April. After a lazy morning in London with Squirt, Jo and I headed to the Eurostar terminal and grabbed a ride to Paris. Today was our 5th anniversary. But it was also a celebration of many other things. We were checked-in and out on streets of Paris by 6pm.

April. I was last in Paris in October 2000, after catching a train from Prague. My initial reaction back then was "I don't like this city", but on reflection over the passing years I picked out many things I did like. So, I was keen to head back and give the place another go, particularly after my experiences in the South of France last summer.

And I'm really glad I did. Paris is one of my favourite places on Earth.

April. If you're ever planning on doing the tower, Friday evening is the best time to avoid the queues whilst still getting the atmosphere of the city. We had to wait for less than an hour to get up to the 2nd level. However, be warned, the queue to ride up to the uppermost level is nuts. One of my favourite moments of this trip was simply sitting down on a bench with Paris spread out all around me as far as the eye could see, painted in the ambient blue light of the day's descent into darkness.

April. The golden illuminated building in the middle-distance is the tomb of Napoleon.

April. A random snapshot that I quite like, reminds me of the time I spent up there.

April. Okay, so maybe I didn't actually stumble upon Baron Harkonen's lair whilst standing beneath the Eiffel Tower, but the image evokes memories of the film "Dune" for me.

April. Look at the utterly divine interlacing geometry of this construction. A living masterpiece within our time.

April. Ahhh, tourist shot. Leaving the tower Jo and I walked back towards the Museum and our tube stop; there was a park, filled with people relaxing and enjoying the warm evening. We stopped on a park bench and joined them.

I'm glad we stopped to sit down when we did; as the hour came to an end and a new one begun, the entire bulk of the Eiffel Tower began to shimmer and sparkle with a million brilliant lights, as if camera flashes were going off a thousand times per second. Also, a powerful beam of light lanced out into the night, from the tip of the tower and slowly swept round in an arc across the whole city. Very atmospheric. Not a bad shot considering I'm sitting in a park at night without a tripod.

14th April. The day was beautiful weather but the heat created this mist that blurred out all the horizons. Jo and I spent the morning touring around the city.

14th April. The central area of Paris is such an incredible urban space. For one there is space, broad avenues with spectacular architecture looming through your peripheral vision at every angle; and the place is clean.

14th April. The dog had a really happy look on its face; if dogs can look happy. I took this on our way out of Paris to Versailles.

14th April. Versailles. First thing Jo and I did was to take a stroll around the town itself. Very lovely. Found a corner cafe with tables outside. Ordered beer, strong coffee and had a plate of smoked salmon on toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, sunlight reflecting off fluid surfaces and radiating through the condensation misted glass of beer. Yum-city.

We took at look at the Palace but the queues were ridiculous; it was already mid-afternoon. So we headed for the gardens and I am very happy that we did.

14th April. The gardens are impressive when you first encounter them, the voice in your mind makes appropriate noises and you're thinking about where you can find a spot to sit down and kill a few hours. But then... then I walked out behind the palace and the "gardens" just blew my thoughts away. I was left stunned and speachless as I gazed out at this utterly vast expanse. So much so I was unable to get a photograph that actually captures that vastness.

14th April. Jo and I went our seperate ways. I cut right, away from the immense trudging throngs of tourists and found myself by a flight of stone steps fit for giants, not a tourist in sight, and a wonderfully peaceful area down below.

14th April. I followed the steps down, then doubled-back on myself, away from the locked gates and headed into a labyrinth like web of tree-lined avenues. Some of the avenues converged on central areas with different themes. This is one of them. Not a soul around. Perfect.

14th April. Looks quite impressive... wait til you see it in context.

14th April. I had wandered out from a smaller tree-lined avenue into a major thoroughfare; glancing right I saw the palace, high up on its terrace, to my left was a huge circle of water and this incredible fountain arrangement.

14th April. The heat was getting really intense, radiated back from the ground by the chalky white dirt covering the paths. In the middle of a web of narrow avenues lined with marble statues of histories heros, I found a simple wooden shack selling food, and ice cold beer. Talk about thirst quenching. Bumped into Jo there.

Heading back towards the palace we came across another centrepiece within a web of avenues.

April 14th. Jo and I left Versailles deeply impressed. Back in Paris we headed over to the cathedral of Notredam.

I wasn't interested in the cathedral so left Jo to head inside; I drifted over to some seating nearby and got myself a free hug in Paris.

You have to think about just how many centuries this thing has stared down across Paris, and across the history of Europe.

Last time I came to Paris I spent four days in the Louvre and barely scratched the surface. Some people don't like the (relatively) recent addition of the glass-pyramids, but I like them, and the subterrenean chamber provides easy access between both sides of the building, rather than having to walk 'around' the perimeter of corridors.

April 14th. There was a tour of Paris-by-night running from the hotel. Quite nice. After we came back Jo and I sat outside at a small bar next to the hotel.

April 15th. We arrived from below, hiking up several levels of steps to the base of the church.

April 15th. Suddenly I am no longer standing in a modern city. The word medieval seeps in through every pore of your body. Think of those times, when honour had meaning, when people fought for ideas with their blood and true courage was seen in the glare of your eyes...

The world as we know it is dying and 800 million people shuffle along wide-asleep to the fact the dead-gods now mock us.

April 15th. Jo and I went seperate ways. She found herself inside. I drifted around the base and found myself heading down some steps towards a sign saying "crypt". I figured it would be interesting to take a look. So, I paid my five euros, passed through the armoured one-way barrier, and was then horrified to find the only way was 'up'. Did I tell you I suffer from vertigo?

April 15th. You can laugh, but suddenly I found myself pushing open this crappy wooden door and I'm out on the roof. Jesus. My legs were shaking like jelly. I tried to find another way down but the only route possible was to go up, over the edge of the roof, then through another crappy door, and, yup you guessed it, more stairs going up.

April 15th. I ended up on the paraphet of the upper-most dome. I nearly dropped a spud in my pants, and when I finally got down I looked as white as a ghost. Something very Lord of the Rings about this place.

April 15th. Jo and I grabbed a boat trip down the Seinne. Really worthwhile doing.

April 15th. After the boat trip we took a long stroll along the river bank.

April 15th. You just would not see this in London, along the Thames.

April 15th. Triumph over the things that stand in our way. Victory over that which threatens us.

April 16th. Final day. The previous night, our last night in Paris, Jo and I splashed out on a fab meal on the Chains Eleyses, sitting under an awning on the street.

Turns out our hotel used to be film studios until the 40's. The place was drenched in movie-memorabilia.

April 16th. It was a good hotel. The rooms were clean and the bed, my god the bed was massive.