Once I was on a plane, at a window seat in one of those planes with two rows of three seats. The middle seat was empty, but there was a men in the aisle.

He turned to me and asked if it was okay if he moved to the middle seat, showing me his camera. I understood it was his first time on a plane and he wanted to take pictures out of the window.

So I said he could take my place instead, and he happily obliged.

Seeing the world from up high always gives you a different perspective. It also sometimes adds one of those ‘wow’ moments to a trip: being face-to-face with the Julian Alps before landing in Ljubljana, or the amazing sunrise on the plane back from Iceland… you don’t often get to see things like that.

So after noticing it in bookshops a few times, I finally bought a copy of The Cloudspotter’s Guide, by Gavin Prettor-Pinney.

This is a lovely book about, well, clouds. Despite the name though, it is less of a guide and more about looking at and appreciating clouds (the author is the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society).

And it is the perfect companion for a plane journey, as you can look outside and understand a bit more about all the different cloud shapes and textures.

Just don’t forget to book a window seat!