A sign found written in the window of one of the shops on rue Royal…

I do know what it means to miss New Orleans, and it was great to be back — good food, good music, great nightlife and a chance to catch up with a lot of old friends. While there is still a lot of Katrina damage once you outside the main tourist areas, the city is actively rebuilding and people are beginning to return to their homes and work in larger numbers.

Fear not — New Orleans is still the same great city it always was. If you haven’t been since Katrina, open your wallet and book a flight. They need your money and they will welcome you with the same N’Awlins spirit they always have.

After another set of planes, trains and automobiles, we’re safely back home after our trip to New Orleans and Washington. Our return was made slightly more complicated by the large pieces of artwork we acquired in New Orleans.

Both cats were very happy to see us, and seem not to have suffered too much from our absence. One of them left a little ‘present’ on our bed, but otherwise no accidents (or at least none that we’ve discovered).

Earthquake damage was limited to a broken vase which fell off a bookshelf and my shaving mirror in the bathroom.

I’ve got loads of work to catch up on between now and Friday, but I should get some time over the weekend to get more of the photographs edited and onto our website.