Kew Gardens

The weather has been amazing over the weekend, last Saturday I lost internet connection for twelve hours while I had to work on stuff. It made me realise that I spend way too many hours at my desk because I still ended up retouching pictures for a client while I’d promise myself not to work and go out for a few. The same happened on Sunday, I really wanted to finish retouching the forty pictures from their new summer collection. The sooner I finish it the sooner it will be online and live. So yes a bit of expediency is involved as well but who can blame me, I’ve worked hard to get results…

But Sunday I decided to bring my Mac and my Wacom tablet and make use of the garden facilities of friends so I could work outside and enjoy the sun and a glass of wine too along with some mouth-watering delicate tea-time treats… English sandwiches with ham/bacon/egg, turkey/chicken/avocado and of course one with smoked salmon *a feast!* On Monday I’d promised myself a day off since it was Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May) in the UK. I’d planned to visit Kew Gardens because it’s something I’ve always wanted to see and the weather was absolutely perfect for this.

So I had an amazing day out! My favourites were the Palm House and the Waterlily House both the hottest and most humid of Kew’s glasshouses but I was thriving in the heat and the humidity, I loved it! I could’ve stayed there all day long guess it’s in the genes *hehe*. I also climbed the eighteen metres high stairs to get a unique birds-eye view of Kew from the Treetop Walkway. Later that day I had a birthday party in Addlestone Surrey. After all the walking the lovely finger food was another welcome treat…

© Zesty Gal, Kew Gardens (move mouse over picture to show navigation)

Amsterdam Harbour by Sunset

Last week I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive around the Westpoort harbour of Amsterdam on a barge by sunset. I realised it could get really late that night and I had an important meeting the next day but I didn’t mind about the next day. All I wanted was to have this experience and see what it is like to pick up a load of soy beans from a ship from Manila. It was an adventure and I had the time of my life!

It was 02.30 in the morning when I finally went to bed. Cold because of the wind on the water but extremely happy because I did something out of the ordinary and unplanned. It reminded me of adventures organised by my dad who would wake me up in the middle of the night, age seven, to go see a ship that ran aground -due to a severe storm- at the Scheveningen shore and have fish and chips after to warm up again…

© Zesty Gal, Westpoort harbour, Amsterdam

© Zesty Gal, Westpoort harbour, Amsterdam

© Zesty Gal, Westpoort harbour, Amsterdam

© Zesty Gal, Westpoort harbour, Amsterdam

© Zesty Gal, Westpoort harbour, Amsterdam

© Zesty Gal, Westpoort harbour, Amsterdam