kew.gardens

you woke up naturally to a clear and sunny sky.  it's a promising start for a saturday in london.  you decided to be alone, away from the city crowd, so kew garden is a natural choice where you can enjoy the botanical garden along with some outdoor sculptures by artist david nash.

your breakfast, well it's more appropriate to term it brunch. a full english breakfast minus the cumbria sausage.

 at a corner cafe just outside kew garden tube station.

 when you are done, you walk to the garden, along the way, there're many lovely mansion and luxury sport cars too. it's definitely a wealthy area.  this is the palm house of kew garden.  it's mostly shown in most advertisement of the park.  the weather is not perfect but you have no complaint when the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the cloud is puffy.  it's just want you wanted! a weekend where you can enjoy outdoor

 you joined a free walking tour, where the guide explains the blossom and bloom in the garden.  due to the prolong winter, cherry blossom is not bloom, nor daffodils are at their best.

 you beginning to see the signs of them, but not full bloom.

 magnolia, also still at the beginning of their blooms.

 paradise bird in the green house is full bloom

same for the orchids and many tropical and sub tropical plants inside princess of wales conservatory...

kew palace at mid day, it's really getting warmer and you start to unzip your jacket....

 it's really a bliss to sit at the bench outdoor, next to the daffodils, under the blue sky and kiss by the crisp wind. you have no complaint, this is exactly what you needed, a total disconnect from work. in fact from people too! you have the choice to hangout with friends but it's just too much some how. you just want to be alone.  alone with the nature and whisper with your God.

an afternoon tea break. you need a break to rest your feet after the tour and wandering around. you didn't like the idea of drinking tea without a pot in london, so you opt for a cappuccino and the coffee cream walnut cake is excellence!

 and you move on after that, to a place treetop walkway.  you actually took the stair but your feet become jelly when you reached the second last flight.  you still wonder why, you're not afraid of height but your feet were jelly when you look down and you have to pause and chicken out.  not so much of you, you puzzled but there's no point to challenge your pumping heart beat.  it's probably wise not to do so but admire from a distance.

then to a japanese minka house, a down to earth japanese farm house

surrounded by bamboo garden

 then you chanced into queen charlotte's cottage, a place where she picnic. the staff members dressed in the period dressing and try to explain the brief story to visitors.

the tea area, apparently queen charlotte's picnic was not in outdoor setting but indoor on the second floor with a large window.

imagine sitting here sipping your tea and enjoying the view, life was good for the queen for sure!

 further, to the last corner of the park,  there's a japanese gateway, apparently the gate is a smaller size replica of a jinga in kyoto.  the zen garden is quite decently done...

and from here there is a leading view to the chinese inspired pagoda, which you only admire from a distance.

it's been a refreshing and tiring day. you're totally relaxed!  what excite you most is the "treasure hunt" of david nash's sculptures that scattered around the park.  you truly enjoy hunting them down and admire them in close proximity, but that will be another story.