Day 5 - Natchez

The day started with a magnificent "Poor Man's Breakfast" (biscuits, gravy, poached eggs and sausage debris) served to us, and around 15 other guests, at a long kitchen table accompanied by another torrential rain and hail storm, thunder and lightning that, thankfully, blew through by the time we took our leave. Goodbye to the flat swamps and bayous of Louisiana and hello to the verdant rolling hills of Mississippi:

Travelling north up Highway 61, "The Blues Highway":

Situated just over 130 miles north east of Lafayette, Natchez is a small "city" (population 15,000) nestling on a high bluff on the outside of a large bend in the Mississippi River and our home for the next couple of days is what can only be described as sumptuous: the Monmouth Plantation House once known as The White House" of Mississippi as it was, for a while, the home of a former governor of the state. As we settle in late on Sunday afternoon there are tornado warnings being broadcast for Louisiana - looks like we left in the nick of time!

Complimentary hors d'oeuvres are served at 5.30pm accompanied by the Southern American states' speciality cocktail Mint Julep We rounded the day off with dinner at the Magnolia Grill at Natchez-under-the-hill overlooking the Mississippi river as yet another thunderstorm raged in the sky above. The Weather Channel advise that parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are at high risk of tornadoes overnight and that, in places, up to 8 inches of rain have fallen in the past 24 hours. If we survive, we'll report back tomorrow...........