Inspiration

You may remember I left Rousay on a misty, mirror-calm day....

A few days later Charlie and I were looking out over the same Atlantic ocean, in the soft warm evening air of Palm Beach.

P A L M   B E A C H

That evening at the Colony Hotel, velvet sky and no place better at that moment.

We had a beautiful couple of days in Palm Beach - glorious sunshine, old friends and new ones, and I was speaking the next evening about the book to the wonderful Palm Beach Preservation Society who do so much to stop bad things happening here.

And then we were to Charleston.  One of my favourite cities in America - so astonishingly beautiful and well-preserved.  Again, I was here to speak - this time with Historic Charleston, for the Design Week - where the architect Peter Pennoyer and I were talking about the ways in which a living sense of architectural tradition informs our projects. Could you think of a finer city to have that conversation in?

C H A R L E S T O N

The beautiful Aiken-Rhett House, where the opening party kicked off design week.  The building glowed in the astonishing warm evening sunshine.

It's without a doubt one of my favourite buildings in Charleston, with the exterior perfectly looked after but the interior in shabby decay - heaven to see again.

The next day Charlie and I went for a huge walk around town.  Of course I understand the challenges and complexities of so much beauty created on the backs of a trade that we find so abhorrent - but in terms of sheer design, and preservation, it's hard to think of a more beautiful city in America.

We called in to brilliant Wentworth, a new little shop in a nicely off-the-beaten-track corner of town.

Did you spot the cat, paws in the sun, head in the shade?

Real decay is quite rare these days in Charleston, but it's there if you look.

Probably my favourite corner of the whole city?

Lunch at Leon's, the best.

The next day we went to visit our friend Aldous Bertram, who's perfected the art of one-room living in a first floor ballroom of an old Georgian house.  It's the most beautiful room, filled with treasures.

And then to Little Jack's Tavern - sister of Leon's - for lunch.  Another perfect place.

It was with sadness that we drew ourselves away - this time, heading to Washington D.C. Wherever we fly in the US, you can't help but feel that creeping sense of sprawl, everywhere you look. Please, can we do something about this?

W A S H I N G T O N

Washington was basking.  We went to Georgetown, Guinness and burgers at Martin's Tavern for St. Patrick's Day; then a huge walk. Glorious sunshine and blue skies, and blossom and magnolia trees breaking everywhere.

What a beautiful, simple row of houses this one was.

Up to the Lincoln Memorial. My news blackout, for the whole of lent, which I wrote about last time, continues.  I highly recommend it.  It's an incredible way to clear the brain.  But it's still good to read those powerful words from a different time.

Of course, my eye was also drawn to this wonderful collection of mops and brushes, stored in the corner.

Then across to John Russell Pope's incredible Jefferson Memorial, which we'd never visited before.

Another truly incredible building - so inspiring.

Charlie left the next morning. I had a client meeting, with a lovely person who's house we're working on in London, which was a nice co-incidence that we could all be together at the same time, and then that afternoon I visited a wonderful historic house museum, Tudor Place - an early 19th century villa which had been built by Martha Washington's grand-daughter and stayed in the same family ever since. It was turned in to a museum in the mid 1980s.  It was a perfect visit.

So many treasures - and such a careful, thoughtful presentation of the many social strands that wove through these walls, and the families that called this place home - owners, and enslaved.

Many contents from the Mount Vernon sale, when George & Martha Washington's possessions were auctioned, are displayed here.

Beautiful colours, and layers of history.

A great desk and two great phones in the study.

The restored kitchen, imagined as installed during renovations in 1914.

It was a brilliant visit. I tore myself away and prepared for the evening lecture I was giving, which all went very well, many happy faces and new friends.

B O S T O N

The next morning I was off to Boston. Beautiful sunshine leaving Washington and arriving in Boston - I checked in and went for a huge walk all over the city. Heaven to be back here after something like 25 years - the last time, with Mum and Dad, in what felt like a million years ago.

Fantastic Quincy Market - such a fine building.

I love all the old trading stall signs now preserved on the walls of the dome.

Quick lobster roll for lunch, and then the walk continued.

I popped into the ancient Paul Revere house museum, a remarkable survival.  No pictures inside (but well worth the visit).

The Old State House - the centre of the Georgian colony, and of the early fight for independence.

Brilliant displays.

Maybe some things don't change?

I loved the displays - old school, but well done.

And then to the Old South Meeting House, equally the scene of the early days of the Revolution.

More excellent displays.

Amazingly I was the only person there.  Strange!   I left to find a Boston fog rolling in off the harbour.

The sun was still shining in Beacon Hill.  I spent a good couple of hours exploring this magical area.

That evening I was lucky enough to be speaking at the Athenaeum, which is such a beautiful building, filled with treasures.

A great crowd, a lovely small dinner afterwards, and the next morning I was heading to Chicago. I was back for the University of Notre Dame Driehaus ceremony - time for a new Laureate. Such a fantastic city and so wonderful to see many friends.

C H I C A G O

Dinner on the first night at Gibson's.

The next day I had a morning of calls and catching up with the office and clients, just keeping things on the road a bit.  The sunshine was warm and brilliant. Spring was in the air.  I had an hour before lunch for a wonderful walk.

The river had a lingering green left over from St. Patrick's day celebrations the week before.

Maybe some of my favourite buildings in Chicago, I don't know why I love them so much?  The Marina Towers, like two lovely corn cobs.

The wonderful Carbide & Carbon deco tower.

Stones from around the world set in to the wall of the Chicago Tribune building.

More words of wisdom carved from another large.

Dinner that evening at the University Club, and I walked home on a warm night with a velvet black sky.

I'm two thirds of the way through the trip now, having just arrived in Nashville this evening; here for a few days, then Memphis, then home.  Rousay seems far away. Charlie is back home with the dogs and spring in the garden.

Not long to go now., but still some fun days ahead.  I think it may be true that I've had enough hotel breakfasts to last a lifetime! And it's best not to think how many different rooms I've now been in. Best not to think about it too much at all, otherwise I might go mad!!  But what a wonderful time, so many fantastic friends, and dare I say it (?) so many books signed, and so many sights so far.