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Last week I took a ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island with the plan to visit Bloedel\u00a0Gardens.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.heuermontage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_1053.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nLast week I took a ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island with the plan to visit Bloedel\u00a0Gardens.<\/p>\n
When we arrived at the harbor I asked a fellow traveler for information about busses; she immediately offered me a ride since she had to go in that direction and I naively said yes. Her Volvo had seen better days, not a day under 40 years old, seatbelt not working, leather seats cracked, only one door opened. It felt too late to chicken out, and I was somehow drawn into tales of her mother traveling with 5 kids and a steamer trunk to Switzerland to do post-doctoral studies on Jung. That and the fact that my friendly chauffeuse had not slept in two nights. Hm.<\/p>\n
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I obviously lived to tell the story. The gardens, a huge expanse of wood- and meadow lands, water features, beautiful views of Puget Sound, were soothing. It rained softly, and I was most impressed by a moss landscape that seemed to have luminescence built in. More than 40 species of moss covering forest floors.<\/p>\n
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The whole place was empty except for a group of British landscape designers who got a tour by the head gardener, (one of 12 full-time employed gardeners year round.) Somehow these guys managed to pop up whenever I took the camera out of the shelter of my raincoat and make it into the picture. Well, often, not always.<\/p>\n
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Trees were planted in groves (the Himalayan Birches) carefully pruned in the Japanese garden (Pine tree) or left wild around ponds (the Alders.)<\/p>\n
I took the bus on the way back, as sole passenger, and was told that another person\u00a0needed to be picked up at her house\u00a0with a little detour. Apparently you can order public busses, just like cabs, with a 2 hour advance notice. The woman inquired about my plans, did I already have lunch? When I replied that I was lusting for some fish and chips, she told the bus driver where to go\u00a0and here I was dropped off at an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day. I leave the rest to your imagination.<\/p>\n
By the time I reached my hotel, a 30 minute walk from the ferry terminal after crossing the Sound I was sopping wet and coming down with a migraine. Soon my brain contained as much drama as the Bierstadt painting of Puget Sound, below.<\/p>\n
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But the gardens were worth it.<\/p>\n
For detailed (and astute) discussion of Northwest Landscape painting, go here:<\/p>\n