We went on a tour of Oak Alley, a beautiful sugar plantation about an hour outside of New Orleans. The grounds were gorgeous, with the most amazing feature being the enormous oak trees that line the land. The trees are so old and beautiful - you can just imagine all of the history they have lived through. The plantation mansion was beautiful, too - ornate with super tall ceilings (all of the houses in Louisiana seem to have tall ceilings to keep things cool - the New Yorker in me is very jealous).
A few interesting tidbits about the culture of the day: when a guest came to stay, they obviously stayed for a while. Sliced pineapple was served to guests as a welcome every day. When the guest had finally overstayed their welcome, they were given a whole pineapple, which was the host's subtle (not so subtle) way of letting the guest know that it was time to go. The pineapple was a parting gift.
Also interesting: boys who were courting girls were given a special candle by the girl's father - the father could wind the candle up or down the candlestick (so that a certain amount stuck out to be burned) depending on how long he wanted the boy to stay. If he liked the boy, he gave the candle a few hours to burn. If he disliked the boy, the candle was shortened so that the boy only had a few minutes with the girl. The boy had to leave once the candle had burned below the candlestick. This may be where the "short end of the stick" idiom originates from. Oh, the olden days. So odd.
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