The Wedding

Sunday morning sleep in, snow layered over the town like fondant icing. I'm sure it's not the white wedding my cousin had in mind, but it was a beautiful sight to wake up to.

The snow continued throughout the day, and it was minus 3C as we drove out to The Grove, near Watford. The venue wasn't prepared for such weather, and most of us only warmed up once the dancing began.

The wedding itself was beautiful. Between snow covered fields outside and the gorgeous wedding party, it was so lovely to watch my youngest UK cousin get married - at last - to her partner of so many years.

The band were more of a performance, with killer voices and dance moves, and instead of the usual vegan apology, I was served lentils with a red wine sauce and some deliciously presented sides.

Gemma's kids were just the sweetest. Little Joshy fell asleep on a friend's shoulders, mid-dance, and Georgia lasted well past her bedtime - a pretty good effort for two young kids on such a big day. As always, it was great to spend some time with family, and especially on such a special occasion.

Monday had the obligatory sleep in, followed by a trip to the Tate Britain. In between winding staircases and Mondrian-style wall decorations, we saw the Impressionists in London: a collection of work from exiled French artists. While some of these artists were lucky to escape France after the Paris Commune, they left behind countless plebeians who suffered violence and famine. As my mother said, there was most certainly a ranking as to who was able to leave the war-torn country.

It was quite an experience seeing the likes of Pissarro and Monet close up. The way they used the paintbrush to create glowing light, water reflections, and the suggestion of something so clear with colour alone was beautiful. Other works had the textures so precise it was as if you could reach out and touch them. A velvet jacket, some hanging

flags, the reflection of a mirror, or the hard planks of a boat; all so exact.

There was a second exhibition called "All Too Human". It was focussed on life paintings by Bacon, Freud, and quite a few other prominent artists. The stand out for me was Paula Rego, who took a glaring look at the patriarchy by placing women as the central focus of her paintings.

Of course, an outing isn't complete without a good meal, and the three of us met in Hackney to visit the Black Cat Vegan Cafe. It was so worth it!! Robin and Andy had a lentil curry, and I chose the "beef style" burger on the staff recommendation. It came with three salads and hand cut chips, and I demolished the lot (minus a handful of shared chips!). I've most definitely hit my gluten overload, but London is hardly a place to be sensible when there are so many good food options around.