You remember that shot in the opening credits of 'Dallas' apparently shot from an aircraft racing across the prairie towards the futuristic-looking glass skyscrapers of the city?Well, that's exactly what it looks like. Stunning. Of course, when you find somewhere safe to stop for a photo there are power lines in the way. One of those Immutable Laws Of The Universe.

The surprise is that the city centre (the skyscraper bit) is very bijou - can't be more than a couple of square miles at most. And 'gerall traffic even in the rush-hour. Made it easy to troll around looking for stuff to see, like the grassy knoll.

That end of Texas is very Norfolk, but gradually becomes more Staffordshire-after-heavy-rain as you pass into Louisiana and the bayous. And I thought Texans and Geordies were incomprehensible until I heard the Louisiana patois.

I'm not sure whether it's incompetence, deliberacy, or simply having better things to do, but all the 'Hurricane Evacuation Route' signs point towards New Orleans. Eerie, especially when they're planted beside acres of stripped and leaning trees.

Tomorrow's my day off - I've ridden 3,500 miles and every day for the past fortnight, I've found a reasonable hotel with secure parking within walking distance of what remains of the French Quarter of New Orleans, so I can put on my tourist trousers and go walkabout.