Giant Budgie Spotted at Kew Gardens

Good weather today in London so MB visited Kew Gardens. After carefully studying the bus and tube routes, she decided to take the bus from outside the hotel direct to Victoria station then hop on the train to Kew Gardens. This plan came unstuck however at Victoria underground station, on arriving MB found it was closed for the weekend. Lots of stranded commuters milling around but buses had been put on to replace the train services. MB then had to fight through the crowds to get to a bus for Earls Court tube station, the bus inched along through traffic jams, however it was a good chance for sightseeing, went through the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, saw Harrods and Sloane Square, a complete contrast to East London where MB is holed up, like going from the 3rd world to first world, just by crossing the Thames.

The train from Earls Court was a cinch and in no time MB was in tranquil Kew, with the gardens’ entrance about 200m from the station. These 132ha gardens are the grounds of Kew Palace, which MB understands is no longer occupied and are nearly a haven, being under the Heathrow flight path means a continuous stream of jets overhead. The grounds are dotted with splendid trees and themed areas such as a Japanese garden, pinetum, coppice, a badger sett, woodlands – where I spotted the Giant Ground Budgie, hothouses, etc. etc. There is a fee to visit the gardens which means they don’t become so crowded which is a big plus.
When MB was leaving she got bailed up by an African family dressed to the nines, asking if she’d seen a wedding pavilion. MB replied in the negative but also mentioned the gardens are so huge she could easily have missed it! Beautiful day for a wedding. Return journey by train, no planning just got on the first train at Kew Gardens station and changed at the first station that crossed the Jubilee Line, much quicker getting back.

Landmark day today for MDR, the ferries arrived and were offloaded without incident.