In March we are often required to travel for trade shows, so our scheduled pool completion was once again on hold as we wouldn’t be there to see it happen. April and June was filled with kitchen and bathroom specifying, so lots to keep us busy as the colder months began.

I was fortunate to travel in June for work, to France. It was the break my mind needed. When you’re in the middle of it everyday, you don’t realise how bogged down one can get until it happens. Worrying about details, funds and juggling work and family is nothing new to anyone who’s ever done even the smallest of renovations.

So, with insulation being the next stage, I jetted off to France for work and then some me-time before the family would meet for an inspiring trip to the Venice Biennale and Spain. On returning, we all felt lighter, more rested and more focussed. No doubt Europe’s sunshine, architecture, art and food helped. Here are some of our favourite snaps.

Waking up in Tignes, in the French Alps

All that lovely timber at the Chalet

The lovely Les Andes Chalet, highly recommended http://chillalp.com/chalet-les-andes/

A mezzanine lounge space at the Chalet

Geneva, a combination of old and new, modern and traditional. This is taken near in the UN/WHO precinct

The classy lower ground floor of Globus department store, Geneva

Saturday markets on numerous street corners, Geneva

Bains des Pâquis, Geneva – terrific pavilions line an area of the lake where locals swim, relax and dine

View from Geneva apartment thanks to dear friends

La chaise bleue, Nice’s icon in sculpture form by the artist Sab

Nice, France

Looking over the town after climbing the steps to the top

Everyday Nice in the old town where there is now a lot of security

Nice old town architecture – vaulted archways, shuttered windows, and pink, yellow and white facades

Quintessential Nice beach, the water was warm and clean too

Quirky, artistic Antibes, France – a favourite! I couldn’t go home without the beautiful copper glazed olive bowls

Plage de la Gravette, Antibes – one of my best days swimming, walking and catching the sun

Antibes market, under a very original looking open-air steel structure

Modernism in Antibes. Quite common to have long brightly coloured shades on all of these apartment buildings. Similar styles in Geneva as well.

Brutalism in Cannes, not bad!

River Onyar, Girona. Apparently these houses are expensive/prized now!

The beautiful ironwork fence – Catedral de Girona

Streetscape in Cannes, France

I came across this Corten Steel clad building in Girona. It seemed to be closed and I was standing at the rear so I don’t know what the building is. I would love to know!

Amazing stone work in the Girona restaurant interior.

The renovated food hall at the top of El Cortes Ingles is quite upmarket and features lots of timber, a trend in full swing in Asia but less so in places like Geneva (perhaps rents, labour are expensive especially as many stores are full of marble and quite traditional looking)

Sculpture by Rafael Barrios, if only I could take that home! A fave in Venice

Ironwork from inside Peggy Guggenheim Museum Venice

Great work in the Green light workshop, Venice Biennale More info: http://olafureliasson.net/greenlight/

Tracy Moffatt’s work, Australian Pavillion Venice

Australian Pavillion across the canal, Venice

I have an obsession with neon anything, apologies in advance – Venice Biennale

One of our favourites – the Austrian artist Erwin Wurm’s very interactive exhibit. Also look at that 1960s light!

Oh look more neon! Venice Biennale

Venice Biennale.. all timber music studio amazingness

Did someone say neon? Venice Biennale

Yes, neon. Venice Biennale

“Support” by Lorenzo Quinn, Venice

The very cool Bilbao Airport, wowsa

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry, a must!

Inside Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry, looking up. When you look down from the top floor nothing is straight. What a nightmare for the plasterers. And it can make you feel dizzy.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry

Richard Serra sculpture, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry – discombobulating Corten steel formations which the room was built for

Oh look, hello neon! Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry

Inside the Sagrada Familia. First visited in the early 2000s still in scaffold. Now amazingly almost complete inside thanks to Australian architectural software speeding up the process of interpreting Gaudi’s work without plans

Stained glass, Sagrada Familia Barcelona

Stained glass, Sagrada Familia Barcelona

Stained glass, Sagrada Familia Barcelona

The lovely Barcelona Pavillion (technically the German Pavillion 1932) by Mies van der Rohe

Although I’ve written about this building before, the natural materials are always worth seeing

Barcelona Pavillion (technically the German Pavillion 1932) by Mies van der Rohe – strong, simple lines and joins

Caixa Forum, Madrid – wow

Caixa Forum, Madrid – wow

Caixa Forum, Madrid – wow

Inside Caixa Forum, Madrid

All timber, lovely – Caixa Forum, Madrid

So perfect, Caixa Forum, Madrid

Extension to the Reina Sofia Museum on our visit to see Guernica. By Jean Nouvel

Jetsons styling “Nubel’ restaurant by Jean Nouvel in Madrid

Traditional beautiful screens in the Cordoba Mesquita Cathedral, Spain

The old mosque section of the Cordoba Mesquita Cathedral

The old mosque section of the Cordoba Mesquita Cathedral

The mesmerising mosque, Cordoba Mesquita Cathedral

The modern entry area to the Alhambra, Granada

Granada, and the Alhambra’s lesson in natural air conditioning. Amazingly cool on a stifling hot day

Alhambra, Granada

Gardens of the Alhambra, Granada

By the time July arrived, we were ready to go home and excited about getting on with the pool and the house, inspired by all the colour and light we’d seen.