Dancing at Breakfast

Dad and Janet dancing

My Dad called me this morning and said, “Do you remember where we were exactly one year ago.”  I had to think about it for a second and I said, “New Orleans.”  He corrected me, “We were at Café des Amis dancing.”

He was right.  We were in Breaux Bridge Louisiana at Zydeco breakfast dancing at ten in the morning.  I think it was about my Dad’s favorite thing that happened all year so it was not surprising that he called me to reminisce about it.

My sisters and I had given him a trip for his Christmas present that year.  All our lives he had taken us on great vacations all over the world and it was about time we took him somewhere.  On Christmas day when we told him we were going to take him anywhere he wanted to go it was not two seconds before he said, “Let’s go to New Orleans.”

I am thankful that we went last year because that trip was all about eating and spending time together.  Before we went I asked my Dad what he wanted to do and he had not given me any guidance.  But once we were there the truth came out.  What he really wanted to do was go to Cajun country and listen to great music and dance.  Since we were staying in the Big Easy about an hour and a half from true Cajun country I had to scramble to figure out how to make this happen.  Within four clicks of my I-phone I discovered Zydeco breakfast at the famous Café des Amis happening the very next morning.

My sister Janet, my Dad and I got up early to drive to Breaux Bridge leaving Margaret in New Orleans to shop.  We arrived at 9:00 and waited in line with the regulars who came out every Saturday to dance.  We could hear the band perfectly as we waited about an hour to get into the joint.  It was my Dad’s idea of heaven, people drinking beer and Bloody Marys in the morning itching to dance.

Dancing at breakfast is something that should catch on other places.  Some of us are too old to go out late and listen to bands and too tired to dance long into the night.  Starting your day with dancing is really the healthiest thing to do.  Although paired with eating eggs with crawfish etoufee on a grilled biscuit and a few beignets you negate most of the health benefits.

Based on the lines of people wanting to listen to music and dance before lunch I think that Durham could use a Zydeco breakfast and they served fruit and egg white omelets all the people who go to exercise classes might switch over and come dance instead.