Inspiration

P A R T   1 :   V E N I C E

Is there any better way to start a summer holiday than with a photograph like this - Charlie, Luke and Duncan en route to a black and white tie party in Venice? 

The occasion - our friends Skye and Anthony's joint 40th birthday celebrations in Venice. A wonderful weekend!  Have you seen a more beautiful room.
We were astonishingly hot, not helped by the heat of so many happy people entirely lit by candles.  It felt truly like being in the 18th century.
A wonderful evening but I must admit to heading home a little early through the magical deserted streets of Venice.  I had a bit of a summer cold and I could feel my voice about to vanish!
The next day was fair and breezy. Jean Cocteau at the Peggy Guggenheim, followed by lunch at Harry's Dolci.
Afterwards, one of my favourite churches in Venice - Sant' Eufemia, with its beautiful Doric arcade and dreamy interior.

All along the Giudecca, Chinese lanterns strung up for La Festa del Redentore, that night.
We stopped at this most beautiful church, of course...
Before making our way back to the main island on the temporary bridge that crosses the Guidecca canal for one weekend only.
Back to Skye's for a second evening of festivities...
Another magical evening, this time entirely in the colours of the rainbow. Dinner was in the garden that night - a little cooler...
And then, we were off in a fleet of taxis to watch the great fireworks...
Such a dreamy night out on the water by the light of moon and stars and a thousand magical fireworks.
Home that night passing one of my favourite buildings in the whole of Venice, in austere Doric neoclassical style.
A magnificent lunch the next day...
More church popping in, this time, S. Maria del Rosario...
Long term readers of the blog will know Bridie and my fascination of monobloc chairs.  Everywhere.
Drinks at the Gritti to watch the sunset,
Let it not be said that Duncan had maybe had too many martinis?
Dinner by the Ca d'Oro, heaven.
Home as the Acqua Alta crept over the edges of canals.

P A R T   2 :   B R I G H T O N

Back to London the next day, a catch up with work on Tuesday; and then on Wednesday, we were on our office trip to the seaside! Brighton. A day out at the Royal Pavilion and in Brunswick Town.

The Royal Pavilion is mad and remarkable, so beautiful, so crazy, surely they were completely on drugs?
Maybe everyone's favourite room is really the kitchen?
I loved some of the crazy upper rooms too:
A fascinating display showing the Pavilion in use as a hospital for injured Indian troops during the Great War. A beautiful and evocative photograph...
A servant's stair off Queen Victoria's bedroom - precipitous and wonderful.

Crazy Indian-Nash exteriors, completely dreamlike and wonderful.

A sea fret was blowing in but there was still strong July heat in the sun.

Nothing better than to see this view largely unchanged....

Since John Piper drew it in his famous 'Brighton Aquatints' of late 1939....

We were making our way after a lovely lunch on the beach to Brunswick Town....

First stop, the Regency Town House - where we are being shown around by the brilliant curator, Nick Tyson, here explaining to the team the history of the building and this fascinating Regency town plan...

A brilliant visit, and walking tour of the streets surrounding.  On our way back to the station, down a tiny side alley, I glimpsed this crazy building... a tiny, mini Royal Pavilion....

The little round plaque on the wall reads: AMON H. WILDS, REGENCY ARCHITECT, DESIGNED AND LIVED HERE, 1831 - Amon was the architect of Kemp Town, at the other end of Brighton from Brunswick Town. What a mad history this place had.

Opposite, a Gothick confection,

And the Ammonite order....

P A R T   3 :   H O M E   A T   L A S T

It was an exhausted bunch of us that made our way back to London that evening!  So many riches to see.

On Friday, I got to Dorset in the afternoon.  It was a magical, soft, high summer evening, and Charlie, the dogs and I made the usual rounds...

The following morning, fair and still. Summer is here.

There is the tiniest little hint of autumn approaching - cobwebs in the long grass.

A bunch of flowers for high summer.

And just in time for August, some sunshine is here at last.  Happy Summer.