We arrive at London Gatwick quite refreshed after our slow 3 hop journey from Brisbane, my sister and brother-in-law there to welcome us back which is always lovely. Luckily, our 3 suitcases, suitbag, one helmet and 2 on-board wheely bags fit in their car. Yes that is a ridiculously huge amount of luggage – in our defense (maybe) is the fact that we are away over spring, summer and autumn, have a 2.5 month motorcycle trip and a 2 day wedding mid June – one large suitcase is full of just our motorcycle gear.

The priority for this trip is family and in particular seeing and spending time with my 95 year old mother.  We saw her every day over 7 days.  Ageing can be tough and cruel but at least everyday is a welcome surprise seeing us…  

We are fortunate to have spent time with both our sisters and husbands, all my nephews and nieces (Anthony’s will be when we return hopefully).  Lots of chats, games indoors and outdoors, lots of good food, plenty of champagne and a short trip to Paris to see my stepmother. Even saw our grand-nephews singing in the Salisbury Cathedral choir (No photos allowed).

Our trip to Paris to see my stepmother Marie-Laure is short and, as always, filled with exhibitions and of course good food and champagne.  The first ones are at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, starting with an exhibition of Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, an icon of Art Deco, who triumphed at the 1925 Exhibition. Although he is famous for his luxurious furniture, his passion for decorative motifs is less known. This exhibition only covered his textile design, no furniture.  Due to the small intimate size of the exhibition, we spent longer admiring each item.  Unlike when one visits places like the Louvre or the Hermitage where the sheer size of the rooms and the number of artworks can become overwhelming and you end up glancing or walking past the majority. One surprising addition were 2 sketch books of Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann’s which we could flick through. 

We made the most to admire some early 20th century jewellery in another exhibition next door and especially some art deco masterpieces. 

The only Australian one displayed was this…

I get Anna Darven’s message relating to British colonisation and Australia’s iconic indigenous animals holding decapitated heads of introduced species – I was surprised that this was the only Australian inclusion in this display, so different to all the rest. 

And finally, David Hockney, 25 – David Hockney’s largest ever exhibition, taking over the entire Louis Vuitton exhibition space, concentrates on his past 25 years, spent mainly in Yorkshire, Normandy, and London.

A huge room is dedicated to 220 small iPad paintings he made for friends during Covid to lift their spirits, telling them “Remember, they can’t cancel spring”. 

As you may know, I recently finished my last project a few weeks ago. Coincidentally, one of my colleagues Mon was going to be in Paris at the same time as us so we just had to meet up in front of the Eiffel Tower and take a photo for our team, followed by a glass of champagne of course. 

We were both glad we finished the project but also grateful we did it with the team we had and the dear friends they became.

Our time in Paris flew by. It was good to return to my father’s grave for the first time since his funeral exactly a year ago and help my stepmother plant some fresh flowers.   A good way to end our Paris trip.

Back to my sister overnight for a quick repack for niece-to-be’s hen do. A hosted murder mystery is planned and we are each given our roles a week before the event.  So much thought and planning had gone into that week end, held in a massive stunning converted barn in Kent, it was worthy of quietly making the effort into finding the right outfit.  But didn’t anyone about it. I couldn’t wait to see my sister and nieces reaction!  It was worth it from their screams:

What a fantastic week end! The best hen do I have ever been to. With so many fun and also thoughtful activities. 

Visited my mum again then headed to Anthony’s sister Tansy for a few days and lots more chats and meals together. Streak and Storm are stored nearby and we waste no time in collecting them. What do we have in all those bags?! Packing always takes ages as we sort and cull and fix.

What an amazing time we’ve had with everyone, lucky with superb warm weather and our tight timeframe seeing everyone working out perfectly.

And just like that, with time flying by, it was time to say goodbye until we meet up again mid June for the most anticipated wedding and we set off on Streak and Storm loaded and ready for our next road trip, heading for Portsmouth and a ferry to Bilbao. 

• Anne