A Walk in the Garden

I don’t like cities in general. I dislike the noise. I hate the crowds of people. The traffic patterns make me itchy. I feel like I don’t take a clean breath of air the whole day through. And the pigeons. I hate the pigeons. But I like London. There’s a quiet dignity about this place, despite all the bustle. The air is surprisingly clean (perhaps I’ll get into London’s congestion charge in another post), people are polite (for the most part), the streets and buildings are downright tidy (even the public transportation), and I’ve only seen one clock in the whole of London (and there are many) that didn’t have the correct time. Amazing. London is a well-oiled machine and I don’t mind spending time here at all (OK, I love it). But I still love the countryside. And it’s nice once in a while to breathe the open air and walk among the trees. Now, I know I’ve only been here less than a week, but it was a nice change of pace to take the Tube to one of the farthest out stops and visit Kew Gardens today. Kew Gardens, also known as “Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,” is one of the world’s leading botanic gardens and is comprised of acres and acres of lovely gardens, forests, fields, and anything you could want – botanically speaking. The glass houses are amazing, and cover all kinds of climatic zones. I was in a rainforest and an arid desert today!

Another treat was “lunch,” which was comprised of a scone (pronounced “skon”), clotted cream, jam, and tea!

I joined fellow classmates Liz, Melissa, and Brandy and we had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful landscapes and generally soaking in the peace and quiet.

Because the Kew is so large, we felt like we were among the chosen few who were allowed to wander and explore, despite there being many visitors on this rainy/sunny/rainy/sunny day. Lovely. There’s not much more to say that will do the place justice, so here are a few more of the many pictures I took. I hope they will give you a glimpse of my charming day spent in the garden!