In which we got a right lot of culture

Hello and welcome to the new home for the blog.

I was right in my previous blog. Louisiana is a country within a country. And, south Louisiana, Cajun Country, is a whole different world. For a start they all say y'all. Y'all the time. The accent is worlds apart having a very strong French influence. And there's no hills or mountains; it make Lincolnshire look like the Himalayas. But it has its own special mix of magic and we have just experienced some of the finest examples.

Deb found this opportunity on wwoofusa.org and we arrived with a rough idea of what to expect. What we found was slightly, actually very, daunting; there is a big old barn crammed with all sorts of stuff - furniture, tools, ornaments, crap - and in need of TLC that has to be cleared and tarted up for the arrival of a large group of Canadians who will need somewhere to eat. (It is also going to be used as a stage for a wedding on 08 February.)

So, on Saturday morning we started with some help to clear the area - this took all day and a large part of the Sunday. From Monday to the following Sunday, Deb and I set about cleaning, replacing missing panes of glass, trailing electric extension cables, trailing lights, polishing and repairing furniture, draught excluding, and tittivating.

By 1500 on Sunday it was ready and we were done in but enormously proud of what we'd achieved.

And on Monday, the Canadians arrived and we met them for an al fresco lunch in the grounds of the Tabasco sauce family's factory.

It wasn't the best of starts - the old school bus wasn't really up to the job and the weather had conspired to make everyone cold to the bone. The gas heaters in our "fabulous" dining hall

did little to raise spirits but the Gumbo

cooked on site from the freshest ingredients really hit the spot. I'll say more about the food later.

Tuesday was the first day of the four day music festival. The evening started with two young lads, Jace Goulas and Redd Patin (11 and 12)

performing traditional songs on guitar and accordion; a great start. Then T’Monde took over.

With a combined 10 GRAMMY nominations between members Drew Simon, Megan Brown, and Kelli Jones, T’Monde brings influences ranging from early Country music to ancient French and Creole ballads to present day Cajun music. They got the place rocking and dancing (We had all had a quick dance lesson from our host, Christy, so were eager to show off our skills.) Deb and I made up with enthusiasm what we lacked in finesse.

Wednesday's culture involved a trip to a living museum,

a lesson into how to make beignets

a swamp boat tour,

and more great live music in the evening. There was a duet from Jane Vidrine and Ann Savoy

to start then Jo, Jane's son, and grammy nominated fiddler, David Greely, joined Ann and Jane

to give us another opportunity to dance

(Deb and I did something approximating dancing but our main focus was avoiding bumping the other dancers on the dance floor).

These names will not mean a great deal to people outside of Louisiana but all the acts are at the top of their game in this area. Thursday night was no exception. Preston and Keith Frank (father and son) and fiddle player, Kevin Wimmer

played some fabulous tunes and the dance floor was full. Deb and I were getting bolder and tried out some bold and daring moves that, had anyone noticed, would have left them, shall we say, bewildered (or possibly worried for our mental and physical wellbeing) but again, it was done with a smile and enthusiasm.

And Friday came round too quickly. We had a trip to see a violin maker/repairer in Lafayette - owned and operated by Anya Burgess,

who also plays with Ann Savoy and Jane Vidrine. We also had a quick tour of Lafayette.

The evening entertainment was provided by the exceptionally brilliant four piece Chas Justus and The Jury.

They really did get the place rocking and the dance floor was rammed; sadly not leaving Deb and I the space to explore some radical new moves designed to shock and awe.

I've waffled on a lot more than usual because I am buzzing from such a magical week - everything combined to generate memories that will last forever. The Canadians were a welcoming friendly bunch that made our work during the week a breeze, the locals who came to see the acts were great and full of interesting stories, and our hosts, Jim and Christy, have been wonderfully kind and have made us feel part of the whole set up; they're friends for life.

I said I'd mention the food and so I will. OMG. The set-up was simply this Jo Vidrine (performed on Wednesday evening) cooked breakfast and lunch mainly for the omnivores, the Scratch Farm Kitchen were the providers of vegetarian and vegan all day and everyday, and Bruneaux prepared a hearty meaty evening meal. We had the most amazing selection of food - gumbo, jamb alaya, (but no crawfish pie), alligator, boudin (local sausage made and BBQd by Jo on site), fresh vegetables and salads aplenty, fig pie, fish tacos, avocado toast, shrimp, grits, pancakes. There's a bit (a lot) of South Louisiana sitting above proudly above my belt.

It was said to us several times during the week that we really "lucked out" with finding this opportunity and it's true; this really was one of the highlights of the trip. We'll always be grateful to Jim and Christy who have created a magical corner of South Louisiana and shared it with us with a big generous spirit.

What's next? The plan was to go to New Orleans for a couple of nights but the car didn't start this morning and went off on the back of a truck.

Apparently its new battery was a dud. The good news is that the hotel booking was changed without penalty AND the new looking was $25 cheaper. After New Orleans we will return to collect the RV and resume heading east - we've not got anything booked so will just go with the flow for now.

A la prochaine.

Hopefully you'll be able to get a flavour of the music and culture from theses videos.