Inspiration

I have been on adventures. Four weeks ago I left Rousay on a beautiful February afternoon, heading down to London, and few days later to the the US for a little north-west book tour.

W E E K   O N E

First stop was wonderful Seattle.

Managing the length of the blog after this long means that I am not posting every photograph I took in this lovely city where I was speaking alongside fellow architect Jeffrey Duncan to a group of architects and designers. It was a great crowd and so many good people to meet.

The next day I had an explore. Sunshine shone (sometimes!). Everyone warned me about the clouds rolling in, but it made me feel quite at home as a Londoner in grey February - I think the greyest February we've had at home in living memory (or at least since last year).

The Public Market - fantastic, and an obvious first stop.

Excellent junk shops.

And outside, a watery world that made me feel quite at home.

I was very happy to find the world's first ever Starbucks, born in 1971, like me.  Whatever we think about Starbucks that was quite fun to see.

I went all over town, exploring by bike, finding interesting areas and eating the best lunch at The Whale Wins, followed by an afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum - highlights below.

Maybe my favourite thing of all - A concretion of 17th century Chinese porcelain and coral from a shipwreck. Please check my suitcase if this goes missing....

The spectacular porcelain room.

Harbingers of Spring by Fantin-Latour.

Then a wander downtown. Discovering the beautiful and perfect Arundel Books.

Lots of fun, but the next day, early, I was off to L.A.  Some sights out of the plane window are beautiful....

But these farms felt strange...

And I'm afraid my heart always weeps when I see suburbia breaking out into hills and nature, in a completely unplanned way, like some sort of virus.  Can't we do better?

All the more heartbreaking, then, to come over L.A. and see the devastation of the fires.

I suppose it was strange to see these huge areas of devastation but then to realise how tiny they are in comparison to the never-ending scale of Los Angeles, a true megapolis.  I am sure this incredible city will always recover, but it was a sobering sight.

On a lighter note, I had a wonderful evening and day in Newport Beach. I think at some stage in our lives we all need our name up in lights, like this. Thank you for a wonderful visit, Decorative Arts Society!

Then to West Hollywood.

Magical L.A.

The following day was uncharacteristically grey and wet. I headed to the Getty.

So many delights, but I must admit that yet again, in this beautiful gallery, I am drawn to the details.

What an incredible collection.  Assembled, if I may say, at a time when being the world's richest man meant that you spent your money wisely.

I gave a talk that evening to the Institute of Classical Art & Architecture South Cali chapter.  A brilliant, fun evening. And then we went out to dinner. I am sure regular readers of the blog will enjoy the sight of chocolate sauce being poured on our ice cream.

Next, Ojai - wonderful fun Ojai, where we are working with my old client and friend on her house - the Pink Mountain Estate.   Coming soon....

Wonderful to see the restored playhouse now open again!

A site for sore English eyes in February.

W E E K   T W O

Contrasts of life - I was back home and two days later on site at our new town of Welborne, in Hampshire - 6000 homes, shops, offices, tens of thousands of trees.... where the first houses are being unveiled very soon. Here is a little look. So exhilarating to see this first phase coming together quite beautifully now, even on a grey old day.  More on all this soon, I think.

Spring suddenly felt as if it was arriving in London.  Charlie was down for his first trip away from Rousay.

We were heading to Zurich the next day.  A delicious lunch...

Followed by a re-visit to the perfect Landesmuseum, filled with treasures. I can't recommend this museum highly enough.

Early Swiss flags.

Look at this life-size christ figure, carved around 1055.  Such a beautiful face.

I loved this family at their supper table.

W E E K   T H R E E

And then to the mountains, and back to our favourite hotel Bellevue des Alpes.

A perfect place for a little holiday together, for a couple of days, before we were joined by a wider group of old and new friends.

Most days we'd ski for a bit and then go for long walks through the snow.

To lunch.

Train back up the mountain.

There are certain evenings at Kleine Scheidegg that live in the mind forever.

And then it was time to go, for another year.

That is lots of people's luggage, by the way, but isn't that the best tractor you've seen in years?

W E E K   F O U R

Charlie went straight home; a week in London, client meetings, and site visits for me. On Thursday I took the train up to Edinburgh and was floating over Orkney the next morning. Home at last.

Waiting for the Rousay Ferry to arrive at Tingwall.

Sibyl on the ferry. She'd had a quick trip to the vet (nothing too wrong).

And then back to Westness. Astonishing green.

The snowdrops have passed - and bluebells pushing up everywhere now.

Incredible works in the garden while I've been away.

Charlie's irises, which we brought up from Dorset, seem very happy in their new spot.

Currant bushes cleared for now.

Charlie has a chainsaw, clearing out old dead wood.  I don't think we are going to run out of wood for a long time now.

The woods are so green.

More clearances and bonfires waiting.

On our walk, the first primroses are appearing. Winter is over.

It was the most beautiful, shimmering day.

Almost tempting to jump in. But maybe not just yet...

Walking home along the shore, we came across dozens of seals sunning themselves on the rocks.

Home.

There was extraordinary light and mist in the afternoon - like being in a painting.

The house glowed.

At sunset a thick fog rolled across the Sound of Eynhallow, we could only see the tips of the wind turbines over on mainland, just the hint of water down by the shore. It was curiously like flying above the clouds.

A totally flat calm morning, today.

Amazing, glass-like sea.

Spring is springing. Rousay was bursting with new life.  Everyone told us how terrible it would be in the winter. We moved in October and now it's March, and honestly, it's been the most beautiful six months that we could have imagined.  This week, a little thing clunked over in our lives; the sunsets up north are now later than down south.  I think it's going to be a wonderful summer.

 

I have never seen such mirror flat seas as when I said goodbye to Charlie and the girls and headed across to Mainland this afternoon.

Then down to London tonight.  A very easy journey. When it works, it really just works.

 

Finally. It's Lent. Did you notice, in all the din of the world?

Guess what I've given up?

I'm completely stopped looking at, listening to, or reading any news (with the notable exception of The Orcadian newspaper, which is filled with stories I actually want to read).  From last Wednesday, I haven't once looked at a newspaper or listened to the radio news.  I've got absolutely NO idea what's happening, anywhere in the world. This has required an enormous amount of self-restraint for a person genuinely interested in the spectrum of politics and current affairs. Every morning I normally read at least 2 or 3 newspaper websites. I start listening to the news (Radio 4's excellent 'new briefing') around when I wake up at 5.30am, and I'm listening to the 10pm news every night when I'm on my way to sleep.

Now, nothing.  Just silence, or podcasts, or very old back-numbers of 'In Our Time', on Radio 4, which I love and strongly recommend to insomniacs, as it's guaranteed to send you to sleep within 5 minutes in the night.

It's incredible. I have never felt so calm in my life - and I have a lot more time as well.  I recommend it.

With love, from Ben