Travel

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29
Sep 10

The advantages of getting an annual membership to a botanical garden

You are under the impression that Botanical Gardens are only for professional horticulturists and you, being an absolute novice, couldn’t possibly see yourself going to one. What the heck for? You don’t know a Tulip from a Rose, a Maple from an Oak, a hoe from a spade. Botanical gardens are hoidy-toidy, stiff, formal, imposing and down right boring for the likes of you. Well, why should anyone try to change your mind? Just for your own good, is all.

Let us thoroughly explain the true value of the Botanical garden.

The Botanical garden is not, unlike what you may have been told, just for the serious study of Botany. Yes, some folks use it as their classrooms but as they are so serious they have no other choice. They don’t know how to have fun. We, on the other hand, do. Many Botanical Gardens, as it happens, have wonderful programs that have very little to do with plants if you can believe it. Therefore, those who have little interest in plants can also have fun at the Botanical Garden. How? Let us count the ways.

#1- Many Botanical gardens have concerts and dance shows mostly in summer but sometimes throughout the year. They bring in eclectic groups from all over the world. Funky Tex-Mex Fusion, traditional Japanese dance, Native American interactive dance demonstrations, Celtic groups singing ballads accompanied by harp and bagpipes, famous classical pianists, local folk musicians and world renown string quartets have been known to appear in select gardens and you can see them for the price of admission to the garden.

#2- When the winter blues are at their height some gardens put on great Christmas, or for the politically correct among us, Holiday light displays. Gardens with large conservatories have displays of decorated trees, wreaths, nativity scenes plus a zillion Poinsettias, Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus all abloom. That’s a way to get you in the holiday mood and out of the winter blahs.

#3- Scavenger hunts, creepy crawly demonstrations, guided walks through butterfly houses and funky insect sculptures are common activities at many botanical gardens. The kids love it and end up begging -or should we say bugging?- to come back to the “fun flower place”. Of course, adults have been known to get Peter Pan syndrome at these places. If you don’t want to revert back to childhood you may want to avoid these.

#4- Lessons in gardening are often free or at low cost at some botanical gardens. Such things as how to prune shrubs, how to make a container garden,

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21
Sep 10

How to get the most out of your botanical garden membership

Your love of plants and all things nature has lead you to get a membership to your local and/or favorite Botanical garden, Arboretum or Conservatory. This is a wonderful thing and one that will bring much enjoyment to your life. The many benefits to this limitless access to your favorite Horticultural haven are countless. With every time you go you’ll relieve stress, get a bit of exercise, some sun, see lovely gardens with flowers, trees and shrubs in constant, ever-changing array.

You’ll spot an occasional sculpture, fountain or waterfall and no doubt you’ll see some rather nice, friendly folks volunteering to keep it looking its best who will chat with you about that unusual plant they are pruning, propagating or planting. You’ll have butterflies flutter by your nose, chipmunks will scamper across your path usually followed by a cat, birds will swoop around building nests and feeding their young. You can join a Tai chi class in the morning on the great lawn or take a meditation class in the afternoon. You can ride your bike, hike or jog through anytime you like. Peace and tranquility abound and all for one price.

Yes, membership to a botanical garden is an amazing thing. But what if you are at once a gardening enthusiast and a lover of travel? Well, then it would behoove you to combine these two passions. How to do this is rather simple and virtually painless especially with your Botanical garden membership card in hand. In lieu of other less enjoyable touristy things to do you can include a leisurely visit to the local Botanical gardens wherever you choose to wander, vacation or pass through on your way elsewhere.

As you’re likely to find a garden almost everywhere you go and some of them, depending on how far and wide you travel, can be quite different from what you are used to. This will give you a whole new perspective on plants, garden types, styles and designs. You may see plants, trees, vines, herbs, shrubs, annuals and perennials you never saw before. You might even learn something. And that’s saying nothing about sculptures, musical shows and other things readily available at many Botanical gardens.

But how, you may ask? You only have a membership to one garden not all of them. As you may already know admission to Botanical gardens, arboreta and conservatories, at least the very good ones, can cost a pretty penny. One time admission to some gardens can be as much as twenty-five US dollars per person. This is not saying they are not well worth

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13
Aug 10

Travel destinations: The Eden Project, Cornwall, UK

Last October I took a family break in Cornwall. We had fabulous autumn weather with crisp sunny days and starry velvet nights. Much of the time was spent on the beaches running, climbing, fishing for crabs in rock pools or watching surfers ride 15 foot waves from the safety of a cosy caf. Each cove or bay has something different to offer in terms of landscape, whether it is red and green rock cliffs with eerie caves, firm golden sand, grassy dunes or fish and chips in a picturesque harbour-side pub.

We managed, however, to tear ourselves away from the gorgeous north coast for a day trip to the Eden Project at St Austell.

As we pulled into the car park we were struck immediately by a change of tempo. The beaches had been very quiet with just the surfers and a handful of dog walkers sharing the vast expanse with us. Here we found a jostling cheerful crowd of school groups, families, elderly couples, tourists, all eager, enthused and impressed. Piling onto the electric tractors that take you from the car park down to the so far hidden gardens, we felt an air of excitement. As Eden comes into view it defies all expectation. Set in a disused china clay pit, it appears as a huge crater in the landscape, crammed with vegetation of all shapes, sizes and colours. There is a sense of great swathes of planting around an aesthetically pleasing design of shapes and lines. In the centre of all this are two Biomes the world’s largest conservatories, housing the humid tropical and warm temperate gardens.

The walk through the Eden project is a tumultuous journey of the senses from start to finish. Cleverly designed to break up the crowds, the path snakes through flower and herb gardens, vegetable plantations, small forests and an ice rink, each section invoking a new sensation of smell or colour. Entering the tropical Biome is like stepping off the plane on arrival on a long dreamed of holiday. The humid heat leaves you sweating in minutes, stripping to t-shirts as you wander past huge flowering orchids and plantations of coffee, bananas, rice and coconuts. You can drink mango juice under a palm tree and laughter floats through this area as you are transported a million miles from home.

Next you come to the temperate area more familiar but equally enchanting. Here you encounter a warm spring breeze, the scent of lavender, jasmine, and basil amidst the surprisingly arid landscape. There are rocks underfoot between which peep small sturdy flowers. You fully expect to see a farmer on horseback emerge from between lemon trees.

We sat on hay bales and ate food made from produce grown on site listening to one of the resident storytellers. Dressed in a green woollen cloak and carrying a staff in one hand he strolled over, and told some scary Halloween tales before taking my son to make a magic glittering potion.

The achievement of the Eden Project is monumental. To have created an experience of the natural world that is so varied, with such detail, humour and vigour is truly inspiring. Serious issues about man’s relationship with plants are presented in an engaging and beautiful way. As we trekked slowly back to the real world we felt privileged and enriched, and smiling glances between fellow visitors indicated that this feeling was shared. We were bonded in the sense of peace and happiness evoked by this journey through the natural world.

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11
Jul 10

Dream Wedding in Vienna

Every girl dreams of a fairytale wedding, of being a princess for a day? Can one imagine being carried off in a horse drawn carriage to marry the Prince in a breathtaking Baroque palace? Celebrate one’s fairy-tale wedding in Vienna, one of the most gloriously romantic cities in Europe.

Vienna offers unforgettably elegant, world-renowned venues including the fairytale Schönbrunn Palace, the Giant Ferris Wheel, or cruising down the Danube on MS Vindobona? Alternatively, if one loves to ski a winter wedding in the snow – at some of the best ski resorts in the Alps can also be organized.

Imperial flair is lovingly unfurled, accompanied by a passion for things new. A distinctive and harmonious synthesis of the arts and effusive joie de vivre captivate the beholder. Vienna is a pulsating capital full of motion and emotion – a source of delight, not only for happy couples. Both nostalgia and modern trends are rooted here, making the “I do” a special bond for eternity as the bride and groom stand hand in hand.

Fans of imperial splendor can stage their own royal wedding at Schönbrunn Palace, the former Habsburg summer residence with 1,441 rooms. It is where Empress Maria Theresa once held court with her husband and 16 children, where the beautiful Empress Elisabeth resided with Franz Josef, and where one can celebrate your big day in regal style.

In the Schönbrunn Palace one can book the White Gold Room and the Gym of Empress Elisabeth. Herkules Hall at Liechtenstein Museum accommodates wedding receptions up to 400 guests. Those who prefer it a bit more intimate will love Eroica Hall at Lobkowitz Palace. Those who get married at Schloss Wilhelminenberg are rewarded with spectacular views of Vienna. The west wing of Lower Belvedere Palace can also be rented for levees and wedding receptions with a difference. Another spectacular wedding setting is the Imperial Palace. Weddings are held in the Radetzky Apartment II, and the bridal procession enters by the Ambassadors’ Staircase. The more adventurous one can try the exotic wedding in the Butterfly House? The Butterfly House in the Burggarten is one of Vienna’s finest fin-de-siècle conservatories. The wedding takes place in the glasshouse, amid a tropical atmosphere with butterflies, plants and waterfalls. Another unusual setting is the Giant Ferris Wheel. The wedding ceremony is performed in the Jugendstil gondola. The ceremony begins after the wedding gondola has started moving and is completed when it reaches its highest point. The wedding dinner is held in a beautiful anniversary gondola. A special trip for tramway fans as they roll into future as a married couple in a vintage wedding tram.

Vienna City Hall also offers the wedding services. In the company of dignitaries and honorary citizens, one can make your marriage vows in the Stone Hall after ascending the grand red-carpeted stairway like so many famous personalities previously.

Cobenzl Vineyard is avenue to say “I Do” high up on the Cobenzl, where the City of Vienna gently merges into the Vienna Woods. Celebrate your wedding in the vineyards with a beautiful view across Vienna and the River Danube. And after the ceremony in a romantic wine cellar, the guest may drink to the health of newly weds beneath the canopy of the sky.

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28
Mar 10

A locals guide to Armagh, Ireland

Armagh is an ancient land ripe with history and culture. St. Patrick built his first church in Ireland in Armagh. He called Armagh “my sweet hill.” Schools, homes, and more churches were built around St. Patrick’s first church and eventually Armagh become know as the “City of Saints and Scholars.” It produced some of the finest scholars of Ireland and played an important role in the spread of Christianity through Europe.

Armagh has been the setting of many battles. She’s been raided, ransacked, and rebuilt over the ages, but she stands strong today and is a lovely place to visit. From the legends of the locals you can hear in the pubs to the museums, conservatories, cathedrals, and even a game or two of road bowling, there is much to do in a land you’re bound to fall in love with at first sight.

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5
Jan 10

Unique Islands Offer a Luxurious Seychelles Vacation

The Seychelles islands cluster, off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, is a tropical remote location. This collection of 115 islands is home to some of the world’s rarest wildlife. Unlike many of the other island clusters in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles is large enough to support a healthy population of natives. Because some of the islands are fairly distant from one another, travel between them is accomplished by small airplanes, ferry or helicopter. If seeing nature is the goal, a private helicopter transport between islands is breathtaking.

On the capital island Victoria, there are marketplaces filled with cultural arts and crafts, museums detailing the rich French culture of the area, five-star restaurants featuring exquisite local cuisine and even a golf-course. Many Seychelles hotels and resorts are attractive destinations in and of themselves. On some of the smaller islands it is possible to schedule a local guide for a hiking trip or boat tour around the island. On these nature excursions, a glimpse of the rare giant tortoise is not uncommon. In addition, the islands feature lush green jungles alive with local birds, like the glamorous Seychelles Flycatcher. In fact, the Garden of Eden, from the Judaeo/Christian faith, is said to be located in the Vallee de Mai on Praslin Island. Be sure to visit this magnificent place. Protecting wildlife as a natural resource is so important to the culture of these islands that many have been designated as wildlife conservatories and refuges.

For the more adventuresome vacation, there are high impact activities galore. Most of these islands are made from the natural upheaval of coral reefs; the surrounding waters are teeming with reef fish and beautiful living corals. This environment provides a perfect location for scuba divers and snorkelers. Many resorts offer classes in scuba and rentals for the equipment necessary to become immersed in this natural wonder. To further experience the Indian Ocean at its finest, surfboards and para sails are available for rental at many Seychelles hotels and resorts. In addition, if sailing is of interest, there is a yacht club on the capital island and many of the resorts have sailboats for hourly rent. Sailing through the beautiful clear waters and the gentle breeze surrounding these magnificent islands is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Although the cities in the Seychelles Islands are fairly modern, especially in the capital district, many of the smaller remote islands still contain Creole natives that are untouched by civilization. Be sure to visit these with the local natives that inhabit some of the remote islands and learn how they make a living by farming and fishing in the traditional way. By visiting with these people and removing oneself from civilization, even for only an hour, is a life changing experience and will instill a feeling of appreciation of nature.

Whether you are interested in hiking, sailing, scuba diving, culture, food or relaxation, Seychelles Island hotels and resorts offer something for everyone. Their secluded locale, scintillating scenery and friendly natives make the Seychelles Islands an unforgettable vacation experience like no other.

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