For us, this bout of good weather coincided with a visit from Carlos' extended family from Spain - giving them, I fear, a somewhat rosied perception of a British autumn. But never mind. It meant that we got to do some sightseeing with a proper holiday backdrop.
Amid a week of firsts for me - and the discovery that Birmingham and its surroundings have some cracking good places to visit (hence starting the new blog) - one of the stand out places was Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Despite having been several times in the past, albeit mainly for drunken university balls, I'd never had the opportunity for a proper look round. And how I had missed out.
On an absolutely glorious day, the expansive gardens were at their best - the first autumn leaves shining brilliant red and gold in the sun while the last of the summer blooms blazed. We started with the glasshouses, moving from the oppressive heat of the tropical and sub-tropical rooms, through to the truly zen-like tranquillity of the Japanese garden and national bonsai collection. Back inside, the Mediterranean greenhouse unsurprisingly captured the imagination of our Iberian guests, packed as it was with stunning colours.
We were slightly disappointed to find the succulent room out of bounds due to maintenance, but we were at least treated to some magnificent specimens of giant cacti outside on the terrace.
The next couple of hours were simply spent meandering through the extensive grounds, which are pocketed with different styles of gardening and flora. A sumptuous day; if you have a spare afternoon and a patch of sunshine, I'd highly recommend grabbing a picnic and taking a stroll around Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens are on Westbourne Road, Edgbaston. Easily reached on any bus leaving the city centre from Colmore Row towards Harborne - at the time of writing that's the numbers 10, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 29.
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