昨日は久しぶりに良いお天気になったので、「Sir Harold Hillier Gardens」にマグノリアを見に行きました。我が家から車で１時間程度。今年は（というより、去年の７月くらいからずっとです）お天気がずっと悪くて晴れる日がとても少ないのですが、この冬はあまり寒くならず気温が高めなせいか、春のお花が早い気がします。マグノリアも早目に咲いたみたいで結構散っていましたし、雨で傷んでいるお花が多かったのですが、少し離れて見ればピンクで綺麗。（多分？）桜や椿、そしてもうさつきやつつじも咲いていました。

As the weather was lovely all day yesterday, we visited “Sir Harold Hillier Gardens” to see the magnolias.  It takes us about an hour by car.  Although the weather has been awful for a long time (probably since last July!) and we haven’t been having many sunny days, the temperature has been relatively mild and I guess that is why we seem to be seeing spring flowers early this year.  These magnolias seem to have come out early this year and many had started to have their petals fall on the ground and those that were still on the branches didn’t look great, probably due to the rain.  Still, they looked very pretty from afar in pink.  We saw some cherry blossoms (I think?), camellias, etc. even azaleas, and rhododendrons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

こういうところに来ると、ぐるっと歩いた後、大抵お茶休憩をして、お茶とケーキをいただきます。昨日は、スパークルというケーキをシェアしました。ラズベリーのジャムが入ったスポンジケーキにアイシングがしてあって、外側にカラフルな飾りが貼り付けてあるもの。お茶は、いつもアールグレー。

When we visit this sort of a place, after we walk around, we almost always stop at their cafe and have tea and cake – something very English, I think.  We shared “Sparkle” cake with Earl Grey tea.

お天気が良くて寒くなかったので、外でいただきました。外に座ったのは今年初めてかも、と思います。駐車場はいっぱいだったんのですが中に入ればそれほど混んではいず、のんびりとお花を楽しめました。こういうところが日本のように混まないのがイギリスの良いところだな、と思います。

We sat at an outside table because the weather was lovely, probably the first time we’ve sat outside this year.  The parking was very busy so I guess there were many people visiting but once you are inside you don’t see that many people and we enjoyed seeing the flowers and the walk and the tea.  In Japan, a place like this would be packed, this is one of the nicest things in England that you can enjoy these beautiful places without them being too crowded.