Well, I made it back. Because this is a learning diary I thought I'd write a little about the things I learned this week in the Big Easy:

For instance, I learned:

• how to eat crawfish
  
• how to get to Bourbon St.
  
• do not enter into bets with anyone you meet in the French Quarter
  

Thankfully, I didn't have to learn any of these the "hard way."

After four days spent at a trade show, the Big Easy is one of my favorite towns. Rich with culture and history there really is something for everyone. The Mississippi River brings trade to the port of New Orleans. Port cities are notorious for the "characters" they attract. Think of any major port city. Pick your favourite -- Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Montreal -- each has a character and a culture all its own. I'd pick New Orleans for my next visit out of those listed. Don't get me wrong -- the other cities certainly have their selling points, but I'd pick the Big Easy for a return trip by a long shot.

I've never encountered a city with such a wide variety of both music and food options. I can't imagine what the city's like during Mardi Gras. Given what little exposure I had to the French Quarter (Sun through Wed nights in June) I can't imagine what happens on weekends, let alone Fat Tuesday.