Oscar Munoz, Part 1, 1708 Gallery on Broad

Avoided until it's last day because I feared my child might step on the installation and it turns out that is the point of it. Crazed glass, cracked and trampled on, placed over surveillance-style photos of Cali, Colombia. A city beset by violence and drugs and home to the artist, Oscar Munoz. Also a film that I liked even more, of black and white portrait photographs, being dipped into a swirling liquid that dissolves them, eventually going dark with the colour. The plug hole being at the centre of it all... beautiful, poignant and simple.

Yet more substance from 1708... Next stop the Visual Arts Centre of Richmond for Part 2 of the show.

1708 Oscar Munoz

Tulips, Maymont Park and N. Meadow Street

Who needs the Keukenhof, when you can have these subtle joys on your doorstep... The wisteria adding a fragrant touch and the Maymont waterfall was back in impressive circulation, after it's winter pause. It remains our favourite spot and reached today by bike!

Belle Isle, Richmond

High stakes paddling... with crazy high water levels dropping from 12ft an hour before, down to 8ft. There's an iPhone app for that!

Home for s'mores (Graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow) nicely toasted on Jason's fire pit. Beer for the boys - the lovely Jake being our UK guest for the evening.

Spring on Floyd

In the meantime Spring has come a week early and the blossom and dogwoods and azaleas are out in force and it's all lovely.

While in Washington they're marking the hundredth anniversary of having their 3000 Japanese cherry trees with a National Cherry Blossom Festival.

6 month marker...

Come sunset tomorrow we will have been on US soil for a full 6 months aka half a year, which seems like some solid ground. I feel as if we have come so far and then it gets pointed out to me that if I was still in the UK, today would mark my 29th year on British soil. That feels like a mere moment ago.

The low grey cloud as we pulled into Membury Services (M5), the cold that we just couldn't shut out and the sight of Trevor MacDonald reading the news to the nation. Life has progressed so far since then, though perhaps not the chill.

We marked our US moment by returning to our roots in the woods of Mineral and the girls got to do what they loved best - playing Barbies with their friend Kami, bouncing forever on the trampoline, taking a picnic snack of unmentionables out to the climbing frame and finally being driven across the the muddy tracks of the state pipeline. It feels like the land of the free out there.

PS: A 5.3 earthquake after-shock epi-centred on Mineral on Monday night and we felt the rumble.

The male mini-break, Richmond & beyond

Starting with style at Amtrak's restored Main Street Station, Richmond (1901) and a leisurely on-foot approach, in the unseasonably warm Spring sunshine, we hit Lamplighter first for coffee and sesame bagels, then stood in blossom 'rain' at Byrd Lake.

We took to the strip in Carytown and stocked up on kitchenware and gift goodies before the lunchtime delight that is Coppola Deli's (Richmond cheese steak special!). We crossed the street for some of Bev's Oreo Espresso ice-cream that was truly exceptional and then wended our way through the sculptures and now burbling water of the VMFA's gardens.

Then it was time to hit the road in the Dodge and make an unusual cruise through the Riverview Graveyard to look down on the ever impressive James before a dash to a halloumi-selling Greek deli on Broad, before returning home for our first cook-out. The consistent flame of the gas BBQ was a luxury and the incessant mini caterpillars added an exotic twist, though made things slightly gungy around bare toes.

Finally the freeway this morning, heading out to Lake Anna State Park for a beach paddle and picnic. All approached with the utmost Britishness - trousers rolled up to reveal goose bumped, white shins and only the white handkerchiefs missing. It was 30 degrees and the car air-conditioning was switched on! A yellow cab was summoned at IKEA, Woodbridge, bringing this mini break to a close.

J's 3rd Birthday, at home

...with the official opening of J's sand pit (sand box to the locals). With four of J's friends from playground encounters and the boys next door, we had a morning bagel party and enjoyed the fantastic and predictable 37.5 latitude climate.

J helped make the cake to the tight specification of flat, blue, starshaped and with a ballerina on top. The bagels were eaten, coffee and Prosecco drunk, sand pit opened and decorative self portraits painted, cut and mounted on the garden (yard to the locals) fence.

Guests departed for lunch leaving adult neighbours to chew the cud, open more drink and enjoy the sunshine. It would be my ideal birthday party.

Seattle

Seattle is a beautiful city with terrible weather. For our brief visit, it delivered on both. We bought tickets for the Space Needle, where from 520 feet we had a view of low precipitous clouds from a different perspective than ground level. Thankfully they superimposed a bright background on the visitor photograph.

We visited Pikes Place Farmers Market (featured in Sleepless in Seattle) avoided the famed flying fish, and walked past the first Starbucks, saving ourselves for Top Pot Donuts (featured in my previous life).

We also got a chance to see the Dale Chihuly (glass) Garden in construction, which promises to be amazing and they say visible from Space, though I reckon not on a cloudy day.

Space Needle

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts

Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver

In low grey cloud and pouring rain we headed out across the city suburbs to a park with reportedly panoramic views of Vancouver. However it was the triodetic domes of the 1961 Bloedel Conservatory we were aiming for. A thing of science-fiction style, constructed in a mere 10 days on the whim of Mr Bloedel. Under its roof was a tropical landscape of real delight. Little paths amongst the amazing vegetation and trees full of parrots and wildly exotic birds strolling ahead of us. The grey African parrot eyed us up before talking to us.

It almost was shut-down by the City Council last year due to its huge heating costs and the need for cuts but the residents of Vancouver kept it open. It is a real joy and yes, dated and fabulous. Their shop could do with a serious restock and their events income stream was on its way - weddings, if you fancy it. Felt like Wollaton Hall and the staff stopped to chat to us and show us bug-eating plants and other delights.

Then walked out into the freezing rain that the kids were unfazed by. They spent a further hour making a house and picnic in the roots of some trees. M is definitely happiest when wrapped up for outdoor cold - all that Forest schooling means she embraces the Northern climate as if it's fun - beyond me!

Got out to the campus of the University of British Columbia later, which is on the ocean, though cloaked in cloud today and did a whistle-stop tour of the art gallery. Michael Morris on show, which J loved to the point where it became a truly stressful exercise of looking and almost, full-on physical engagement. Mirrored glass on the floor was my marker to leave, with children in tow and resisting.

Bloedel Conservatory

Michael Morris at the Belkin Gallery

Lynn Valley and Deep Cove, Vancouver

If this is beginning to sound like a Hasselhoff mini series I am about to reset the balance. Take a constipated child and one exhausted older sibling and head to the mountains for a hike. If in Vancouver avoid the tourist phenomenon that is the Capilano Suspension Bridge and instead head for the more naturally stunning, Lynn Valley.

Amidst the immense trees and precipitously above the raging force of the glacier blue water could be heard the cry of one, almost 3 year old, refusing to walk. Shoulders aching we made the journey up and down cliff sides, stopping for an emergency poo pit stop, then hitting the picnic tables for a mosquito-fuelled lunch, and another 'almost-situation' that M highlighted by noting to passing walkers how important a healthy bowel is!!!

The discomfort was distracting to all on the trail so we decided to head on to a dilapidated, but cool art gallery I was in ten years ago. Made it up three flights of stairs before we had to head down again ot the loos and relieve the older of my two companions, then they settled on the floor to draw whilst I actually got to really look at the art. The treat was a soya hot chocolate in the cafe for contemporay art on the esplanade.

Returned with a better child to adult ratio a few days later - the rain poured but the the scenery held it's own and the passing fell-runners added serious mud splattering to the adventure. The treat his time was Deep Coves' honey-dipped doughnuts and gazing at its bay.


Presentation House

Cafe for Contemporary Art

Honey's Doughnuts

Stanley Park, Vancouver

So they have touristy totems and parking for tour busses, but Stanley Park's setting on the city's edge, gazing out over the water with sea planes taking off and landing is pretty awesome, even in vile weather. We took to a strip of freezing beach and poked into holes and collected grey shells and stomped across giant drift-wood logs. Ahead of us was the impressive Lion Gate bridge and the docks with containers full of strange coloured substances and huge cranes. The girls got to roll down grassy slopes to the car, but only thanks to their full-ski wear was this not a frozen mud-fest.

Our indoor (ish) stop was the Oceanarium - the most incredible place I'd ever been. Another product of 1960s visioning and outside an Arctic pool of gleaming white Beluga whales, who got impressively active with their trainers, before dousing us with plenty of icy water. We ironically ate fish and chips (ethical of course) and then spent hours looking at displays of riverbeds across Canada and more exotic locations further afield. The jelly-fish were the most photogenic.

Beluga Cam

The 3rd America aka Canada

The 1st America being Virginia and the 2nd being California, according to M. Life is metric and the skies are primarily grey. What with the public transport, bowling greens and the queen being on the money you may be forgiven for thinking this is a scenic and chilly bit of England... However the lit ski slopes can be seen from the city streets below and bears are known to wander in from the woods into our current backyard.

We were granted re-entry into our adopted homeland. In the stationary queue for the border I took the decision to pop out for a quick pee in an adjacent facility. Returning I noted that the cars had shifted on and I began a jog through slow-moving lines of traffic in a somewhat 'Running Man' style, as our Dodge Grand Caravan seemed to have vanished. Eventually we recombined and nervously awaited the questioning from the border guard and gazed through this rather impressive window into America. We de-stressed by driving across the tulip fields (not in flower) near La Conner in lowering, dark cloud and eventual snow.

LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

An exhibition sponsored by Barbie (!!) plus an incredible freeway installation by Chris Burden that would have any car/train-set folk in a frenzy and design types absorbed by the  architectural blocks and intersecting carriageways and then there's  the noise - it lay silent for us but revs up for the weekends (See audio below).  We were shown it in the gallery by an attendant who was summoned, with complete grace, back from lunch to attend to our every need.

Amidst the assortment of cool buildings from the 60s forward are outdoor sculpture to win the soul of almost anyone (Calder, Burden etc.) and communal spaces for picnics and an incredible art studio - The Boone Gallery. This place may be my new favourite, full-on gallery. Unsurprisingly it has plenty of glamorous supporters, including Walt Disney, amidst a long list of benefactors engraved along the marble entrance.

Chris Burden's Metropolis

California Design

Disneyland, Anaheim

Most people have decided whether or not they like Disney Parks before going to one. I was with two adults who had thought this would be their one and only visit, and two kids -- M, who had been looking forward to this day for about a year and thought she'd like to live here, and J who doesn't really plan ahead but would be right behind her sister, just on principle.

I though, am a veteran of Disney Parks and while I hate myself for it, I love them.

Sala, playing the true Fairy God Mother role had arranged that we'd get a carriage to the Palace, but be able to stay long past midnight. The carriage meant we didn't need to deal with horrible Los Angeles traffic, and the overnight stay meant early access to the park.

We spent the first ninety minutes doing the P'ter Pan, Dumbo and Tea-cup rides while the queues were short and the breeze cool. Then we embarked on our first long wait to meet and greet The Princesses. M & J were awestruck by Ariel and Belle (who didn't know her husband - The Beast's real name - which was Prince Adam), and we were impressed by Mulan's mustering of warrior Girl Power (now used by J for difficult moments on the potty!). We then spent an easy crowd-free hour milling around the Royal Auditorium where the girls were trained in regal hand waving followed by a gentle story-time with Snow White.

The Disney Corporation did us proud and everyone's dreams came true.

Zuma Beach, Malibu

Seriously, there were Californian fireman stripped to the waist playing beach volleyball as we approached the sand. Between them and the sea were the actual Baywatch towers and if that was not enough to get the heart racing the firemen got called to an emergency and had to pull on their protective gear and race off with sirens blaring and lights spinning.

To calm the soul, dolphins leapt just beyond the breakers amongst some hopeful surfers, and a whale could be seen in the distance. M bravely paddled in the forceful water with P, whilst J befriended a boy from The Valley with toys and I took a jog along the shore...

Malibu sunsets

Best enjoyed in possession of hot fish and chips (not fries) or alternatively as a pause on the stroll home, carrying cartons of promising tomato soup, despite lack of Heinz label.

Getty Villa, Malibu

Thank heavens for oil barons - this place is magical - tinkling fountains, fantastic ancient artefacts and an impressive contemporary amphitheatre extension into the canyon. It has it all.

My favourite bits were a simple dog on a pot from the cyclades, gorgeous glass that reminded me of all the bottle collectors I know and a real Mummy who'd been x-rayed and carefully bought back to life.

However the highlight is the team in the education room who went into the garden to collect us fresh leaves for rubbings, who let us go wild with the shadow theatre and left us to doodle on 'ancient' pots with felt tips. Outdoors along the pond one was left to dream and gaze out once more on the Pacific ocean.

Molten Color

Architects 1997 onwards:
Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti

Malibu Riviera 3 Beach, California

Stepped out from our cave shelter, once the sand had stopped whipping our ankles and surveyed the full gorgeousness that is the Malibu coastline. Plenty of mid century holiday shacks in the cliffs, if we could spare the odd million. In the rock pools -  giant star fish and anemonies wafting in the chilly Pacific waters. Made sand angels and then began the climb upwards... The girls first encounter with left coast and all looks promising.