Garden of Eden

On Sunday it was Mothering Sunday here in the UK and so we packed up our car and made our way to The Eden Project. Their website can be found here. We are lucky enough that this amazing place is less than 40 mins from our house and we LOVE going here. There is something different each time we go and trust me, we are regular visitors. Each winter (from just before Christmas until about Feb half term) they offer all locals a reduced entry pass. This means you get entry for one or two years for a HUGE reduction in the cost. We spent £10.00 last year and we got two years admission for that! It means that our visits there only normally cost the fuel (as we normally take a picnic!).
As it was Mother's Day we decided to treat ourselves to lunch... they have amazing food in a bakery/buffet style restaurant. You choose your main componant of your meal - of which there is a massive selection - and then you have unlimited salad, potatoes and bread to add to you meal! It was delicious. Children are also well catered for with lunch bags for them too.

You start your journey at the top of the entrance to the site with amazing views over the whole place but I forgot to take a photo at this point as DS was desperate to get onto the tractor that takes you to the bottom!
As you reach the bottom (which you can walk too if you prefer!) there are huge gardens and exhibits throughout... we particularly love the bumble bee...

 

 

There are two biomes at Eden - a tropical one and a temperate one. We always go into the tropical one too as sometimes it can be very very hot and the temperate one is a good leveller after the heat!

The plants are amazing and there are some huge impressive species...

 

 

We stood on the bridge for a rare family shot where we are all smiling and not pulling any funny faces...

 

DS loves this place and always learns something new everytime he goes!

 

The trees in the biomes are now so tall that they have to use a hot air balloon to look after them! DS and DH would love a turn in it!

 

DS loves to look in all the structures too!

 

There is an amazing waterfall that falls from the top of the biome to the bottom lake - it gets better as you climb up the biome.

 

Gorgeous flowers adorn the walls and plants as you walk around...

 

Another view of the waterfall - this time higher up.

 

We then moved onto the Temperate Biome... this one is much dryer heat where they have oranges and olives growing...

 

In the spring they have the best displays of tulips - not really shown to their best here.

 

I love the storyteller's chair and we all had a go at sitting in there and telling each other a tale... DS loved it so much!

 

There are displays of amazing crops that you can see growing throughout the biome - these chillis look amazing and as I love heat in my food I was very interested in this display...

 

Although they come with a very stark warning!!!

 

All in all we had a magnificent day and I really enjoyed Mothering Sunday. It is so special to spend time together as a family and I treasure these family days. Where are your favourite places to visit? Particularly in wet weather?

 

 DS loves everyone together and it is a honour to spend the day with him. He has been poorly today with an ear infection so there is has been a trawl through the DVD collection of Disney films and I have enjoyed some hooky time! I will be back tomorrow with news of that!

 

Until later...