Earlier in my London experience I asked the small group of people I had met what one must do in London, and a trusted voice said, "you must see the Bluebells in bloom in Kew gardens ... they blanket the floors ... Amazing."
So, with that, the fact that my Mom & John would love a boat ride, and the convenient time of year I thought it would be great if I could take them down to Kew Gardens, near the town of Richmond, for a day.One can catch a boat at Westminster Pier, right under Big Ben, for a two hour journey down the river Thames. It truly was delightful, running past the house of Parliament, Chelsea, the course of the Oxford / Cambridge boat race, and numerous antiquated river pubs and house boats. our tour guide was of the old school, highly opinionated type, which we all could appreciate.
It was interesting to expand upon my knowledge that the river that runs through London is actually a "tidal" river, which means it experiences high and low tides, and twice a day. The difference in water levels is around 7 meters (23 feet!) between its highest and lowest.
Pretty amazing to see that several pubs en route actually expect that their floors will be wet parts of the day and have special tidal entrances for such an occasion.
Upon "alighting" at Richmond (the word I have learned means "departing"), there is a charming river front area where we had lunch, comprised of typical British fare and a couple of Guinness. Because the town of Richmond was a bit too "high street" (mall-like), the trip over to Kew Gardens was a better decision.
Like most in England, the park was huge, with several distinct sections and even great art museums. Alas, in the end, and on poor tired feet, we did get to the section of the park with the Bluebells. The angle of the sun made for great ambiance and pictures. The air was sweet ... a beautiful walk.
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