VISITING BREENHOLD GARDENS IN WINTER

Hello dear friends, hope are well

My life has been a bit frantic lately.  Between work, grandchildren, gym and social engagements I often find myself totally exhausted by end of the day, not wanting to do anything else but curl up in bed and have a long uninterrupted sleep.

Sadly, it’s not always the case.  Apparently, our upstairs neighbour is an old lady who has some hearing problem and tends to crank up her TV at full blast at ungodly hours.  Some days it’s as early as 5.30 in the morning and some days she prefers to stay late and we couldn’t get any sleep till midnight.  Our 24= hour building concierge tried to knock on her door a few times but due to the loud noise of her TV set, she couldn’t hear him knocking.  Obviously.

Then one day the building manager suggested that we write her a letter which he would be happy to deliver and believe it or not, it worked and now my husband and I have peaceful sleep that was alluding us in the last few weeks.

When the hassle and the bustle of everyday life around us is becoming too much to bear (we live in a high-density populated suburb) we just get in the car and drive away, at least for a day.   Last weekend our escape route took us to the Blue Mountains.

This rugged region is only about two hours’ drive from where we live and is known for its dramatic scenery, rugged terrain, waterfalls and mountain trails.  It is dotted with health retreats and spas; picturesque cottages offering B&B; while the local towns are known for high class art galleries and restaurants and cafes that cook amazing food using local produce. Usually, we visit this area during warm months as I find the winter there is too cold for my liking.

Then COVID struck and it’s changed everything.   Once the restrictions eased and we were allowed to travel further then 5 km from our homes, we jumped on the opportunity and drove to the Blue Mountains just for a change of scenery if not for anything else.  

One of the reasons that a lot of people get in their cars and travel to Blue Mountains in the colder months is to visit local gardens and admire the incredible display of brilliant reds, yellow and flame orange colours that Mother Nature puts on the show for locals and tourists alike.  I just recently read an article suggesting that such a spectacle is worth a trip and we decided to give it a go.

And that’s why we found ourselves walking around luxuriant gardens and magnificent trees of Breenhold Gardens.  This unique heritage estate located on Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains and one of the most extensive privately owned garden properties in Australia.

There were a lot of other visitors around but thanks to the vast grounds, our paths with them were seldom crossed.  The weather was crisp and clear, the low-slung sun sending its bright rays through the tree brunches illuminating the leaves and highlighting their rich colours.

I knew that the weather up there would be much cooler so I chose my clothes accordingly.  The maxi skirt that I am wearing has a lining that was working as a second layer and also was a great cover for my thick stockings.  The puffy jacket, gloves and a scarf provided me with warmth and protection from the cold air.

We spent a couple of blissful hours walking around the magnificently looking estate, inhaling the fresh air, admiring the beauty of Mother Nature, blissful for the much-needed respite.

What do you do if you feel a need to escape the city rat race?  Please share it with me and other readers in the comment section below.

Until then, be well. 

Anna

xoxoxo