(And why you’ll suddenly start looking up… everywhere)

You’re wandering through Paris, admiring balconies, dodging scooters, perhaps mid-croissant (or, like me, checking the name of the street (rue) you’ve just crossed as a breadcrumb back to base should your phone battery expire)

…and then you spot one.

A tiny, pixelated alien.
Perched high on a wall. Watching.

Welcome to the wonderfully quirky world of Paris’s Space Invaders mosaics – one of the city’s most playful (and slightly addictive) street art treasures.

So… What Are These Little Creatures?

They’re small mosaic artworks made from ceramic tiles, designed to look like characters from old-school 8-bit video games – especially the classic Space Invaders arcade game. 

Think:

• Pixel aliens 
• Retro ghosts 
• Occasionally, even Mona Lisa or baguette-inspired designs (very Paris) 

Each one is handmade and permanently fixed onto buildings – like a tiny piece of digital nostalgia brought into the real world.

Who Created Them?

The mastermind is a French street artist known as Invader (real name: Franck Slama, though he remains famously anonymous). He started placing these mosaics in Paris in the mid-to-late 1990s, inspired by the video games he grew up with. 

His idea?

To “liberate art” from galleries
To bring digital pixels into physical space
And to “invade” cities with playful, unexpected works 

Yes… he literally calls each city installation an “invasion.”

Why Are They There?

Because Paris needed a little mischief. But also, more meaningfully:

• Art for everyone – no tickets, no queues 
• A blend of digital + physical worlds 
• A global art game you can participate in 

In fact, Invader even created a scoring system and an app where people can “hunt” and log each mosaic they find – turning the whole city into a kind of real-life treasure hunt. 

(You know I love a little purposeful wandering… this is next-level.)

Where Do You Find Them in Paris?

Everywhere… once you start looking! Typical hiding spots:

• High up on building corners 
• Near street signs 
• Above doorways 
• Tucked into unexpected facades 

They’re often deliberately placed just out of easy reach – both for visibility and to avoid the tiles being souvenired. Hotspots include:

• Le Marais 
• The Latin Quarter 
• Montmartre 
• Around the Seine 

There are over 1,000+ mosaics in Paris alone – so yes, you’ll spot quite a few once your eye is in. 

And Here’s the Fun Part…

Once you see one… you can’t stop.

You’ll find yourself:

• Looking up at every corner 
• Scanning every wall 
• Quietly competing with yourself 

It becomes less about sightseeing…and more about spotting.

Are They Only in Paris?

Not even close. This is a global “invasion.” Invader has placed mosaics in:

• London 
• New York 
• Tokyo 
• Hong Kong 
• Los Angeles 
• Melbourne 
• And dozens more cities worldwide 

In fact:

• There are thousands of mosaics across 70–80+ cities globally 
• One has even made it to the International Space Station (because… of course it has) 

Paris, however, remains his most heavily “invaded” city – lucky us.

Final Thought (And a Little Challenge) 

Paris already invites you to slow down.

The Space Invaders give you a reason to:

• Look up 
• Notice more 
• And turn wandering into a game 

So next time you’re strolling along the Seine or getting lost in Montmartre…keep your eyes peeled.

Because somewhere above you, a tiny pixelated alien is waiting to be found.

Let us know if you’ve sighted these little critters – Paris, London, Melbourne, Tokyo or elsewhere- by dropping a line in the comments section!

London is magnificent. Historic. Grand. Cinematic. Having spent four weeks wandering this fine city with the Silver Fox, I have come to learn this. So too my feet, Google Maps overload and the bank balance.  

Yes, it’s…
• Expensive
• Enormous and…
• Occasionally damp
• And wildly committed to making you walk far more than you think is reasonable

So here it is – my personal, lovingly road-tested guide to surviving (and thriving) in this glorious city.

1. The Shoe Situation Is Not a Suggestion

You will walk.
You will walk more.
You will look at your step counter and briefly question your life choices.

Pack shoes you have already worn in.
This is not the city for “they’ll soften eventually” optimism.

Blisters are not cultural immersion.

If you’re tubing to a glam gig, do what the savvy London woman does – carry those heels in little drawstring calico bags in your tote for a quick swap and bag check before deftly accepting that first glass of champers!

2. The Tube Is Your Friend (But She’s a Bit Moody)

The Underground is brilliant. Fast. Efficient. Iconic.

But:
• Stand on the right of the escalator (or risk public shaming by eye contact).
• Avoid peak hour unless you enjoy full-contact commuting.
• Download Citymapper. It will save your sanity.
• “Mind the gap” is both practical advice and philosophical wisdom.

She’s also a bit frenetic when trying to find your particular line, the direction you need to head on the loop and the best stop to jump off. That map just inside the door will keep your sanity in check. AND…the tube is sooo much cheaper than a cab! (I can already hear my travel buddy Jenny muttering, ‘yeah nah,’ I’ll wear the expense! )

Bonus tip: Sometimes walking one stop above ground is faster and far prettier.

3. Book the Big Stuff Early

London does not reward spontaneity when it comes to:
• West End shows
• Afternoon tea
• The London Eye
• Popular exhibitions

If it’s iconic, assume it books out.
Future You will thank Organised You.

4. Afternoon Tea Is a Strategy, Not Just a Treat

This is not simply cake.

This is:
• A rest stop
• A morale booster
• A blood sugar stabiliser
• A cultural institution

If you’re doing 20,000 steps, schedule tea like it’s mission-critical.

5. Weather: Dress in Layers, Always

London can:
• Drizzle
• Shine

• Gust
• And pivot emotionally within 40 minutes

Layers are your armour.
A light waterproof is your best friend.
Sunglasses and umbrella in the same day? Entirely plausible.

6. Museums Are Free (Pace Yourself)

The British Museum.
The V&A.
The Natural History Museum

They are enormous.

Choose your highlights. You do not need to absorb 4,000 years of civilisation before lunch.

I made it my mission to view Britain’s big family photo album – The National Portrait Gallery -in one swoop, a heroic effort simply demanding that high tea reward!

National Portrait Gallery – London

7. Don’t Try to “Do” London – Let It Happen

Yes, see:
• Buckingham Palace
• Big Ben
• The Tower

But also:
• Wander a quiet mews
• Duck into a pub
• Sit in a park
• Watch the world go by

London reveals herself slowly. She rewards curiosity over checklists.

8. Markets = Lunch Solved

Borough Market.
Portobello Road.
Camden.
Spitalfields.

If you’re stuck for lunch, find a market.
Street food in London is elite-level.

Spitafields Market – London

9. Plan Big Days + Soft Days

Alternate:
• Landmark-heavy days
with
• Neighbourhood wandering days

Your energy (and your feet) will last much longer.

10. End at the River Whenever Possible

There is something about the Thames at sunset.

Walk the South Bank.
Take a riverboat.
Sit outside a pub and watch the light shift over the water.

It’s one of London’s quietest magic tricks.

After a visit to Ted Lasso territory (Richmond) our darling host held up the ferry while we raced to the dock with heartfelt apologies to the patient punters aboard, settled in with G&T in hand to enjoy a lazy Friday sunset cruise back to the city…ahhhh!

Peggy Jeans – Richmond – London

Final Word from the Field

London is not a city you conquer.
It’s one you experience.

It will exhaust you.
Delight you.
Surprise you.
And almost certainly make you want to come back.

And when your step count reads 23,487, and the Silver Fox says, “Perhaps tomorrow we rest?” That’s when you know you’ve done it properly.

What are your favourite tips for big city vacays? Drop them in the comments!

Scroll away for more tips, a super blog and a few snaps and chats from our time in London…

Hello, lovely readers!

The big G (he’s the tall one), travel buddy Ian (he’s the short one) and me

And just like that, our grand romp across the UK comes to a close – a tapestry of misty mornings, midnight ceremonies, pastel streets, castles perched on volcanoes, and more belly laughs than we ever expected.

From Westminster’s sunlit grandeur to Windsor’s royal sparkle…

From punting mishaps on the Cam to ghost tales in York…

From scarlet-coated storytellers to Ted Lasso pep talks in Richmond…

From Viking digs to volcanic heights…

From art that stirred the soul to history that tugged the heart…

Every chapter gave us something: a moment, a memory, a quote, a giggle, a pint, a surprise, a story to retell later with dramatic embellishment (as is our right).

And woven through it all was the simple truth we keep circling back to – that this is what we choose to do with our one wild and precious life. To explore. To wonder. To laugh. To feel history beneath our feet and possibility in our pockets. To spend time with people we adore, in places that ignite something inside us.

So here’s to the UK – for its charm, its chaos, its courage, its characters…and for reminding us that adventure doesn’t need to be perfect to be extraordinary. As mentioned right at the start…what do you wish to do with this ‘one wild and precious life?’ Exactly this!

Until the next journey, lovely readers.

Bags at the ready. Hearts wide open.

More stories await.

Dive into our chapters with a lazy scroll through…

• London’s Blinged-up Beating Heart – Westminster – where the Houses of Parliament compete with Big Ben’s brand new bling
• Cannons, Captains & Clever Engineering – Portsmouth – three warships that rewrote history in wood, sail and steel
• Scarlet Coats & Sparkling Stories – meeting the Chelsea Pensioners over a well-earned G&T
• Lions, Lamp Posts and London Legends – Trafalgar Square – where Nelson keeps watch, lions have cat paws and lamp posts moonlight as police stations.
• Brains, Bridges & a Bed to Die For – Cambridge – from King’s College Chapel to a punt gone wrong
• When Monuments Speak – what London’s memorials whisper if you pause long enough to listen
• Britain’s Family Album – The Portrait Gallery – from Shakespeare to Bowie
• Dreams, Breaths & Blue Light – Somerset House’s luminous lady invites us to pause and imagine.
• Keys, Lanterns & Late Night Rituals – The Tower of London’s nightly Ceremony of the Keys.
• Pints, Punts and Plenty of Ghosts – York – a weekend in the UK’s most haunted (and most pub-filled) city.
• Pints, Pubs and Pub Runs – From Ted Lasso’s ‘Believe’ to a mad dash along the Thames
• A city of Stories, a Castle of Secrets – Edinburgh – witches, wars, and a sneaky spy hole in Britain’s most besieged fortress.
• Crowns, Clocks and Cozy Cafes – Windsor – from bling and butter pats to one poor chap lighting 300 fires – Windsor Castle at its royal best.
• Pastel Homes and Aussie Hospitality – Notting Hill – where the pubs are bright, the Aussie service fantastic and every street’s ready for a close-up.

And a barrel of thanks…

And! A barrel of thanks and gratitude to our fabulous hosts, Adrian and Christine. There to greet us as we popped out from the tube at Westminster, there for that very last pint at Notting Hill, you were our guides, chauffeurs, planners, and partners in mischief.

You gave us the best of London – from surprise French cannon bollards (the last ones standing!) to VIP Tower of London key handovers, from drinks on Thames-anchored ships to Richmond river cruises, a peek inside the Australian Embassy, and even the secret tip for Horizon 22 – the city’s best complimentary view.

Add in perfect pub roasts, route-planning apps and endless laughter over a Charcuterie board at the end of a long day, and you made our trip extraordinary.

Thank you, dream team! Our door is always open when you next land in Oz.

So lovely, readers… grab your bevvy of choice, kick back, indulge in a spot of escapism, and feel free to share your own fun stories and recommendations in the comments!