New Orleans for The Solo Traveller: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

Rent a Blue Bike and ride the rail-to-trail through Tremé and Mid-City; the bayou makes a good place to stop.

A tip jar, standing room and a swing band in a bar the size of a front room; the first set is the quietest.

Rabbit and sausage jambalaya at the bar of a dive that has fed the Quarter for decades; the counter seats fill fast.

Be at the door at ten: the Southern art galleries and the Goldring Hall are quiet in the morning, with a good view of the Warehouse District.

Cross the river on foot, walk the levee past the Algiers Courthouse and the colourful cottages, and take the late ferry back.

Cajun cooking in a Warehouse District brick room: a bar seat, a fried boudin starter and a bowl of gumbo. The staff are used to diners on their own.

An hour's paddle past the Pitot House and under the bridges, with herons for company; the water is calm and the light is soft.

September to June a social aid and pleasure club parades most Sundays with a brass band; follow the music, and dance at the back.

Order the roast beef po'boy dressed at the window and eat it on the bayou side picnic bench.

Run or walk the river's edge as the first tankers pass, over the rusty rainbow of the Piety Street Bridge.

Ride the 1923 cars end to end under the oaks, then walk through Audubon Park to the river.

One man at the fryer, a grilled shrimp po'boy made to order; eat at the bar and listen to the radio.