I hadn't realized just how much I needed to get out of the city and into some nature until I did today. I went to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and despite being the middle of December, there was still plenty to see. Kew is famous for its Victorian greenhouses, among other things, so inside the greenhouses it's still warm, misty, and full of plant life. I had a very enjoyable few hours just wandering around the greenhouses, photographing plants (my favourite photo subject besides architecture and my cats), although there'd have been more pictures if I had remembered to recharge the camera battery last night. Don't worry, it's recharging now in preparation for tomorrow's trip to Bath, Stonehenge, and Windsor Castle.

After I finished at the greenhouses, I wandered around the grounds for a bit. There's less to see here at this time of year, but there are actually quite a few plants that have winter interest, such as bright stems, berries, or even scented flowers (viburnum and wintersweet, to name two). Kew runs a little tram around the gardens all year round, so I rode on that for a circuit and got glimpses of the Thames, Kew Palace, and Syon House (interiors by Adam, landscapes by Capability Brown, for those who are interested in that sort of thing). It's hard to take photographs from a moving tram, no matter how slowly it's moving, so the house pictures are a bit blurry but I tried my best.

I also uploaded some pictures last night of our semester-end pub night last Thursday. Lots of fun and karaoke.

More tomorrow night, when I return from my day trip...