Saturday, October 26, 2019

A farewell to Dale Chihuly at Kew

It seems only a few weeks ago that the Dale Chihuly exhibition opened at Kew... but it's been six months!  As you know I've been just about every weekend - today was my final chance (it closes tomorrow) to go...

 I arrived 20 minutes before opening.. fairly soon quite a crowd gathered behind me..

I chatted to a lovely family from Manchester who'd come - the last time they'd been was when Chihuly had his previous show there in 2005 ish (before their daughter was born) 
I bumped into them again later, they were enjoying their day.
 as you can see, it was another grey day today! 
we did see a fleeting glimpse of the sun through some clouds for about 5 minutes but that was it...



it didn't rain till about mid-day though
 the colours on this gorgeous tree have really intensified in the last week
 I had taken my longest zoom today so I could get in close
 I set off towards the other outside glassworks

turning back for that tree again, from the other side
 and zooming out to get Sapphire Star in
 despite the grey day, the colours still popped




 I had almost left the globe at home today
(meant to take some of the Chihuly but forgot!) 





 they've still got the access to these roped off, the ground in front is an absolute quagmire



 but the gloom really made the purple zing

 you can see the barrier at the bottom of the steps down
 but I've taken this one over the barrier at the other side so you can't see it (or the mud!)



I can't believe they won't be here next week


 hardly anyone in the Temperate House yet




 went up to the platform first

 loving how they look closer in




 you can see how thick the metal supports are for the glasswork.









 and then some from the ground level





 standing underneath pointing upwards


 in the doorway  (I came back later to get some more, for now I went a different way)
 with the waterfall behind




 I made sure to catch this today, as the one I got last week was out of focus (the focus caught something in the foreground)


It looks better this week anyway!


 and along the path
back outside...


 I diverted round to the front first,



 before doubling back and


 heading for the Pagoda and the



Japanese Garden


the gorgeous trees make such a beautiful backdrop for the Nijima Floats



 fruit on a bush, but they could almost be glass too
 no sun but they still seemed to glow today

 this is the tree that was the backdrop, up close





 I took loads, with the lens at it's longest


before taking lots more of the trees











 I took a slightly different route to the lake


 before cutting back onto the normal route down Cedar Vista


the swan seemed fast asleep!



 it was quiet and peaceful

 some of the funghi from last week
 
 the colours against the grey of the water stood out




 as I walked back I decided to check out the colours from the top of the Treetop Walkway for a change

 peering over the edge

 it was pretty windy up there!




 angel's trumpet in the Temperate House
 as promised, back for a zoom...


 the opal towers outside




 can't miss this.  I still love this one








 then it was across the grass to the gallery



 which was surprisingly empty



 back outside, a small acer is brilliantly red




 luckily today it was dry enough to get some good scuffling action going

 before walking down the path back to the cafe
 Not taken this picture for a few years!
 back at the entrance, the huge tree (that I forget what it is)   is turning red

 and I stopped to take some more of this one too

just gorgeous, isn't it!





I sat outside despite the wind.

this jackdaw came and sat on a post next to me
and had both a sausage roll AND cake!  (toffee apple flavour,   nice, but pretty sweet..)


it did start to spit with rain whilst I was there and things kept blowing off my tray!



 once I picked everything up and put it in the recycling bins I

headed for Summer Sun..




 (phone)















I risked a selfie..

 then it was time to say farewell to my favourites..



but the waterlilies were gorgeous today






(phone)






 bye bye Ethereal White Persian Pond, I will really miss you

I think the only one I didn't go to today, was the Icicle Tower


ah well, it was never my favourite!




 time to go and look for water dragons...

first I found some flowering lithops (living stones)



looked hard, didn't see one...




 until I got to the far side of the pond near the underground aquariam


there's one! 


 from the front, by the pond
 bottle brush




quick walk through the alpine house


(it was starting to rain now!)

 walked round the side of the rock garden

 nerine

 cardoon, going to seed 

gorgeous

 beautiful weeping acer




 hung a left into the evolution garden


Physalis -(known as cape gooseberry among other things) this has come out since last week, unless I just missed it




 had to get my umbrella out here !








 heading down the Broad Walk




 found it harder than ever to leave photos out this week so I fear (don't really )  this is a longer post than ever! 
before  I left for the train home I sat under a tree out of the rain and put my lenses away.  (trains from Kew to Clapham Junction where I change, were only half hourly today so I had time to kill....

turned out I should have left sooner as I got to the station as a (late) train was leaving... bother!)


still, got home ok, slightly damp and with a broken umbrella that didn't like the gusts of wind that turned it inside out and snapped two spokes.... hey ho. 

Not sure if ALL the Chihuly will have been dismantled by next Saturday, they may (hopefully?!) still be doing it... but I am sure I'll have fun anyway!