FOTA ISLAND BOTANICAL GARDENSAfter a very smooth trip "over the pond" we are settling in nicely. Tom found a very nice house for us that is with in walking distance of Midleton town and most importantly has neighbors of the ages 8,7, and 3. Our original choice had been the Sheraton Fota Island Lodge, a lovely resort which is close by and next to this beautiful nature reserve and botanical gardens. It is easy enough to visit and this was one of our first outings. There is a home on the property which now serves tea. It was the home of the Smiths and Barrys in the late 19th century and has been restored in the 1990s. It also has a zoo area and we are waiting for Carter to get here to make a visit to the zoo.
The gardens have an incredible Victorian Fernery. Cork is blessed with an unusual micro-climate that allows subtropicals to exist despite the fact that there is scarcely a day over 80 degrees. The plants were are nicely labeled and it was interesting to see where everything was from. They had several Sequoias from California and most of the ferns were from Australia, New Zealand, and even Tasmania. I recognized so many things but knew none of the common names, so interesting to see what everyone else calls them. Also lots of new plants more akin to the Southeast region of the U.S.
The kids and I decided this looked just like "Land of the Lost". We thought there would be a dinosaur jump out from behind these plants at any moment. They were huge and truly amazing! Our first lesson in Irish is 40 shades of green - everything is green! Annual rain fall is supposed to be more than 70 inches a year but so far the rain has taken a bit of a break to welcome the visitors from Texas.
1 comment:
Thanks for sending an update and great pictures. I will be taking Mumsey, Granddad and C.W. to the airport this afternoon. Give each other hugs-we miss you.
Aunt Roberta
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