Warwick Castle, Warwick

Not far from Warwick Technology Park (home of UK's electricty and gas transporter, National Grid) lies the stunning Warwick Castle. The town of Warwick itself, lies in the centre of England and is part of the "Ye Olde England" tourist trail - the town of Statford-Upon-Avon (birth place of William Shakespeare) is only a few miles away.

If you find yourself in Warwick then a stroll near the centre of town will be rewarded with a truely cliched photo opportunity on the bridge that crosses the River Avon. Warwick Castle was started by William the Conqueror in 1068. It has continually been added to, fortified, prettified - generally reflecting the history of England itself. It might be somewhat telling of the state of England in that it has become an historic theme park owned by the Tussaud Group (as in "Madame Tussaud's" in London) - the castle displays some historic scenes with "relevant" waxworks throughout its buildings.

Very pretty and worth a photo if you are visiting the area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_Castle

http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/

Paris, The Eiffel Tower

If in Paris on business you may not have the time to climb this symbol of city, but do take the time to see it. You simply know your partner or collegues back home won't believe you if you said - nope didn't see it.

It is situated in the Champs de Mars park in central Paris, where it stands over a 1,000 ft tall (324m). It is one of those world icons that doesn't disappoint.

When I first saw it the one thing that struck me as odd was its colour. For some reason I imagined it was black, or dark grey - but in fact, it is painted a light brown. I was still awed by its shear engineering bravado, but things are not always quite how you imagine them. I took this photo on a very wet day when hurrying to a working dinner at the French Parliament (the weather in Paris is usually a lot nicer)

On a personal note, I proposed to my wife near the bottom of the tower so I suppose I always view it with a certain dewy eyed sentimentality. Do take a look if you have the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower