Until yesterday I think I still preferred Paris over London. As much as I love London, I thought the french capital had a special magic to it the british one lacked: something in the city’s layout, it’s sleek, snazzy boulevards which gave it a nose ahead. But yesterday we went to Camden, and I was so instantly taken by it that it made me swap preferences. While Camden is not that sleek, it has an idiosyncratic snazziness of its own. We were there to see a concert by the Waterboys in the Roundhouse, an amazing place in itself, but before the show we had a chance to explore the local area. It is such a cool place: the labyrinthine market there made me drop my jaw, and want to look around for hours; I fell in love with it and indeed london.

The concert itself was just as awesome. Truth be told I didn’t know much about the Waterboys, but lyn is a big fan. They played one or two tracks I knew, but most of it was new to me. Nevertheless we had a great time, and I think they have a new fan this morning.

London, then, is a great, great city. I love how varied it is. The beauty of paris, of course, comes from the fact that it was re-laid out after world war two, giving it a symmetry and elegance. London, though, is more organic, more natural; it has quirky little areas like Camden. I love how varied it, and how it can surprise you like Camden surprised me last night. It does indeed have a magic to it. Aye, after such a great evening and all the ones before it, I now genuinely think London is the greatest city on earth.