Disco Strawberry

Summer is racing full speed ahead with long days but short weeks. It’s nicely hot and Paris has emptied out, leaving just us and a few gaggles of confused tourists wondering why everything is closed. I know capitalism needs us looking ahead towards the next season but the mere hint of back to school or worse, autumn, makes me feel slightly green around the gills and I want to stay in this little bubble forever.

We took advantage of friends in town for a sailing session on the round pond, watching anxiously as our little wooden boats floated in and out of chaos and collisions. There’s an exciting new sprinkler setup in the playground and we’ve settled into a nice routine that includes chocolate crêpes at La Terrasse de Madame and a wave at the ducklings on the way home.

For my husband’s birthday we stuck a candle in a tower of pancakes and sung to him over breakfast (finally gave him Hitster and this book, which I tore through) then waved him off to work for the day. In the evening we reconvened at Le Comptoir for dinner on the pavement, lingering over fluffy île flottante as the sun wobbled lazily towards the horizon.

On Thursday I took the early train to London and headed directly to the Tate Modern for the Tracey Emin exhibition. I’d wavered on it as £22 is steep and reviews were mixed but I’d enjoyed her 2011 retrospective at the Hayward gallery and (call me basic) like her neons. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me and I left feeling just really really sad, a malaise that not even a poke around the gift shop could lift. Knowing sugar would help I walked on the sunny side of the street until I got some food and with the pep back in my step salvaged the rest of the day wandering through a very dry Hyde Park and browsing the shops in Notting Hill, drifting further westward until dinner with family.

At a loose end Friday morning I popped down to Richmond for coffee and a quick loop around the riverside walk, a bucolic scene punctuated by the occasional rowers speeding by. The rest of the day was spent celebrating a very important 60th birthday (the reason for the trip) and we all lazed about in the garden after a fantastic feast laughing and chatting until well after dark.

With some light stalking of the website I snagged a ticket to the sold out Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition at Buckingham Palace which was wonderful. Whatever my feelings are on the current monarchy (and royalty in general) the thoughtfulness and detail that went into her every minute of duty are unrivalled.

I can’t quite explain why but I was desperate to see this Matsumoto Hōji frog at the British museum and made it all the way across town and up to the very top floor before realising it’s not current on display. The way back down took me through the Egyptian artefacts where thousands of people were potentially cursing themselves forever by snapping photos of the mummies (why take the risk?) and into a room full of marble where I wondered “I wonder if they ever gave the Elgin marbles back” while staring directly at them. On further investigation there did seem to be quite a few notes dotted about referring to polite requests for contested items to be returned and apparently “constructive discussions are on-going.”

I picked up Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (the book Facebook wants to ban) at the train station and I couldn’t read it fast enough. Having deleted social media (again) a week ago I’ve been pondering how to maintain friendships that seem to exist largely online but was reassured when I bumped into a real-life friend on the train. Life is right there beyond the screen if you want it.

On Sunday I showed some delightful clients around the flea market and we found treasure in the really dusty parts most people ignore, before returning to Paris and bobbing about doing nothing much at all for the last few hours of the weekend.

Have a great week,

- Emily

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Real Life London Photo

Really?

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Recent Finds Worth Sharing:

• Everyone needs a disco strawberry.

• Please please read Careless People.

• Bought so much Mini Boden (second hand, mostly in Fara Kids) while in London.

• Pitted kilos of cherries this week - a cherry pitter is my only approved single use kitchen gadget.

• If you’re travelling between London and Paris then Eurostar is absolutely the best way to go.

• Got so many compliments on this dress at a garden party.

• This dress has pockets, need I say more.

• Is there anything better than new bed linens?

• Hosting doesn’t need to be hard.

• Last month’s Paris Mail Club is in the post. Join us for August!

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