The Olympic torch comes to my borough: a tour around Wood Lane, South Africa Way and Uxbridge Road in Shepherds Bush, West London on day 69 of its tour of the UK. The Olympic flame finally reaches Olympic Park in East London tomorrow.

Not easy to confirm the names of the torch bearers, crowd hearsay had it that these are a rugby player, a boxer and a lady who does good works in the area.

Some evening pictures from Marseille, on a day when the Mediterranean coast had fine weather but there were storms further in the centre of France.

The massive church of Notre Dame de la Gard looking over the Vieux Port of Marseille (Old Port). A triangle of roofs of modern apartment blocks and refurbished blocks to a design by Haussmann, with the recently completed CMA CGM Tower (33 storeys, architect Zaha Hadid), which claims itself as “an architectural landmark of urban renewal”.

Even more urban renewal is evident in a very concrete way by the numerous tower cranes on the Marseille skyline just now. 

Home again to the clear skies of Marseille with dramatic sunrises and moon rises. An enjoyable bike ride out to Cap Canaille above Cassis on my birthday, followed by a salad and rosé lunch and an evening at home with friends.

My walk to work today in Hammersmith, West London this Monday morning; a very bright clear morning following an exceptionally wet weekend. The trees, bulbs and flowers all showing their spring best.