I was delighted to hear that the Mayor of Paris is considering replacing the busy roads that run along side the Seine with walkways. Walking by the river is one of my favourite things to do – and I’m not alone. Our Paris mp3 guides both lead people along by the river.

This is, after all, one of the most beautiful walks in the world and one of the most iconic city views. I loved writing our Paris Grand Monuments Mp3 tour which includes a wander along the Seine by the Assembly National and walking to the Isle Saint Louis in our Mp3 tour of Paris Romance and Revolution was great fun when I wrote that tour.

The motorways were built by President Georges Pompidou during the 1970s. Back then everyone loved cars and questions about congestion and CO emissions were never asked. “The French love their cars,” said Pompidou – and they still do. It’s just that cars ruin Paris. I can’t wait to be able to wander along by the beautiful Seine in peace and quiet.

Paris Mp3 tour

We’ve all that experience when taking a city break – so much to see and so little time.  There’s an amazing museum or art gallery on your agenda but somehow you’ve only got an hour to see it – how to handle it.  Writing city guides as I do, I’ve found myself in this situation regularly.  I once did Stockholm’s royal palace in about 35 minutes – I’m ashamed to say!

Today’s Times newspaper has advice on what to see in a rapid rush around a number of British museums.  Neil MacGregor, the excellent director of the British Museum, for instance, recommends starting in room 2 where you can find the oldest man-made objects in the collection, chopping tools from the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, in Room 2, some of the first things that humans ever consciously made.  He then recommends you head for Oceania and the Wellcome Trust Gallery (Room 24).  After that it’s over to Asia and the stunning figure of the Buddhist goddess Tara from 8th-century Sri Lanka. Tara represents the spirit of generous compassion, and the sculpture is an amazing example of figural bronze casting that takes us into a world where faith and bodily beauty merge.

After the mummy galleries,  MacGregor suggests you finish in Europe with a stroll through the Greek and Roman galleries, pausing to take in the Roman silver Warren Cup from the 1st century and the famous Portland Vase.

My only suggestion would be to check out the covered courtyard which is quite a spectacular piece of architecture.

At the Tate Modern which we cover in our tour of the ancient City of London, The Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral tour, The Times recommends you do Matisse’s L’Escargot, the surrealist collection the installation by Joseph Beuys before heading upstairs to the café for a cup of tea and view of St Paul’s.  I’d add to that, if you have time, spending a few moments looking at the new installation in the vast turbine hall.

At Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery actress Alison Steadman recommends When Did you Last See your Father, perhaps the gallery’s most famous work and a vast canvass called Samson.

With smaller museums which still have great collections such as The National Gallery of Scotland which we cover in our Edinburgh audio guide

Generally, my advice would be to pick a couple of rooms – especially ones with works from a particular time of a genre to give your visit some coherence and shape.  Sprinting through a museum or art gallery allows you to see that you’ve done it – but focussing is best.