A romantic trip through an historic hidden gem
When my friend Eva suggested that we go to Natchez, I hesitated a little. You know what it’s like in August, I said; a Navajo mud oven would be cooler. Nevertheless, the trip went ahead. I had been through much of Mississippi, Alabama, and Eva’s home state, Louisiana over a fifteen year period. Never to Natchez. Little did I know how quaint and sweet the place would be! Natchez, with its old world charm, can sit comfortably in the middle of the 19th century, even now.
Eva (full name Evangeline) was a history teacher of Cajun Creole descent. We’d been long-time friends and sometime lovers. We had been involved in helping black farming families over many years. Eva was due to start a new job in Montana, so this was our last chance to hook up and spend time together. Mississippi in August would be intensely hot and humid, yet it was the only time Eva had free before her new job. She had chosen to visit the Civil War site in Natchez where her great, great grandfather, a freed slave, had fought and died during the American Civil War.
Natchez is dominated by the Mississippi river. Most American friends thought of Natchez as ‘redneck’ country, yet none had ever visited. To me, and Eva, Natchez turned out to be a hidden gem, a unique place.
We planned to use my Chevy Astra van to sleep in. I had hastily converted it to a temporary camper van. As it turned out we ended up staying in the Hampton Inn Hotel on some of the hotter nights.
On arriving in Natchez we first visited the battlefield area.
Natchez is named after the Indian tribe who originally settled there. It is the oldest city on the Mississippi river. The city as such was set up by the French in 1716. It was later ruled by the British, then the Spanish. Some of the homes there have been owned by the same families since before the Civil War (1861-65). Natchez has many national landmarks and historical buildings. It has many African-American heritage sites, such as historic churches, the Forks of the Road Slave Market. It is also the home of my favourite African-American writer, Richard Wright.
Colonial homes abound. Some of the pre-Civil War homes we visited were so large and splendid it took your breath away. For those familiar with Gone with the Wind this area will look very familiar. Such houses took an awful lot of caring for. Negro slaves did all the work, and many are buried in unmarked graves at the back of these mansions.
We decided against camping food and treated ourselves to dinners at Rusty’s Riverfront Grill. It’s the original home of Mississippi Mud Pie. The pie consists of three layers (no more, no less) of chocolate frosting, marshmallows, brownies and chocolate chunks, plus a dab of pecan butter. It’s not all like the pale imitation I once (expensively) tasted at the K Club and a helluva lot cheaper. We finished off with a few bottles of Southern Pecan beer, a drink unique to this area. If I thought pecan pie was to die for, the beer was also amazing
Our last night together the weather was so humid that Eva suggested we lie out on the grass instead. She’d found a spot near a large water fountain, just close enough so that the gentle breeze blew a soft cool mist down on us. We spoke about our plans for the future. She had many plans, I was just taking a ‘Que, Sera, Sera’ approach to life.
We fell silent, and, for what seemed an eternal moment, amid thousands of dancing, flickering fireflies, millions of twinkly stars, the sweet scent of summer flowers and fine mist from the fountain falling on our entwined bodies – all became as one. I felt that rare sensation of ‘completeness’. Cool drops fell from Eva’s body onto me,
Nous avons fait l’amour sous les étoiles
Afterwards we smoked and talked, sharing a bottle of Jim Beam before falling asleep in the early dawn.
By Paddy Reid Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
GETTING THERE
Leave from Jackson MS, taking the Natchez Trace Parkway. This is such a beautiful scenic drive. The Trace originally connected the Natchez, Chickasaw and Navajo Indian Nations. On arriving in Natchez, go to the Natchez Visitor Center and they will provide all the info you need for this trip.
Note from Lily Anne
Thanks Paddy As you say, comments welcome! Hoping to hear from others willing to take that first leap and share their stories.