My days playing tourist in London

Some of you know from my crafting blog that I am enjoying a few days off work and this week I spent a couple of days in London - just walking around with my camera, playing tourist!  It is something I love to do but haven't done enough of for some time.

Both days were cloudy and overcast so the photos aren't great, but I did a lot of walking each time and had a great time.

 In no particular order!  Some of these are from Wednesday, some Friday.

Inside the British Museum - love that roof!  Must go back to take a picture just of the roof...

Victoria & Albert museum, courtyard garden.  There is a sign saying you can paddle, but must keep your clothes on..... I decided not to...

Paternoster Square, City of London.

 St Paul's Cathedral

Temple Bar - ancient entry gate to theCity of London

 Tower Bridge opening to let a Thames barge through.  Great timing!

St Katharine's Dock - I remember when they started redeveloping here  - these modern flats (sorry, I mean luxury apartments, lol!)

Liberty's in Regent Street.

And some very modern bright apartments (can't remember where I was when I saw these!!)

Canary Wharf tube station.

The "Gherkin" office building taken from the Tower of London - love how the old and the new mix together in our very crowded city!

The Tower of London.

Buckingham Palace in the background behind St James' Park. It was windy as you can see from the spray of the fountain!  Shortly after this (this was the Wednesday) it rained - and I had no coat or umbrella....

I took loads more, but think this is enough!!

Kew - for a change!

Yesterday dawned sunny and warm and the sky was blue. So, it was off to Kew again!

 Someone is doing a time lapse project in the Waterlily house, and has a great camera set up - taking photos every few seconds - but there was no-one around to ask why or what for!  I shall have to check the Kew website.

I went up the iron staircase in the Palm House to get a view from the viewing platform that runs round the middle section - this is what it looks like! it is so much more humid up amongst the tops of the plants, it's amazing!

They have  replanted the Rose Garden this summer and most of them are finished, but got this bird's eye view kneeling on the grass!

And another of my favourite areas this summer has been the wild flowers - the poppies from last time are nearly gone - but I got some more low down shots here too. I've always liked this type of shot.

The poppy heads are so pretty.

Sunshine - Kew - and a mystery solved

Took a morning out at Kew again yesterday - and Jessops service is back to normal, a 24 hour service that means a 24 hour service so here are yesterday's photos!!

A bright breezy but sunny morning - with a chance of rain about 11 am - lots of people there early yesterday but was still first through the gate!

the field of poppies were looking good again!

so were the waterlillies

 love the reflections in the water of the lillies.  They must put black dye in to enhance the reflections.

and the mystery solved - the displays in the Pricness of Wales glasshouse with the skeletons and things (see last time too) - to celebrate the Mexican festival of The Day of the Dead. (see below) 

I didn't have a pen with me so had to take a photo of the board that explained it.

 And the threat of rain?  Well right on time at 11am a very dark cloud came overhead - but no rain.  I was about to leave then anyhow, so it wouldn't have mattered.

Finally - Kew from 2 weeks ago

Normally, Jessops where I get my films developed and burnt to CD for easy blogging, do a fabulous job but when i went to Kew 2 weeks ago, they had trouble with their machinery and it was only yesterday that I finally got my CD's back with the pictures of my trip back.  I did get the prints only a week later, but ..... Anyhow here are some of the pictures.

It was a very cloudy day with the threat of rain (indeed I got caught in a shower just before I left at 11.30)

But first, this was from my last trip in May - kneeling down on the grass to get a bird's eye view of the tulips, sun shining through the petals.

 And the end of the spring flowers in the Duke's Garden at Kew. An area I often forget to check out.

Kew do lots of seasonal things - this summer it's a kind of world tour through the gardens "visiting" different continents and climates - this is in the Princess of Wales glasshouse, desert section - lots of displays of skeletons - couldn't find anything to tell me why - maybe something to do with being as dry as a bone.... who knows!

 The Waterlily house was looking great, and I am pleased with this closeup (thought I'd get some camera shake as the zoom was extended to its 300mm limit (heavy and unstable as I don't carry a tripod!)

Summer also sees the outdoors exhibition of the annual Photographer of the Year award, nestling into the scenery!

Amazingly, this wasn;t the cloud that soaked me!  But I do love a dramatic skyline.

I was very into architectural shapes on that trip!

and neat rows of shrubs

They had all the inner and outer doors of the Temperate House open so you could see from one end to the other and outside.

Palms outside the Princess of Wales glasshouse. Love the shape of this glasshouse.

Finally - my favourite - just as it started to rain. You know how they say you can tell how old you are by which Cadbury's Flake advert you remember best?  I ALWAYS wanted to do the poppy field one.... this is the closest I've got to finding a field of poppies.

Again, I knelt down for a bird's eye view.

 Hope you agree that it was worth the wait and persevering to get the cd back!

Bluebells - Kew

I know, I know, you all think I only go to Kew. True.....

Yesterday, Saturday was no exception. After spending Friday watching a truly magical Royal Wedding on TV all day, I felt the need for some excercise! Fortunately, once again, the weather co-operated and off I went, nice and early of course.

I treated myself to a coffee and a gorgeous raspberry muffin on the way - breakfast!

The sun was out, and the sky blue - a fairly pale blue, but blue all the same.  I knew from the Kew website that the bluebells were in full show so headed off there first - although as the conservation area where they are, is the furthest from the entrance I use, "first" is not a very quick place to get to.

It is so pretty and peaceful here, the lovely dappled shade - a cool wind was blowing but the air was warm.

I love Queen Charlotte's cottage, nestling away quietly, out of the main walkways, and indeed yesterday I only saw one other couple when I was here (it was still early!) That's how I like Kew... I would LOVE to get access for sunrise before anyone else is in - but that ain't gonna happen!

I couldn't persuade my camera to focus on the cottage, it was determined to focus on this gorgeous branch instead!

 Love the pattern of the brickwork on the cottage.

 From the bluebells, I walked back past the Temparate house - just loved the glimpses of the plants inside, thorugh the glass. You don't get this view on a cloudy day!

View of the Temperate House from the Treetop Walkway.

 Close up of the horse (?) chestnut flowers on the trees from the walkway.

Back at ground level now but shooting upwards. Not sure what this tree is - I need an identification guide with me!

Round to the Palm House now, the spring display is looking fabulous (see the next photo) but I loved these tulips in the circular bed on the other side of the pathway by the Palm House.  Got some more in the camera on the next film that I hope will be better, but this is for now!