Back in Louisiana we stay mid-way between Breaux Bridge and St Martinville at the campsite called Catfish Heaven – Paul did some fishing and we had catfish for dinner one evening. Around the campsite lake we watched a one-winged cormorant catching fish as well as the vultures eating any left-overs.
We had an interesting visit to Avery Island – the home of Tabasco Sauce. The factory is still on the original spot from when the sauce was first commercialised in 1868. We had a free tour and had tasters of practically all their products including the Jalapeno flavoured ice-cream and Tabasco Soda drink. We learnt the peppers are fermented for 3 years in old Jack Daniels barrels – no wonder Paul liked the taste!
Underneath the Island is a column of Rock Salt, which was the first to be mined in the USA in the 1860s. They use the salt to form acrust on the barrels whilst fermenting to stop any bacteria getting in.
We drove through Lafayette and visited Abbeville but were
too late for their Giant Omelette Festival which was in early November. We went to Breaux Bridge – the Crawfish
Capital of the world! – and we ate some crawfish. We met another couple, who are travelling too,
and arranged to go on a swamp boat tour of the Atchafalaya Swamp. We were out for 3 hours and saw many birds –
Great White Egret, Blue Heron, Cormorants, Grebe, Hawks, ducks, swallows and
even a fleeting glimpse of a Kingfisher.
We saw the sun go down over Lake Martin on Saturday evening
and watched Ibis flying in to roost.
No comments:
Post a Comment