This will be much more than a weather report, but I thought it would be fun to continue the theme once more all the way from London, UK! Today’s weather is cloudy with a high of 12C. So, not the Bahamas, but still a vast improvement. I went out with a hat, scarf and fingerless gloves, but I didn’t have to worry about slipping on ice. I only wore the hat because I’m trying to get rid of a cold.
Yesterday I did some of the tourist things one does in London; I approached Buckingham Palace and watched the Changing of the Guards (from a distance), listened to their fine band and remembered doing the very same job in Ottawa about a million years ago when I was 21, and didn’t envy them one bit! Once I was tired of the crowds, I walked the long block to the Wellington Arch and got an accidentally excellent view of some passing horses, their riders in black uniforms and fancy helmets. I enjoyed watching a policewoman on horseback directing the cars to stay in single file while these magnificent equine specimens trotted past. That was all a treat. After that I decided to check out the Churchill War Rooms, a very interesting permanent display of the rooms where Churchill and his War Cabinet conducted WWll. As educational as it was, I realized afterwards that it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. I would have rather been at the Tate Britain looking at the Turners, but on the map it looked too far so I didn’t go. Maybe tomorrow.
Today, since Erica was doing her exam in Stage Combat at LAMDA, where she’s currently in the Master’s of Classical Theatre program, (doesn’t that all sound magical, actually?), I decided to walk over to see the Chiswick House and Garden, a 20 minute walk away from her digs. I really enjoyed strolling the grounds and visiting the 200-hundred-year-old Conservatory, where they’ve been keeping the same camellias for over a hundred years in many cases. The trees were probably past their peak of blooming, but they were still stunning. I will post a picture, or several. I didn’t know anything about the camellia except that it’s not hardy in Montreal, but it has similarities to peony, rose and hibiscus. On the way back to Erica’s house I recognized a few camellias in people’s front yards so I guess I’m now an expert.
A few things I learned about camellias:
The flowers are mostly double blooms, colours varying from white to dark pink, some variegated; that the leaves are dark green and waxy; they can live for 200 years; they are difficult to propagate; when they were imported from China it was thought they wouldn’t be hardy in England, thus the Conservatory setting. Later it was discovered they could survive the English winters just fine and now they’re ubiquitous around here!
The grounds of Chiswick house are beautiful and for the most part, casually laid out. There is an emphasis on maintaining a habitat for birds, insects and animals in the wilder parts, with a few more formal areas, such as the Italian garden just outside the Conservatory. The house, which was closed to visitors, is majestic and stately with its own austere beauty. There is a wide stream that flows through the grounds as well, a home to many water birds, such as coots, mallards, moor hens, mute swans, Egyptian geese and Canada geese.
Update: Today is Easter Sunday and I spent it on a “Hop-on-hop-off” bus tour around London. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially, and predictably, the walk through Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park. I’ve found myself inspired and delighted by the gardens and flowers in this great city! Cheers to pink tree season!
P. S. I’m posting this from my iPad, so I’m limited in what I can do. Posting a lot of pictures is a pain, and I’m not even going to try to post music! When I get home I promise more flower photos!
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