Kew Gardens and Albert Memorial

This weekend we spent time at Kew gardens to see the orchids and a tour of the Albert Memorial. 

Before we went to Kew Leanne took Coach for his Saturday walk. This was just his normal walk and he is such a good dog on these walks in the park.

But sometimes he does his business in the most unusual places.  In front of Kensington Palace is not the place this should be done.

Looking back to see if the queens guards were following.

With Coach safe at home we were off to Kew Gardens.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens

The crocus were in bloom, and there was a blanket of them everywhere. 

We had gone to Kew to see the orchid display, but first we would walk thru the Palm house

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_house

This is a picture of what it would look like in the summer.

It was 45 degrees outside and about 75 inside, my coat came off fast. 

It was like walking thru a tropical forest, with a coat on.

The building was built in the 1844 and 1848. It had a walk way along the top which we walked around.

 

Another view looking across. 

Back outside and another blanket of crocus.

It look like spring is coming.

This is the Hive at Kew gardens

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/17/sculpture-controlled-by-bees-wolfgang-buttress-hive

Its supposed to be like a bee hive

Inside there is a low hum just like the activity of real bees in a beehive on the property.

This is one of the original trees on the property. During a bad storm the wind pulled the tree out of the ground and dropped it back down. 

The stroller parking area, glad we don't have to mess with that.

This green house had the orchids and some other odd things. 

A few of the many flowers

More orchids in the background and in front mangrove plant.

Someone looks made that were in his area.

When the gardeners have some free time the make plant statues. 

Sunday we would tour the Albert Memorial in Kensington garden. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Memorial

We have looked at this a number of times but have never been up close to it. They have a tour the first Sunday of the month and as luck would have it we had nothing planned Sunday.

Waiting for the tour guide. It was bit windy and as luck would have it, it started to rain. 

She started to tour by explaining the cost and the other buildings across from it. The round building is the Royal Albert hall. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Albert_Hall 

The building to the right is Royal College of Arts.

https://www.rca.ac.uk/

When it was built in the 1960's it was supposed to match the color of the Royal Albert hall. There was so much soot from years of  burning coal that the Royal Albert hall was a black color.

The memorial was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert who died at age 42.

It is 176 feet tall, took ten years to complete and cost £120,000. 

I thought it was just sitting on the ground, we found out that the foundation under the memorial is a series of arches to support the weight of it. In other words there is a basement under it.

There is a railing around it and on each corner is a sculpture depicting a continent, this one is Asia. The other three are Europe, Americas and Africa.

There are four more on the corners up near the memorial. This one is Engineering, the others are, Commerce, Agriculture and Manufactures. 

Around the base of it is the Frieze of Parnassus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieze_of_Parnassus

It has 169 life size sculptures of individual composers, architects, poets, painters, and sculptors from history.

We had never noticed that there is a name either under or over each person. Being up close you got a better view of everything.  

The marble is 2 feet thick and the was carving was done on site. 

At about this point it was raining very hard,

this is when the sleet started. 

A better view of Shakespeare.

On the one side in the center is Raphael holding a tablet

A corner has been replace because it was broken off when people would climb on the statue to get a closer look of Albert. 

They must have thought it was a jungle gym.

The statue of Albert is bronze gilded in gold.

Well the rain has stopped and we have a great view looking towards Hyde park.

Looking out on Kensington garden

And another view from the monument.

This is the corner statue of the Americas, hey look the sun's out.