Robert and I stayed with Emma for nearly a month. We had a lovely, relaxed time, and really felt that we'd had a taste of what it's like to live in New Orleans. The house is as charming on the inside as on the outside: airy, spacious, beautifully decorated in an eclectic period-appropriate style, with furniture, art, glassware and mirrors elegantly arranged to please and intrigue the eye. (Handy to know: The street name (which you will learn if you book here) is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable!)

Emma was the perfect hostess. She made us feel very welcome. She even met us at the airport and dropped us off there on the day we left.

Brees* is a sweetheart. Robert and I were soon on his list of Accepted Persons. He is a good dog, yes he is! And an eternal optimist... Despite the fact that it never works, he is always sure that this time, pleading eyes and a thumping tail will earn him tidbits from the table.

The king sized four-poster bed is comfortable and romantic with organdy curtains and flowered bed linen. An earlier guest mentioned having to live out of their suitcases? That has been amply fixed. There's an empty chest of drawers, and more pockets and hooks hung on the closet doors than we could possibly have filled. Also, there's wifi, which is important these days!

We used public transportation for the first part of our trip, then rented a car for the last week. The New Orleans bus system isn't the best, but it's fine if you're not in a hurry. The buses are all air conditioned, and senior fare is only forty cents. There's a radio station app that updates bus locations every thirty seconds, so you can see when the bus is coming your way.

The Franklin bus stop is less than a minute's walk away from Emma's place. One direction takes you all the way down to Canal Street and Rampart, the top left corner of the French Quarter. From there you can transfer to the Canal streetcar. The other direction goes up to the lakeshore area near UNO, where there is a good full-service supermarket. It worked out. All the same, a vehicle does give a lot more flexibility. We definitely got to see much more of the city once we rented the car.

* That's the right spelling. Brees is named after the New Orleans quarterback.