I don’t “get” many of the current entries to this weeks PhotoFriday challenge, “Downward,” so I thought I’d go for a very simple, very obvious interpretation of the theme. This is a view from the Eiffel Tower, looking downwards at the road below.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Portraiture.” I’m entry number 147.

It’s been a while since I got back from Paris but things have been so hectic since then that I’ve not found the time to document my trip.

The last time I was in Paris as a tourist I did most of the obvious stuff which meant that this time I was able to just hang out and wander around without any particular aim. That I also had great weather and some luck factored in to make a great weekend.

I started by walking by the Seine, near Îlle de la Cité, not far from where I waited for my train when I was in Paris a few weeks ago with work. While there I passed these roller-blading Policemen. Not something you see every day back at home.

My major concession to visiting the “obvious” sights was climbing the Eiffel Tower. Last time, expecting long queues, I looked around the base of the tower and went up the Arc de Triomphe instead.

Despite booking online beforehand there was still a fairly substantial queue. Still, it was a much shorter wait than for those who had not planned ahead.

Of course it’s a popular location. Even booking ahead I didn’t get my pick of time slots and ended up a little earlier than I might have chosen otherwise. No matter, the view from the top was very much worth getting even if the light wasn’t perfect.

Of course one disadvantage of the view from the tower is that the Eiffel Tower isn’t in it. I was quite pleased with myself for getting a good number of shots with the shadow across the Parc du Champs de Mars until I realised that pretty much everyone with a camera had exactly the same idea.

On the Sunday I found that the Champs-Elysees had been turned into a huge farm. On the Avenue de la Grande-Armée — on the other side of the Arc de Triomphe to the Champs-Elysees — everything looked normal. The usual Parisian chaos as traffic approached the Place Charles de Gaulle.

On the other, trees and plants, fruit and vegetables and people. Lots of people. I guess it shows the influence of the French farmers as I don’t think they’d ever manage to persuade the Mayor to give over Oxford Street for a few plants. It seems that there’s a fight just to hand over the place to pedestrians for a few weeks as Christmas approaches.

Overall it was a good weekend. Lots of walking. Lots to see and eat and do. It’s not often I get to be able to extend a work-trip to cover a weekend but it’s worth it when I do.

I know I say this every week, but I had difficulty picking my image for this weeks PhotoFriday theme, “The Coast.” And that’s because my first reaction was, well, any picture with the sea or ocean in it. Then I realised that “The Coast” is a little more specific than that; it may be where the water meets land but, to my mind at least, it doesn’t conjure images of a beach. Hence this picture take towards the end of my week in Corsica, in Porto.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Sexy.” I’m number 159.

The first few years of my November Plan were all business trips, but the truth is that I rarely get to see much more than the airport, an office and a hotel room when I go away. Oh, and maybe a restaurant if I get the chance.

That made last weeks trip to Paris and Frankfurt the exception. Meetings finished early in France and I couldn’t change my train reservation so I took the Metro a few stops south a hung around Notre Dame for a couple of hours.

I had a big rucksack with me so I couldn’t go too far and I only had my iPhone rather than my 50D so my photographic options were limited.

Still, I felt lucky to have a couple of hours to myself.

I took the train from Paris to Frankfurt. I had been planning on walking from the Hauptbahnhof but I was tired and I immediately took the wrong turning on exiting. I quickly reevaluated the situation and took a taxi to the hotel. It was dark when I arrived and I quickly fell asleep.

The next morning I walked to the office, through a couple of parks. It was a hard day and I spent most of it on my feet, but luckily I still managed to leave on time.

It was still light when I got back to the hotel so took a few shots of the rush-hour traffic. Afterwards I took a wander down one of the main pedestrian streets. True to form I found the Apple Store.

I also found some interesting patterns in the hotel. This is a picture of the steps, from reception looking up. When I was last in Frankfurt I took a similar picture but from the top looking down. The desk in the middle at the bottom bugged me; I prefer this, cleaner image.

I hope I manage to get a little sight-seeing in next time I go away with work, too. I may even bring my DSLR.

I was in a bit of a bind about this weeks PhotoFriday theme, “In Shadow.” I have lots of pictures of shadows but few that seemed to fit the brief. That’s to say, I’m not sure that this is the best picture but I do think it fits the theme better than most. Still, I do like the angle. It’s probably impossible to get an original take on the Eiffel Tower but this is the closest I got.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “My Favourite Spot.” I’m entry number 228.

The first thing I thought of when I read this weeks PhotoFriday theme, “Wildlife,” was the African Savannah. The lions, gazelles, giraffes, all the famous big mammals. Unfortunately I’ve never been. So I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with this picture of a goat I took in Corsica. The thing I like about it is the sad look in his eyes; he may not be wild but he wants to be.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Casual.” I’m entry number 162.

We pass graffiti every day without a second thought. A lot is just territorial or gossip, but some is quite artistic. Just because it’s ordinary and every day doesn’t mean it’s not worth photographing! This was taken in Lille, France.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Exercise.” I’m entry number 130.

Like many people, I take the vast majority of my pictures outside. Yet, how do you get across the greatness of outdoors? I wanted the picture to show the scale and grandeur, the exhilaration of being in the middle of nowhere. It was a tall order so instead I picked this image which was taken on the walk from Sermano to Corte in Corsica.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Movement.” I’m entry 211.

I think a cow in a skirt could well be considered to be surreal and therefore makes a suitable candidate for this weeks PhotoFriday challenge. This image was taken in Paris.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Fuzzy.” I’m entry 179.

This weeks PhotoFriday theme is “Art” and it looks as though most entries so far have been going for images “traditional” art or arty photographs. I thought I’d go a slightly different route, with a picture of some graffiti in Lille, France. I like the contrast between the usual, boring “I was here” graffiti and the figure in the bottom right.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Infinity.” I’m entry number 133.