More flowers and an organ

After traveling much of last week, I decided to remain in London this weekend. After all, I believe you could never leave the city limits for three months and still not see all there is to see in London. On Saturday, Chuck and I left Terri to grade quizzes while we went to the Royal Kew Gardens. We figured that a few hours would be enough to see what we wanted to see. Six hours later, we had seen only parts of the 300-acre gardens. Those royals sure do know how to tend a garden! What I was most pleased by was that many of the flowers were still in bloom, and many of the roses had blooms that were just beginning to open. So you would have thought it was late Spring, not the beginning of Fall. The grounds are simply beautiful, and I would recommend a visit to anyone who enjoys flowers or feeling like you are in another world while in a major city. (The picture here is in the Japanese garden; you can see just how large this one garden is.)

On Sunday after working on lectures, I went with Chuck and Terri to an organ recital at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was my first time inside the cathedral, and wow! It is large from the outside, and the inside is all the more impressive with its painted dome, sparkling gold mosaics, and fantastic acoustics for a recital. The program included Pachelbel's Toccata & Fugue in D minor, Mendelsshon's Prelude in C minor, Howells' Rhapsody, and Langlais' Incantation pour un jour Saint. St. Paul's is impressive in its own right, but hearing the pipes play to their full effect just adds a special dimension. Oh, and did I mention that the organist, Jeremy Lloyd, is 17 years old? Yep--that's right. At 17 he has now played in St. Paul's Cathedral, and it was the most impressive organ work that I think I have heard. I think when I was 17, my only thought was where to find a summer job. :)

So a pretty relaxed weekend in London, which was just what the Doc needed and ordered. The weather continues to be very sunny and warm, with cool evenings. I couldn't have asked for a better trip weather-wise.



The Kew Palace....not the original, but still pretty impressive.









I loved this cactus because its flowers look like the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.







Flowers in one of the water gardens.








This is my favorite picture of the day. I like to think this picture proves I have 1/16th of Margarita's eye for photography. Anyway, you can't see it well here, but each leaf has drops of dew, and this picture is now my computer wallpaper. It is a beautiful sun burst on my screen.










This is the Princess of Wales Conservatory, and it was massive! The Brits love their Di!






The orchid room inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory.










A grand tree that grew in every direction it wanted.









I would say this is the main conservatory at Kew. It was built in the 1800s, complete with spiral staircases that allow for a bird's-eye view of the plants below. I took the opportunity to descend the stairs as a Sugarbaker. Of course, I almost fell down the stairs; Sugarbakering wasn't meant for spirals.












Some of the roses at Kew. You can see buds that have yet to open.









The pagoda has seen better days and is seems a bit out of place in its location away from the Asian gardens. But I loved how we were in Heathrow's air path and planes flew over constantly, but I completely forgot I was in a city. The gardens really transport.











This was the Kew Palm House. Inside was the largest palm in the garden, along with what is believed to be the world's oldest potted plant...a palm that dates to the 1700s.






Awwww.....