Lagniappes Make the World a Little Better

One of the nicest words I've ever heard was shared with  me by Kim Foley Mackinnon, with whom I traveled on my first part of this trip to Graz. I told her about how a woman at the cafe who comes in in the afternoons once told me that she felt so refreshed after she'd treated herself to a coffee and a cake and a chance to catch up on the newspaper in the afternoon at the cafe.  Kim said that was a lagniappe, or little gift, a word derived from New Orleans Cajun. "It means something unexpected, a little bonus, or treat, that makes your life a little nicer," she told me.

I've experience lagniappe more than once on my trip to Kitzbuhel. Today as I sat with Lisi on the top of the Hahnenkamm and ate spinach dumplings and vegetable soup, she surprised me at the end when she said that lunch was on her.  I had interviewed her for my article, and I guess she felt some gratitude, but it was a nice treat for me.

Tonight I went to a contemporary restaurant downtown called Lois*Stern and when I went to pay, Maria the hostess and co-owner told me she my delicious sorbet was on the house.  Another lagniappe, which made my dinner even more delicious.