Tag: Botanical Gardens

Travel Diary June 2023: Coimbra #Portugal #Coimbra #city #travel #botanicalgardens #University #trees #bambooforest

We travelled to Coimbra on 2nd June, a Portuguese city on our bucket list for some time. It is a lovely city with a traditional and friendly feel. Not too big and not too small! 😊

Here are some photos…

What a sunset!

There are a lot of stairs and steep paths! The photo below doesn’t give a true perspective of the steepness. You just have to trust me that it was mega steep. Escadas de Quinchorro. Phew! That poor unsuspecting chap just happened to be climbing the stairs when I took his photograph.

It left me breathless too!

Sunday 4th June 2023 we went to the University and the Botanical Gardens which are located high up! So don’t forget your walking shoes. There is a bus though…

Here I am at the entrance to the gardens, looking happy as I do love to visit botanical gardens!

One of the first things I spotted was a green parrot-like bird 🦜 eating a fruit. Sadly, he was so camouflaged, it was impossible to see him in the photo below. He was eating a small red fruit!

I love trees and nature, so this was a real treat for me. There are trees galore, some extraordinary ones! This Jacaranda is reaching up to the skies via an escape hatch in the cafe.

This Cedrus Deodara had a plaque in remembrance to poet and novelist Rui Costa: ‘He combined his interest in Literature with a taste for Law, graduating in this area from the University of Coimbra (1996) and practicing law for six years, in Lisbon and London.’
My favourite trees were the Australian Bayan which were simply stunning!
Australian Bayan

Their roots are something else! Spectacular.

And the bamboo forest is huge too… that’s my hubby and he is 6ft 1…

The chapel… São Bento, nature has been allowed to create a kind of neglected, camaflagued look.

There’s a lot we didn’t see but I’m sure we will be back. If you are a huge tree lover, like I am you will love it!

Ticket Price

Free, but I think there is a charge for the glasshouses.

Opening Hour

Winter: 9am-17:30 Summer: 9am-20:00

Recommended Visit Duration

Around 1 hour or more

Enjoy!

Next up a day trip to Aveiro, Portugal…

Signature

https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor

Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 228, #Poet’sChoice @ColleenChesebro

A Slice of Sky Pie - Shadorma 

Blue and white 
A slice of sky pie
Massive tree
A redwood
 Leafy lollipop heaven
Steep climb to the top!

My poem is inspired by a recent trip to the botanical gardens in Cambridge. I noticed this magnificent tree and the wonderful slice of blue and white sky.

To join in Colleen’s poetry challenge:

https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2021/06/01/tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-228-poetschoice/

Here are some other magnificent champion trees that I saw on my walk. Enjoy!

And a bee hotel.

I intended to go for another walk today but it’s pouring with rain so I’m writing this blog post.

I managed to go for a walk in the rain later!

Check out this wonderful review post from Balroop Singh for Colleen Chesebro’s Wordcraft Prose and Poetry and my poetry and prose book – Mr. Sagittarius.

#Bookreviews #Prose & #Poetry

Bye for now,

#TANKA TUESDAY POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 202 SYNONYMSONLY

This week, Kat Myrman, from Like Mercury Colliding, selected the words:

Imagine & Gratitude

So, I decided to write about my recent walk in the botanical gardens in Cambridge. It was a glorious autumn day which filled my spirit full of imagination and gratitude. There is a small area which is normally for school children only but this has been opened to the public.

I took various photos. I particularly loved this lovely writers throne which I shared on my Instagram…

Visualise

A writers garden

Blessed with thanks

And this was so unusual, just a couple of broken branches but they looked like a crocodile’s head and tail!

My head’s tail!

Give crocodile thanks

Picture this…

These are so cute too…

The autumn colours are fabulous.

https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2020/11/10/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-202-synonymsonly/

COLLEEN’S 2020 #BOOK #REVIEWS – “Mr. Sagittarus,” BY AUTHOR, MJ Mallon, @Marjorie_Mallon

 

Source: COLLEEN’S 2020 #BOOK #REVIEWS – “Mr. Sagittarus,” BY AUTHOR, MJ Mallon, @Marjorie_Mallon

I’m thrilled to announce that I have two five star reviews for Mr. Sagittarius. Thank you to Colleen for the above review. So thrilled. And also to Ritu for her 5 star review too:

YAY!!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3182711991/

The blog tour for my poetry, prose and photography book, Mr. Sagittarius began with the cutest kitties over at my good friend Sam’s blog:

Sam with her lovely kitties: https://samanthamurdochblog.wordpress.com/

The fabulous Charli Mills did me proud at Carrot Ranch: https://carrotranch.com/2020/02/17/mr-sagittarius-blog-tour/

And today – the lovely Sherri is hosting me on her blog:  https://sherrimatthewsblog.com/

So excited! Thank you so much for all your support.

The first month’s royalties of the ebook will be donated to the Australian bush fires.