Saturday 5th May 2007. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Louisiana.

This is a city with music as its beating heart...it will clear your blues, rock your soul and jazz up your life!

Breakfast can only be the original muffuletta from Central Grocery in the French Quarter before we head over to the Old Ursuline Convent (built 1749-1753) and the original home to the Ursuline Nuns who came from France to relieve the poor and sick and to provide education for young girls'. The Convent was home to the first girls' school in Louisiana and the building today is the oldest in the Mississippi Valley.

Here we will find the Exhibition of The Vatican Mosaic Studio which is coming only to the French Quarter of New Orleans and indeed is the first such exhibition outside of the Vatican in 500 years. As such this is the first exhibition in the United States of Rome's Vatican Studios and like the Femme, Femme, Femme exhibition currently in the city this is an attempt by a foreign government to help The Big Easy get back on its feet by encouraging the tourists to return.

In this case the Vatican State invites you on a journey to see the evolution of the human spirit through mosaic art. Some thirty seven exquisite mosaics, reproductions of the art of Monet, Van Gogh, Rouault and Rembrandt are amongst the works with each mosaic the perfection of an art form practiced by the skilled masters of the Vatican Basilica dating to the 15th century.

The Vatican Mosaic Studio was begun during the pontificate of Gregory XIII (1572-1585) when in order to begin the decoration of the new St Peter's the Pope summoned to Rome expert mosaic artists from Venice. The Dome of the Gregorian Chapel was the first to be decorated in this craft (1578-1590). By 1727 Pope Benedict XIII had decided to raise the 'laboratory' to a permanent department.

Nowhere in the world has the execution of mosaic taken on the art form of the Vatican mosaicists and as such it is in Rome that you find the finest collection in the world of tesserae. Tesserae are the tiniest of stones from which this art form takes its name. The creation of enamels dates back to the early Middle Ages with the oldest mosaic technique being the cut technique.

By the late 1700's with the studio's invention of the filament enamel technique (Giacomo Raffaelli) we see micromosaics. These miniatures became hugely popular to decorate jewellery and tobacco boxes with the aristocracy on the Grand Tour being huge collectors. So popular infact that Popes would commission precious gifts for the Crowned Heads of Europe from the studio.

During the French occupation of Rome in the nineteenth century the imperial government acted both to promote and encourage the studio's activity.

My personal highlight was Angel which is created from a detail of the Navicella mosaic panel and which for me had the most wonderful earthy tones. But I must note that works like Monet's Rouen Cathedral: The Portal (in sun); Van Gogh's Church of Auvers and my favourite Van Gogh Starry Night; and Chagall's I and the Village are masterpieces that show the studios' true range.

You cannot though visit this exhibition without talking about St Mary's Church (erected in 1845 as the Chapel of the Archbishops) and the Old Ursuline Convent.

The chapel of St Mary's has the most wonderful pine and cypress ceiling and the building is a work of art in itself. A treasure of this tour was the opportunity to see the statue of Notre Dame des Victoires (Our Lady of Victory) a statue brought in 1727 with the original band of Ursulines from Rouen.

The convent buildings were erected by order of King Louis XV in 1745 and the convent is home to the oldest self-supporting staircase in the United States. As the nuns took care of the sick of the French Military Hospital this is where we find the first female pharmacist in North America.
Louisiana would indeed become the first state to require pharmacists to be licenced...and an aside is the fact that soda started in pharmacy's. The first pharmacists were chemists, Coke after all was born in a pharmacy and here in the Quarter one of the oldest soda fountains in the world can still be found in the pharmacy of Louis J. Dufilho. And as for the nuns, their school has gone on to educate leading medics, lawyers and Louisiana's first female Senator.

A point to remember is that although Louisiana is today a part of the United States in its earliest days land grants were not given by the British Crown (indeed unlike the original rebellious 13 colonies Louisiana was never Crown Land); Land Grants were originally in the gift of King Louis XV of France.

For the nuns though life has not always been easy indeed the great city fire of 1812 stopped literally on their doorstep.

Then we are off to the 38th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival where I get to see my first ever pow-wow.

Enroute I see graffiti that serves to remind of the hatred directed towards FEMA by the residents of this great city. I also want to note that all the historic areas are open and very much alive and I am already discovering what a great city this is to visit even on a hot and humid day like today.

So on to the festival and lets start not with music but with heritage.

As is true of many native tribes and traditional cultures the struggle to maintain traditional art is a continuing struggle, but today I see a true celebration of craft. I have to mention the wonderful Savannah Lewis, a stunning elderly African-American lady who just ooses charm...and her hand-crafted pine needle baskets are true works of art...and no Savannah I didn't break the camera, infact you gave me one of my finest pictures yet.

I was also fortunate to be invited to sign Cecilia Pedescleaux's African-American 2007 Festival Quilt...so one day I'll see my name on a museum piece.

Now the food. My first sampling was crawfish bread, and the pheasant, quail andouille gumbo...but then there was the natchitoches meat pie...this city is a culinary delight...but our favourite was the alligator pie (i think we had six?). I even had my first ever can of champagne.

And what an atmosphere the music created, it was joyful. I have had many experiences this year and this festival rates amongst the very best. Trust me this was just the tonic I needed when I was beginning to think (with the car crash and the missed flights to add to my list) that life was beginning to get the better of me.

Then there is Joanne. She doesn't know the meaning of words other than fun, joy and enjoying each and every moment of our life. If you have ever doubted the resilience of this city then come meet its people...they just won't let their pride and joy die...As Joanne steadfastly states on her bumper sticker, New Orleans. Proud to call it HOME.

My musical highlight had to be Irma Thomas' tribute to Mahalia Jackson. What a woman, what a show...you could feel the spirituality moving in that gospel tent...and it was the only thing because you could not move for the sea of people...and she is right, HE has got the City of New Orleans in HIS HANDS!

Yet there were so many highlights: Ernie Vincent & Top Notes; Danza and boy can Evan Christopher play that clarinet; Dr Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band with Thais Clark and all those second liners dancing with the colourful umbrellas; Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express.

Despite Katrina's best efforts this city just steps right up and greets you with a smile. It is a truly original city, a gem and it should be on everyone's wish list!