Joey Millar

Sometimes you need to climb 614 feet above a city before you can truly appreciate it.

Cairo let's you know it's there. It gets in your face, it shouts and cheers, it blasts you with 40 degree heat and a million smells. Visiting the Egyptian capital is never a passive experience but this sensory pandemonium is exactly what makes the city so great.

It is impossible to visit Malaga and not be acutely aware you are exploring Pablo Picasso’s home town.

Istanbul is a city of contradictions. Straddling Europe and Asia, balancing chaotic crowds with riverside charm, the Turkish metropolis is impossible to pin down.

Soaring over Barcelona in a tiny four-person helicopter, it was easy to see why the Catalan capital has become Europe’s latest travel success story.

It is always faintly terrifying bringing friends to visit your home town. Will they appreciate the sights? Will they 'get' the gritty, real bits? Will they, God forbid, look down on it? When you come from Dublin, however, you can let yourself relax.

“People in town don’t understand”, says Mr Tee. He holds his arms out wide, looks around at his workplace, and laughs. “They think I’m crazy!”

As far as things associated with Paris go, sewerage is pretty far down on the list. Romance, food, art? Sure, they all tick the boxes on what to expect in the City of Love. But untreated waste? Gritty pumping stations? Dog-sized rats? No, not so much.