Escaping the city

The weekend before last, Graeme and I, along with a group of friends, headed off for a weekend in Norfolk. We were so lucky with the weather - beautiful blue skies during the day followed by crisp chilly nights.

It was so nice to escape from the hustle and bustle of London to beaches and autumn tinted woodland. When we arrived home on Sunday night everything seemed so noisy after the peace of the countryside.

It was a wonderful weekend - the combination of good company, yummy food and beautiful surroundings made it perfect!

Picnics and 'poles

What a glorious weekend we had. Blue skies and sunshine! We managed to take full advantage of it too.

Saturday was off to Kew Gardens for a picnic. I really don't think I can ever tire of being there. We met up with G's parents and family friends, so there were loads of laughs and good conversation. As an added bonus, there was also plenty of wine and champagne on the go. We even had a rather handsome male peacock keeping us company for a little while. He gave a fantastic display of his tail feathers at several points (mainly when idiots started sticking cameras in his face), which was amazing to see.

Yesterday, I managed to entice G into leaving the flat and taking a walk to Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common. We walked down to the Queensmere Lake and were delighted to see it completely teeming with tadpoles! I had forgotten just how cute they are. It brought back memories of when Mum and I would go to a pond near our house to collect frogspawn. We would bring them home and then hatch them in a fish tank. We'd return them to the pond once they got bigger and more likely to hop off!

Kew Tropical Extravaganza

Yesterday was a proper Spring day here. There were blue skies, and the sunshine was more than welcome. During the week, we decided to go to Kew Gardens to see the Tropical Extravaganza, so the gorgeous weather was an added bonus!

The Gardens were carpeted with beautiful crocuses and gorgeous Galanthus, which were a sight for a sore eyes. I adore Galanthus (Snowdrops) as they herald the coming of the Spring. I also adore their resilience as they fight through icy, cold soil to be the first flower in bloom after the winter. Yesterday I found the snowdrop beds amongst the alpine flower beds, which was a real treat as I had never seen them before.

Then it was off to the Princess of Wales Conservatory to explore the Tropical Extravaganza. Kew Gardens seems to do this every year and it's such a lovely thing to go and enjoy the orchids, pitcher plants and other tropical beauties during the winter months. This was the first time we had been and it was truly amazing! There was just a sea of gorgeousness and colour everywhere. As 2009 is Kew's 250th birthday they had sculpted birthday presents from tropical flowers - lovely!

I always find myself getting overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. Although I'm not particularly religious in any way, I almost feel I can see the divine spark when I look at something like an orchid. I'm not sure why many religions look to the sky when there is such beauty here at our feet.

The Waterlily House had been transformed into a display of orchids also. Some looked almost good enough to eat! There were some real oddities there - some with frilly leaves and some that looked tie-dyed. If they weren't so expensive (and if I wasn't likely to kill them), I would have bought some to bring home.

Despite all my misgivings about London, Kew Gardens continues to be a real delight. I know I am guaranteed a lovely day when we plan to go there. There's also the added bonus of cake and Curiosity Cola at The Orangery! We are really lucky to live near so many green places and it's something I really treasure!