see the parades in New Orleans. Other cities and towns in Louisiana also have their parades. We drove to the town of Carencro one Saturday. Followed the line of cars, and were able to squeeze in on the main parade route. While waiting for the parade (you get parked at least 2 hours before) to get your spot

and look around at everything going on, you learn the essentials of their Mardi Gras parade:
       1. if you have a flat-bed trailer - load it with chairs, coolers, music playing loudly for all to enjoy, your grill and some even have a Porta-Potty on board. (All the floats have one on board).

       2. dress for Mardi Gras

       3. If you do not have a trailer, make sure your cooler is large and on wheels to accommodate all your liquid refreshments you need to walk around parade route.
      4. when parade arrives, enjoy, hav

e fun and catch the beads!!!!!

Following day we went into Breaux Bridge to the bakery and a browsed around shops. Town was crowded. Come to find out, a gentleman in town opens his house for one day during Mardi Gras and everyone and anyone is welcome. Skip could hear the music and we wandered over. Let me tell you, cars were parked all over the streets. We followed the crowd - more food, band playing, dancing and the ever present Porta Pottys. Your kidneys do not have to suffer while partying. 

    Another parade nearby was in Henderson. This was on a smaller scale, but just as much fun. We parked across from Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. As we pulled out our chairs, the smell of barbecue from the church parking lot was to good to ignore. We walked over to check it out. We were told to grab a plate and dig in to anything we want. Skip offered to pay and we were informed by Evangeline absolutely not. She gave us a hug and told us we are now friends and just eat away. Love these Cajuns!!! They were cooking hot dogs, sausages, steaks, hamburgers and roast pork all sliced and shredded.

Come to find out by the pastor, that he started barbecuing the pig at 5 a.m. in an outside pit behind the church.  A few parishioners assisted while he served mass. Wish I was there to see all this going on. Skip asked about doing it on a rotating spit, but was told that would have taken 12 hours to cook. Besides all the meat, there were lots of refreshments,  salads, dirty rice, beans and King Cakes for dessert and music!!!  Needless to say, we have full tummies while watching parade.

Again, lots of fun!!!!

    

Nice day so we took a ride into Breaux Bridge. I browsed through the antique shops. Skip was getting hungry, we he was looking for a place for lunch. Jacqueline was sitting outside her restaurant. She is always happy to see "my darlings" returning. All her customers, are her "darlings". Jacqueline has owned this restaurant for the past 17 years.

Skip wanted to know if she had gumbo. But of course, so we both had the seafood gumbo. Excellent!!!

Skip was teasing her about the lobster he had had last year. She asked him he wanted lobster again - she'll order it. She told us be be here Friday night.
   Friday night at Chez Jacqueline - Skip had his lobster dinner

and I had the alligator picante. Picante is a tomato based thick sauce with spice along with white rice, another staple in Louisiana.  Another great meal. She also served us champagne and wine. Jacqueline mentioned she does Sunday breakfast with beignets on the menu!! I said I would see her Sunday, with Sunday newspapers!!

As I have said, Louisiana is all about the food and the people.
     Campground had filled up for the weekend with a group of friends who lived nearby. They love their cajun music and partying. Lots of fun. They had us over for homemade gumbo, and moonshine with root beer mixed in. Very good.

     Our son, Jonathan turned 42 on the 26th. Called and wished him a Happy Birthday. Always good to hear he and family are fine. He told us that he and Joan will be heading to Florida the end of February for vacation.