Cambridge Botanic Gardens

I travelled down to Cambridge today, to spend some time with my niece, Kaddy. We'd originally hoped to meet at Wicken Fen, but with the impending arrival of Storm Hannah, we decided to opt for somewhere with indoor attractions. I went by train, thinking this would be less stressful than driving in potentially nasty weather.

All went well with the journey, though when I arrived at the Botanic Gardens I was told that all the glasshouses were shut, for safety reasons - rather a disappointment. To avoid the weather Kaddy and I stayed in the cafe, chatting nineteen to the dozen over a couple of cups of coffee. We were just contemplating lunch when we were all asked to leave as they'd decided to close the site - the first time I've ever been thrown out of the Botanics!

We decamped to the Fitzwilliam Museam where we continued to talk non-stop over a delicious meal of smoked mackerel and horseradish pate with a fennel salad. Kaddy left just after three and I decided to meander back to the station, passing sheets of cherry blossom, ripped off by the fierce gusty wind. As I walked past the Botanic Gardens I noticed that they'd re-opened, so I wandered round for about an hour. It was eerily quiet for a Saturday afternoon  - a post-storm lull - and sadly the glasshouses remained shut..