Living LARGE (NOLA)

7:50 AM

Sketched on Location
Click to enlarge
Oak Alley is a (still-working) sugar cane plantation upriver from New Orleans. There are 28 Live Oaks that line the path to the house from the river that were planted by a settler back in the 1700's. They're estimated to be 300 years old.
Front of the Home
Image courtesy of the Oak Alley Plantation
The Roman family later purchased the land and built their home in 1830's, using the 28 oaks to inspire 28 columns that are 8 feet in circumference and walls that are 16 inches thick. They also planted an additional 28 Live Oaks in the back of the plantation. Those are estimated to be around 150 years old and are what show in the journal page at the top of the page.
Back of the Home
Click to enlarge
The large kettle featured in the journal page and the image above is one of the kettles they used to boil the sugar cane juice down into syrup. Today, they are often used as koi ponds and planters as manufacturing has long since surpassed the use of these pots.

As the fates would have it, the weather was being rather fickle this day and it didn't know if it wanted to rain or not. After a few warming sprinkles, the rain finally started to get heavy enough that most of us retreated to the café.

Introducing my latest "coffee passion:"
Memory sketch,
created after returning
Click to enlarge
Praline coffee. YUM! There's not much more that needs to be said about it. It was sooooooo good! I went by two of our local liqueur stores only to find they don't carry it. It's a special order. Needless to say, there is a bottle winging its way here as we speak.

Last but certainly not least, we had dinner at the Napoleon House. It looks like a dive on the outside and it's as dark as a cave on the inside with an old world, European feel. The walls are brick and stucco with an open air courtyard.
Memory Sketch,
crated after returning
Click to enlarge
Several of us had difficulty reading the menu due to the low-lighting (no lighting?) conditions. Our helpful waiter brought us a big yellow and black flashlight so we could read the menu. No kidding! Apparently, they'd had this kind of trouble before.

Napoleon House is also known for their "Pimm's Cup" cocktail and I just had to try one! It is made with Pimm's Liqueur. It is garnished with a cucumber slice and is quite refreshing. (One of those drinks that sneaks up on you if you have too many because they're not hard to drink! And, no, that's not experience talking—I only had one!)

Despite the few showers of the day, it was a fun day with many laughs and some great sketches!

You Might Also Like

9 Creative Thought(s)

  1. I LOVE the flashlight on the Napoleon House page--talk about a portal to the moment!

    That was a great day--and I'm glad you tracked down the recipe for praline coffee. It will make a lovely beverage for the chilly winter evenings that I hope we have coming.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What fabulous pages! I feel like I was there with you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like a wonderful time! What fun...thank you for sharing, Laure!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm drooling over that praline coffee ...... dinner..... that beautiful plantation. Your sketches bring it all to life.

    ReplyDelete
  5. so much wonderful content on this post Laure' - I love the old home, so stately with the avenue of oak trees; how beautiful. Your paintings superb; such a joy always to see them. That praline coffee on retreating from the rains sounds so decadent...and then dinner at the dark restaurant. Were they saving on electricity or ....? Certainly come away from there with a memory of the torch. So long as the food was good; all was fine.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your blog is always so much fun to come and visit. I am loving this latest trip. Looking forward to the rest.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love your pages - and the fact that you found the recipe for the coffee! Once you get the liqueur, I want to hear how it is - whether it's as good as what you had at Oak Alley.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What fun to relive our adventure with your journal pages and reflections! What a great thought to include the flashlight and recipe for the Praline coffee. I'm kicking myself for not having ordered either the Praline coffee or Pimm's Cup. I guess I'll have to go back again!! The memory sketches certainly are priceless.

    ReplyDelete

Let's talk!

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images

Subscribe