Tag: travel

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Louisiana Creole

The Laura Plantation located on River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is a raised Creole Planation style house. Our team were in Louisiana last week and stopped by this “maison principale” {family home} to check out the architecture; the gardens and to immerse in a bit of history. Originally called l’Habitation Duparc was 12,000 acres at its largest, and includes properties amassed throughout the years. The manor house was built on high and cleared grounds, and had been the location of the Colapissa Indian village.

Cultivated grounds became French parterre gardens, a pecan orchard, a potager planted adjacent to the original kitchen, and vegetable rows near the slave cabins.According to local legend the primary reason the plantation was saved from ruin was that the Br’er Rabbit stories {supposedly} originated here, and an effort was made to restore the house and grounds. So, through copious research found the “Tar-Baby”stories are not native to America, but found compelling evidence that the tale crossed the Atlantic with slaves.

When in Louisiana visit:
Laura- A Creole Plantation
2247 Highway 18
Vacherie, LA  70090

Read:
The Annotated African American Folktales
by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Maria Tartar

Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings
by Joel Chandler Harris

Indulge stylishly,
K

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Gardens by the Bay

During the spring season there is nothing more enjoyable than recalling travels where you have an opportunity of seeing cultural sites. But, on todays agenda I am reviewing the gardens of Singapore, looking at photographs of organized spaces that have the most exotic plants, while re-reading notes made of the local flowers that may be possibly grown at Heath. On a recent excursion our team was in central Singapore adjacent to the Marina Reservoir where there is a nature park that spans 250 acres, and consists of three waterfront gardens. The government has transformed the city by creating Gardens by the Bay, which consist of conservatories, groves of trees with themed gardens.

And, one themed garden is from one of my favorite childhood book’s Alice in Wonderland, where the peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures such as the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit still exist.

Plan stylishly,
K