My mum usually tries to find time each year to visit me wherever I may be. This year, I had to be in Taiwan for a wedding of one of my best friends. My auntie (her sister) asked if she could come along too. Here I was, exploring and hiking the mountains with two enthusiastic ladies who were eventually classified as officially inexhaustible. Initially with the guidance of a hospitable friend of my sister, we would explore the mountainous area around Nantou County in the middle of the island. But before we left for the mountains, we had a day to explore the capital.

The Taipei 101 tower has 101 floors and was – until the Burj Khalifa in Dubai came along – in 2010 the tallest building in the world.