During my days working with the cruise & ferry sector, I was asked to be a keynote speaker at the 1999 Fast Ferry Conference in New Orleans. I managed therefore to get an all expenses paid trip to the capital of Louisiana for a 45-minute speaking engagement. I actually combined it with client visits to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa – hard to believe it now that I was actually working!

As part of my speaking perks, I was treated to a paddle steamer jazz trip down the Mississippi. This was all Satchmo & champers, but I was most impressed by the authentic vessel, a boat built in the early 20th Century and lovingly restored to its original glory, which the great Louis Armstrong himself was said to have played in his early twenties.

I fell completely in love with N’Awleans, with all its sleazy decadence and fabulous music scene. Check out Big Al Carson live at the Funky Parrot. One of the greatest sets I have ever witnessed.

Bubbling under in my ‘P’ transportation hit parade I had paragliding in honour of my less than graceful attempt whilst on holiday in Bulgaria……