Oak Alley Plantation

Ealier this week, we visited Oak Alley plantation.  If you've ever seen Interview with the Vampire, or Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, you'll recognize the place.  If you only visit one of the plantations on the river road, bordering the mighty Mississippi, I would recommend this one.  It's definitely like taking a walk back in time.

The plantation dates back to the early 1700s, when an unknown settler planted the row of live oak trees, from which it derives its name.  In the 1830s, it was bought by a Creole sugar cane planter, Jacques Roman.  Apparently, his young wife was not thrilled with the place, which was then called Beau Sejour, and wanted to spend her time in New Orleans.  She considered the plantation out in the boonies.

The plantation house has been restored to its 1830s and 1840s splendour, and you get a good idea of what life would have been like for a Creole planter.  The dining room has a table that would easily seat 20.  Creoles, to show their wealth, had their silverware in place settings so that the back of the cutlery showed.  That way they could display their wealth, because the silver hallmarks on cutlery were always on the backs of the knives, forks, and spoons.

Another interesting custom from the Creoles - only married men, their wives, women and children could live in the big house, or plantation house.  Boys, once they reached the age of 15, moved out of the house into a garconiere, where they lived until they got married.  Unfortunately, the original garconiere at Oak Alley was demolished in the early 20th century.

The plantation is still a working sugar cane plantation today, and on the grounds, you can still the big sugar kettles.  Some are used as planters, or very large flower pots.  It's good to see that they are still in use, even if it's not for ithe original purpose.

The best part about the whole tour for me was the alley of live oaks.  From the second storey gallery, the view is incredible.  A quarter mile of live oaks on either side of a walkway, leading down to the levee at the Mississippi River.  In antebellum Louisianna, travel would have been by river.  Looking out over the view, I can just imagine a boat pulling up to the plantation dock, disgorging its passengers, who would be met by slaves to take them in a carriage to the big house, where refreshments would await.

Creole ladies were not supposed to drink spirits in front of gentlemen.  If they did so, they were not considered ladies.  So ladies oftem refreshed themselves with fresh fruit, while the men enjoyed their wine or spirits.  Now here's the interesting bit.  That fresh fruit..... it was typically soaked in rum