Last day in Paris. Having done all of the things that I'd set out to see, it was nice to have a day to just wonder the streets and see what happened. We started walking from Meg's flat in St Germain, and meandered, following our fancy, through the Parisian streets, coming across Sunday markets and beautiful churches.

We ended up by at the Eiffel Tower, by way of the L'Hôtel national des Invalides, and walked up the boulevard before sitting at the base of the tower in the spring sunshine, watching the passing tourists and chatting. Then, up across the pont d'léna to Esplanade du Trocadéro, then turned east and walked along the Seine, past a houseboat that Meg had thought about renting, before ending up back at the flat. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to get a last coffee before my train home, so we jumped on the metro to the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord. A surreal goodbye - I doubt we'll be in the same place again until July when we both will be at Glastonbury.

I'm always excited to get the Eurostar. I find it incomparable to the slow process of the airline check-in, the stress of being in a flying metal tube and immigration control - if I've got a choice, it'll always be train.

As you wait in the station (two large tune sandwiches from PAUL in hand) you can look down to the high speed trains below you, the gentle flow of people through the concourse, before getting on the train and gliding out of the station, out of Paris, before speeding across the smooth ebb and flow of fields. Dappled light, squeezed through the occasional gap in the clouds, lighting the landscape like a spotlight on a stage - a subtle haze illuminated in a shaft of light that tracked across the land as we sped onwards.

A dive into darkness and the businessmen are already fidgeting in response to London's cue.

After an uneventful journey to Paddington and wait for the train, I had to endure the 3 hour journey to Bath - an hour and a half longer than usual, thanks to the huge works at Reading station in preparation for crossrail.

Picked up at the station by the brother, and greeted by mum and roast chicken. Couldn't have a nicer welcome home.