The Travel Edit

At the moment, the weather has been pretty uninspiring. We've had a dreary week or so - that awkward in between stage where it's not quite crisp and frosty, not particularly sunny and all in all, a bit on the damp side. I for one have been wishing I could do a Made in Chelsea, hop on a (private) plane and jet off to some new surroundings. If you're lucky enough to have a December break planned, I thought I'd share a practical recommendation for a useful set of guides, but if not, I've come across another book to give you an opportunity to escape without losing your job (if like me you have zero holiday days left) and/or forking out too much dolla'.

The practical: Lonely Planet Pocket Paris & Lonely Planet Discover Barcelona - I'm sure everyone knows this already, but when it comes to travel guides, the Lonely Planet cannot be beaten. Here I've got a pocket guide and full-sized option - the pocket guide is great for carrying around with you, it covers all the top sights, offers day plans and is crammed full of insider tips. The fatter option is essentially the same but just in more detail, perfect if you've got time to do some in depth research before you go. They both have plenty of maps and local information as well as picking out highlights and 'best ofs', but are set out in a slightly different way and on a different scale. What's brilliant about these books is that you can be sure any of their recommendations will live up to expectations, which is especially useful when it comes to food (my favourite bit...).

The slightly less practical: Paris by Julian Green - I picked this up on a whim last month partly because I'm building up a good collection of the Penguin modern classics and partly because I was feeling nostalgic for my trip to Paris (and the macaroons). The bit that really sold me was its description as a 'meditation on getting lost and wasting time' because a) my sense of direction is shocking and b) I'm pretty good at procrastinating and would be even better at it in Paris. I thought it would be nice way to re-live some aspects of my visit and more than anything, interesting to see how some of the sights I saw were described by someone who really knew the city and walked its streets decades ago. I also really liked that you have the original text as well as the English translation written on opposite pages, just in case, yano, I ever decide to dust off my GCSE and somehow become miraculously fluent in French. It's written in a very lyrical way, with shed loads of imagery, poetic flair and all that jazz - the perfect way to place yourself on the streets of Paris without having to fork out for a plane ticket.