The Fourth Part Of A Saga

Both Emily and I had hand-written itineraries of things we wanted to experience and share during my brief vacation, and though we didn’t hit everything on both lists, we did do a lot of family and touristy things that were mostly fun experiences.

I am not one hundred percent sure of the sequence, or what we actually did on any given day, but the first thing we decided to check out was Bastille Days at Cathedral Square Park in Milwaukee; embracing our French heritage. The 2019 theme was "Milwaukee Mon Amour.” It was the 38th year in a row the celebration had been hosted in the city. We got to the park around 9:30 am, before everything was opened, and walked around to see what kind of foods were offered and what the different vendors and booths offered. During the day we saw performances by Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, which reminded me of an amped up Louisiana Zydeco band, and later, “Ceux Qui Marchent Debout.”

At lunch time, we went to a mini “Cafe Du Monde,” where I got benets and a hot cup of chicory coffee, after a mid morning snack of a sugary cinnamon doughnut. Emily, not being as partial to bitter drinks and sweet, messy baked goods opted for a slice of pizza.

We shopped in the various kiosks, and talked to amazing people from many french speaking locations around the United States and the world. Emily bought me a serenity prayer wall hanging that is in my bedroom here in Maine now.