1. Madisonville
I snapped a picture of a man fishing from a bridge--right beside a sign that said, "No Fishing From the Bridge." By way of greeting, he held up a still-wiggling fish in his hand, smiling. This is Louisiana--rules optional, joy popping up everywhere!
(I asked him how to pronounced Tchefuncte--and it sounds exactly like it's spelled, with the T silent.)
Another man--riding his motorized chair by the edge of the river--told me his name was Ralph and that he was born in that house right there (pointing) and had lived there for 92 years. (I'd have guessed his age was about 80, smooth clear skin and bright eyes.) "I'll sure remember your name because my daughter is named Linda and she stays with me," he said.
"Beautiful town," I said.
"It's changed a lot in 92 years," he said--pointing to the large houses and yachts docked there. I tired to imagine Madisonville before it became the affluent community it is today, before there were signs on the bridge.
2. Mandeville
I love this town! I remember it fifty years back, before the population grew to what it is now, before the devastation of Camille and Katrina uprooted so many who moved to Mandeville and Covington.
"It was all just stuff, though," one woman told me when I asked her if she'd lost her house. She had. "We were the lucky ones, we didn't lose any people or pets."
Sitting on the beach there, which I love to do, which Betty and I did when we took her New Orleans birthday trip, you can see the Lake Ponchetrain Causeway, stretching from Mandeville to New Orleans.
3. Bay St. Louis
The highlight of my three-hour visit to Bay St. Louis was the Starfish Cafe.
I had a delicious chicken salad sandwich and a slice of ginger lime pie, their healthy version of Key Lime pie made with cream cheese, limes, and chunks of ginger. Their menu changes daily, featuring seasonal and local foods. A really special place!
Customers pay for items on the menu in this non-profit cafe by donation--and these donations help train young people (but not just young people) to prepare for and find employment. "This experiential learning program is for students over the age of 18 in restaurant, job and life skills."
Di Fillhart, the vibrant executive director, came here from New York to help rebuild after Katrina--and stayed, blending her former restaurant career with her present one of life coaching to launch this program. Her son moved here with her and acts as head chef.
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| Di--the one wearing the bandana |
After popping in several galleries and talking to so many friendly people, I followed the lead of one of them and went to the church cemetery--where I saw carved angels made from trees uprooted by Katrina.
4. Ocean Springs
This beautiful town (between Biloxi and Mobile) features eateries, boutiques, and arts galleries. I spent a couple of hours looking at crafts and buying the best pralines (made in their own candy shop) to take to Carlene tomorrow.
I'm thinking about spending a full week on the Mississippi Coast, maybe on my way back to Texas--exploring these beach towns more: Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Pass Christian, and Ocean Springs. It's a unique region, scarred by storms, but filled with resilient and open-hearted people.
"But if you stay a week," I was told twice today, "You'll never want to leave!"
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