I'm feeling increasingly uncomfortable in my flat, for no apparent reason. I see flickers of light through windows in the kitchen and think someone is there in the room. It's wildly irrational, and mostly to do with the sinus congestion, but it's meant that I've not relaxed fully at home. Maybe it's age, or insecurity, or stress, or the winter wind. I'm looking forward to Spring.

Haven't written lately because work's been busy. A lot of pitching business so that we can stay afloat. Strange weather today -- hail, snow, rain, and sunshine. No wonder I have this cold, and have irrational moodswings. Spent last night thinking someone was trying to break into my bedroom window, only to realise it was a loose roof pad across the garden.

Maman à Paris. One of the best memories in my life will be the look on my mother's face as we rounded corners and she found herself up close to the monuments and places she never thought she would see in her life. She loved Paris.

At first, it was bitterly cold in Paris, and we gave up our plan of walking through Paris for an afternoon at the Musèe d'Orsay. We apparently came across a famous French footballer who had hordes of art-bored schoolchildren following him around as he absently talked on a mobile phone. I'm not sure any of them actually saw any art. After the museum and a night walk along the Seine we searched out Le Navigator, a restaurant in the rue Galande I had been to with Scott Palmer. I've discovered that whilst I have passable french for doing things like getting tickets and asking directions, I have no culinary vocabulary and mom made do with what little things I could translate from the menu. Luckily I understand the universal language of wine.

We went to the Louvre, braving the crowds to stand and admire the Mona Lisa. It's always been a mystery to me, however, how this is the penultimate painting when da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks, is so much more masterful. It's quite easily to be massively overwhelmed by the sheer volume of art and to miss the building itself. After a three hour walk through the Louvre, and as much about 17th century painting as I could remember from the dodgy recesses of my art history training, we left the Louvre to walk in the brilliant winter sunshine up the rue de Rivoli to the Paris Opèra and lunch at the Galeries Lafayette.

At night we had dinner at la Coupole, the Montparnasse brasserie were the cafe society of the 20's met and ate. Had a fabulous meal, more wine, and a brilliant conversation. It was typically Paris -- historical, loud, flashy, well-dressed, joyous.

There were other highlights: Napoleon's tomb, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame. We returned exhausted, overfed, feet blistering and glowing from a great weekend. That's probably only something that I'll experience once in my life -- the joy of watching my mother experience Paris for the first time. It felt good.

Welcome to London. My mother flew into London yesterday for the first time -- and I'm getting sentimental over the days when arriving in London was exhilarating and new! I guess the downside to living here is seeing all of the things I take for granted. It is infectious, however, and I can't wait to start showing her around. Friday morning we're off to Paris which will really blow her mind! We're staying the St. Germain de Pres and I've already picked out the intinerary and restaurants. I'm hoping she'll have the time of her life!