Colours of Kew

It is a rather mundane start to the day as we leave our B+B for the motorway and the gently rolling green hills of the Cotswolds rapidly recede. We are lucky that the traffic isn't too bad and we reach the car hire return on the London Heathrow perimeter road within two hours. Ross tells the rep exactly what he thinks about the car - and the fact that we're returning it in much better condition than we got it. Still, it's difficult not to feel a bit of separation anxiety as we part ways with the car and, with luggage in tow, subject ourselves to the vagaries of the public transport system. We make use of the shuttle bus to reach the airport terminal and the Tube station. Happily the Oyster cards we last used 5 years ago still have credit on them - it's like finding money in an old coat pocket. Bonus!

It takes us a little while to reach Kew station as we have to change lines twice. Just as we think we've avoided lugging suitcases up any long flights of stairs, we're forced to do just that at Kew station to cross over the tracks. Luckily the Kew Gardens B+B is only a 5 minute walk from the station... although *gasp* more stairs to reach the front door! It is a discrete little place tucked away in a leafy residential suburb. Once inside, our host very kindly shows us to our room - a little eyrie up some more stairs at the top of the house. Without a thought he picks up our suitcases and gallantly carries them up although his panting perhaps belies the fact that the cases are heavier than he imagined... 

Our room is very small but it cleverly makes the most of every last bit of space. The house itself has recently been refurbished so it has slick and modern finishes... down to the space-age Japanese toilet in the ensuite with its flashing lights, buttons and nozzles(?!)

It is still only early afternoon and so after a short rest, we walk to the nearby Victoria Gate at Kew Gardens and hand over another exorbitant entry fee. It is worth it however as we spend the next few hours tramping around the gardens, and even then only manage to see a small part of it. The heat and humidity on the upper level of the Palm House is so oppressive that we only last a few minutes inside before we rush for the exit. 

Palm House

Not that it's a problem as there are so many other things to see and do. There are colourful floral borders, decades-old bonsai trees lovingly crafted to perfection, greenhouses galore, experimental art installations, Kew Palace, and if all that fails, a never-ending procession of jet aircraft coasting in to land. The proximity to the airport means there are planes passing overhead every 30 seconds. Apart from the noise there is the amazing spectacle of huge A380 aircraft lumbering across the sky. It seems to defy physics that anything so big should manage to stay in the air...

A small sample of colours from Kew

Colours of Kew

'The Hive' - a multisensory exhibit that resonates at the frequency of a bee hive

Nature lovingly sculpted

The plane! The plane!

Kew Palace is where King George III and his family spent a fair amount of time. In such lovely surrounds it is not difficult to understand why they loved it so much. The house has been lovingly restored and is a perfect example of Georgian symmetry and order.

Kew Palace

The music room at Kew Palace

As the afternoon wears on, we get more tired and footsore but there is one more place we have to see. We are fortunate indeed as the Temperate House greenhouse only reopened in May after a five-year project to refurbish it. Twice the size of the Palm House, it meant replacing 15,000 panes of glass and removing, cleaning and repairing/replacing almost 70,000 individual elements. The building is astounding and no picture can really do it justice. Immaculately restored, it is light and airy and presents room after room of temperate zone plants from around the world... over 4000 of them. 

Temperate House

Temperate House

It is a fitting conclusion to our visit to Kew Gardens and so as the sun starts to sink towards the horizon, we walk back towards the Tube station and the collection of restaurants that are clustered there. We eventually settle on an Antipodean Cafe which advertises its Aussie/NZ fare. Ross has travelled a long way to order a Little Creatures Pale Ale from just down the road in Freo(!) but it is welcome after all of today's walking. Suitably fed and watered, we return to our comfortable room. Even double glazing can't really mask the sound of aircraft but fortunately once the curfew kicks in, there is some quiet to be had in the middle of the night.  With that we rest our weary limbs and sleep away our final night in the UK.