7/26/2024 - Friday @ Kew Gardens

7/27 am note - Getting in the habit of drinking a quart of water before getting started each day so I don't bring my water bottle with me.  Keeping to the minimum carry bag is important since I'm walking around constantly and it's city maneuvering with a lot of people around.  A full backpack is not practical and neither is walking around with a bottle in my hand constantly.  It's hard enough to hold onto a glass or aluminum disposable until I get to the next appropriate recycling containers.

Also very grateful this isn't 2000 anymore.  There are trash (rubbish) and recycling (sometimes mixed use, sometimes single stream, sometimes just aluminum/glass, & sometimes just paper cups & lids) everywhere.  I'm also seeing what I think now are compost bins fairly regularly on the sidewalks against walls - I'm not sure if those are meant to be public use or not.

Will be operating on decidedly less sleep than Friday, but I'm staying in Kensington area, so I hope to be in bed early tonight (probably with AdvilPM again so I don't hear the low hum of a bathroom fan or A/C from another room).

7/26/2024 - Friday ~ 10:10 AM

Found my coffee spot, right by the Earl's Cross Underground entry.  My cell phone access is back to not wanting to connect when I'm off WiFi (reboot helped this later after Kew).  Glad it was ok for getting my directions and the GPS is online to help me with mapping.

I'm headed to Richmond now.  Will need to time things to be back to Shakespeare's Globe by 7pm.  

At Richmondare the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew & the King's Observatory.    I am hoping to see the view for which Richmond, VA is named, but they don't exactly have those kind of things labeled for hose of us from the Colonies.

I got a bit mixed up on the times this moring.  The District line splits several times & they all intersect at Earl's Court.  I got on the Wimbledon Train & had to come back one.  then I had to make sure I got on the correct Westbound train to Richmond & Kew rather than Eating Broadway.

Most of the people are quiet in the Tube, uless they are travelling with others.  I was reading about Tube etiquette & respecting the "don't speak to people in the Tube" recommendation.  (7/27 note: I broke this yesterday when I saw a man with a "Harris 2024" t-shirt & asked him how he got it so quickly.  He was very nice - from Florida - but the conversation quickly became awkward when I really didn't want to get into the politics, so definitely understanding the 'no talking to strangers in the tubes' convention.)

The day is absolutely perfect.  Blue skies with a few whispy clouds.  The termperatures are as cool as it will get this week (21-22C), so I'm wearing my sweater & leggings with skirt - the warmest thing I have. (it was mostly comfortable, but got very warm at times).  This is perfect for the Theater tonight, too.  Though it would be much too dressy for Shakespeare's time.

Already at the Kew Gardenns exit!  I'm going on to Richmond to start at the Obervatory & walk back (east) toward Kew.  I will look for high points in the park to see the Thames.

The following pictures are from wildflowers/trees in Old Deer Park, which is outside of Kew and surrounds the now-private King's Observatory.  Unfortuntately they no longer take public visitors to the Observatory, but they do have a 'membership' from what it appears online.  There are signs that say "Private Residence" so the royals have reclaimed it, apparently.

This is David Schofield & his dog Daisy.  I ran into him while walking through Deer Park and asked if he knew anything about the large trees or obelisks  I was finding.  He said the trees are historical to the area (in fact I found several at Kew & the plaques were posted with them - each is several hundred years old).  He wanted to share his website with me - he picks up post cards from his travels & has amassed quiet a collection!  CLICK HERE

This is the Prime Meridian line (NOPE!  WRONG!  Keep reading!).  The obelisk behind it lines up with the Prime & was used by old King George III in the observatory in the disitance to line up with Greenwich - ok that makes ZERO sense, because Greenwich is farther East.  Let me figure out what this is about.  It may be a meridian, but it can't be prime when Kew & Richmond is further west than Greenwich. ** Ok, checked - this "meridian" lines up true north for the Observatory, but is NOT the PRIME set for maps.  At one time the King's Observatory was where the clocks were set for London's official time.  If I want to see the clocks & instruments that were more involved with this, I should go to the Science Museum (also in Kennsigton area where I'm staying).

 

BELOW  - pictures from KEW Botanical Gardens.  These first pictures are from the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

The Princess of Wales Conservancy (created for Princess Diana) had surprises at every turn!

This is the Davies Alpine House.  It was actually my favorite, though ALL of the Conservancies are wonderful.  I loved how this building is designed around teaching climate zones by Altitude.  The collection of succulentts are beautiful.

I don't have all the time I need to post all my pictures of Kew, but I will add the ones from the Great Pagoda  & Japanese garden here, which will make my kids happy, I think.  This was created by George III also.  He was quite into building projects.  Must have been getting a lot of money sent home from the Colonies.😁

Redwood forest