This time yesterday I was just approaching Paris, believe it or not.. The school I work with organise an annual day trip there, and this time they had a spare wheelchair space. I couldn’t believe my luck when they invited me, as Paris is the city I love the most.

Of course, one day is barely enough time tto explore such a wonderful place, yet, at the same time, it was amazing what we managed to fit in. I was up at six, at school by seven, nick, one of the staff, having picked me up; then it was down the road to ebbsfleet and on to France. this gave us a good seven or eight hours in Paris – it’s pretty incredible when you think about it.

We spent most of the day walking about the city, taking busses here and there. The students were pretty independent physically, and we took lots of staff, meaning I was okay at mealtimes etc. we had lunch in a quiet cafe near the river, and were treated to a flypast – they must have been practicing for bastille day, as lots of aircraft kept zooming overhead in tight formation.

We then caught a bus to the Eiffel tower. Thee view from there was just as amazing as I remember it; it really is an awesome sight. As I was in my electric wheelchair, I could move myself around, looking at the view from all angles. I also got a new key chain with a small model of the tower on it: I had one from the last time I went, with Charlotte, but one day it got caught in my wheelchair wheels and was lost. Now, the new one can serve to remind me of both yesterday’s trip and the trip with charlotte. I don’t know why, but there’s a pleasing unity to that.

Anyway, the time came to return to guarre du nord all too quickly, and, after a short wait at the station, we were on the train home. Of course, we didn’t do as much as my last visit there, which lasted five days, and I didn’t have any ‘cow in a pot’, but it was nevertheless a remarkable trip to my favourite place. Tthe students we took are remarkable kids, and they learned so much on this trip. I was very proud of them. Travelling is probably the thing I love the most, apart from Lyn; it was amazing to experience such a trip. I got home, late last night, with an enormous sense of satisfaction, wondering where my luck might take me next.