01. 07. 08. Tuesday. Flew to London for the weekend to see Julia and see some of the new exhibitions. Arrived Friday morning and was chez Julia at her new digs in West Ruislip (end of Central Line) by 12.45. Met Jules, dumped my stuff and headed back in town with her. She went to work and I went up to the RA Summer Show. Usual eclectic mix but the Tracy Emin room was a disappointment altho the video of a the lower half of a naked young woman doing the hula hoop with a circle of barbed wire was pretty hard to watch! Met Julia after work and we went to our favourite cheap fish restaurant near the Old Vic and then back to Ruislip. Saturday, out early, full English in Nottinghill Gate and then over to the Tate for the Cy Twombly show. Good show, altho more a retrospective than a showing of some of his better pieces but the audio commentary was excellent. Wandered up to the Strand for lunch and then on to the V&A where we went to the Blood on Paper show. This was a show of artist’s books ranging from early Miro to Anselm Keifer to Damien Hirst. Again interesting but unfocussed but still worth the visit. Went back home and had a wonderful homemade salad for dinner. Sunday, I spent the morning in the garden with the Sunday papers whilst Julia worked and then we went to Uxbridge to see Wanted, a film that normally would not be on my list to see and then back to Ruislip for a very good curry at the local Indian restaurant. Monday I went up to work with Julia and had my breakfast at the BBC before going on to the RA again, this time to see a show on Vilhelm Hammershoi. A late 19th century Danish painter who painted the most hauntingly, tranquil images of empty rooms, landscapes and people with their backs to the painter. Remarkable subtle colours without being at all depressing. This was the best show that I saw! Rented a deckchair in Green Park and had lunch and then caught the train to Chris at Stisted where I enjoyed wine in the garden, a very tasty dinner and then a drive to Stansted airport at 3.30 in the morning! Slept all the way to Montpellier then caught the bus and was back here by 11 this morning.