Conservatory and the Botanical Gardens, Geneva, Switzerland

Green spaces are a lovely find wherever you travel.

We spent close to entire afternoon exploring and relaxing in the lush and fragrant Botanical Gardens in Geneva, Switzerland. It was welcome change from wandering around the city and we found many quiet spots to sit and enjoy the scenery. 

I loved this big old tree. The shade was cool and the bench was very comfortable.

This old log was very popular with the children. I also liked the rustic wooden benches around it.

We relaxed here and snacked on a small picnic lunch.

We checked out the small zoo and watched some lovely black swans in the pond.

Kronborg Castle, Helsignør, Denmark.

On our holiday to Denmark this past August, we took a day-trip to the nearby town of Helsignør. We were on a mission to explore Kronborg Castle, the setting for William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Kronborg Castle, home of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The castle tour did not disappoint and I encourage anyone who's going to Denmark to make the trip to Helsignør to check it out. For more information on the special theatrical tour we took of Kronborg Castle, check out my post on my arts and culture blog, A Dancer Abroad. 

As we walked around the outside of the castle walls, I found a great bench with spectacular views in both directions. 

Great bench for some sea and castle-gazing.

Hello Sweden!

Looking eastward from the bench, you can admire the rugged coast of the Swedish Sea and some local fishermen doing their thing.

Kronborg Castle is impressive from every angle.

Turning westward, the impressive facades of Kronborg Castle make for a beautiful view. 

It's a rare find to sit on a bench and not know what time you're in. We could have been waiting for the ghost of Hamlet's father, for all we knew of the present time...

Cambridge, United Kingdom

A year ago this week, I accompanied my husband on a work trip to Cambridge, UK. We'd been to London before, but we'd never spent any time outside the big city and I was very excited to go.

The River Cam from Bridge Street.

Once we arrived, it didn't take long before I fell in love with the beautiful, picturesque, full-of-character-and-history town that is Cambridge. I explored the winding cobblestoned streets, checked out the many interesting shops, ate at some excellent street vendors and pubs, chatted with the friendly people and even saw some fun local theatre.

It was in Cambridge that my fascination with benches started. I found a bench in Market Square, next to the Cambridge Potato and Bagel Bar, and I spent a few hours there over the four days we were there people-watching and talking to strangers. In the short time I was in town, it became my favorite bench. Months later, that bench was the inspiration for this photo blog.

Not the best photo of my favorite bench, but there she is.
The bagels and potatoes were pretty amazing too.

Yum!

And what about bridges? Cambridge's bridges are some of the best! 

I went punting on the River Cam on my first full day there and it was the perfect introduction to the amazing architecture and history of all the colleges. From the punts, the bridges look different and even more beautiful. The weather that day was perfect for fall: blue sky, sun, light breeze. Smooth waters and a hilarious guide made for a wonderful experience, the first of many that week.

Bridge Street's bridge!

The Bridge of Sighs, a covered, Venetian-style bridge.

The Mathematical Bridge. The legend is Sir Isaac Newton designed and built it, but this is not true.
Newton died 22 years before the bridge was built.

Cambridge is a truly beautiful and interesting place to visit. I look forward to going back again someday, so I can cross the many amazing bridges and sit on my favorite bench and enjoy the day.

Promenade de la Cité Jardins, Le Plessis-Robinson, France

It's been almost a year since we moved to the beautiful town of Plessis-Robinson, France. We really love it here - it's peaceful and quiet, the people are nice, it's close to both our workplaces and we're near our community of friends.

Did I mention that it's beautiful here?

We took an epic walk through all of Plessis' parks today and discovered the delight that is the Promenade de la Cité Jardins, a park that winds its way through the town center and ends in the lovely Square de la Liberté.

I will be taking this stroll again very soon. I need to try all the benches and spend much more time on all the bridges. It's so nice that we're still discovering new things about our town!

Pont des Arts, Paris, France

A lovely pedestrian bridge in Paris crosses the Seine, with L’Institut de France on one side and the Louvre on the other. It’s famous for being the first metal bridge in Paris and part of Paris’ UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Eiffel Tower to Ille Saint-Louis.)

Not ringing any bells? It’s also famous for being covered in tons of padlocks, which literally weigh tons.

Bridge-Lovers, let me introduce you to Le Pont des Arts.

Apparently, the tradition of putting a ‘love-lock’ on the bridge and tossing the key into the Seine started in 2008. The romantic gesture caught on and the bridge became absolutely covered in them, especially in the high-tourist season. For a while, the bridge was boarded up to prevent new locks from being placed on it, which prompted some creative, graffiti-style art to cover the otherwise ugly boards.

I’ve seen locks for sale on the bridge itself and I’ve watched people partake in the ritual. I’ve never put a lock on the bridge myself, but I can understand the appeal of those who have. There is something whimsical about leaving a little part of you and your love somewhere.

But I can also understand the city’s concerns with the sheer number of locks and the damage they’re causing to the bridge. As of yesterday, June 1 2015, the ‘Love Locks’ of Pont des Arts are currently being removed, with the help of some heavy-duty machinery. The new plan for the bridge, according to the New York Times article, is to cover the metal grills “with custom-made plexiglass…[that] will allow pedestrians to once again see the Seine”, which the layers of locks had obstructed.  

Some lament the loss of thousands of romantic tributes, while others applaud it. If you’ve seen Pont des Arts, what do you think about the ‘Love Locks’?

For more information about the removal of the locks from Pont des Arts, check out this article from the New York Times: Paris Bridge's Love Locks Are Taken Down.

Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels, Belgium

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Brussels, the bustling capital of our neighbor-country Belgium, twice (!) in the past six weeks.

It’s a great city – so much to see, do, eat and drink - but on a slightly smaller scale than some of the other great European cities. It actually felt like my old home, the great city of Edmonton, in that ‘small-big city’ way.

Exciting but not overwhelming.

And very, very beautiful!

Parc du Cinquantenaire, which commemorated the 50^th anniversary of Belgium’s independence in 1880, is one such beautiful place in Brussels.There is no shortage of benches to enjoy the view of this impressive, U-shaped 74 acre park.

Parc du Cinquantenaire is also the home of three different museums,The Royal Military Museum, the Cinquantenaire Museum, and the AutoWorld Museum, and to the Great Mosque of Brussels. 

And to many other delights, such as The Tournai Tower, a large, rook-like structure that was built to "show off the technical possibilities offered by Tournai stone". 

And to many more benches of various style to relax on.

This bench had a terrific view of this gnarly tree, a cross between the trees from Lord of the Rings and the Whomping Willow from Harry Potter.

All that walking, exploring and bench-sitting made for thirsty work...good thing we were in Belgium, home of some of the best beer (and frites, moules, and waffles!) in the world!

That's right, we're only a 90 minute train ride away from some of the best food and drink in the world...now that I think of it, why have I only been to Brussels twice?!

Chateau Chambord, Loire Valley, France

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle…

When we visited Chateau Chambord, I couldn’t help but hear the prologue from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, my favorite animated film, in my head. This is because Chambord is the chateau that inspired the animators on their research trip to the Loire Valley when the film was in the early stages of development.

Chateau Chambord, the inspiration for the Beast's castle

It's not hard to see how the Disney artists were inspired by its architecture - a mixture of medieval and Renaissance styles. We visited Chambord in late March, just before the high tourist season, and the weather that day was a chilly spring day. There was something truly magical about the chateau suddenly appearing around the corner from the tour bus stop. It’s situated about 30 minutes from Blois and the bus ride was a lovely tour of the countryside. 

It’s interesting to know Chambord was built as a hunting lodge – basically a summer home – for the French royalty and during World War II, several pieces of art from the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, the Mona Lisa included, were kept safe temporarily at in the chapel.

The sun came out briefly while we were in the chapel and cast some beautiful light from the stained-glass windows on the stone floor. 

Just outside of the chapel, a row of thirsty gargoyles peered down from the upper terrace.

And just as we were making our final pass around the exterior, I found a beautiful, worn stone bridge over the moat, and not too far from the bridge, a rugged stone bench! 

The views from both the bridge and the bench were extraordinary, just like the chateau.

What a treat to go to the real place that inspired that tale as old as time!

Square Augustin-Thierry, Blois, France

On a recent trip to the Loire Valley, we spent a few hours exploring the charming town of Blois. It was a chilly spring morning but the wind and the slight rain didn't dampen our stroll through Square Augustin-Thierry, where I found this delightful bench.

This square is named for the French historian and writer Augustin Thierry, who was from Blois. It sits between Eglise Saint-Vincent and le Chateau Royal de Blois, pictured above. Towering trees fill in the centre of the park, which can be admired from every angle along the walking path.

This park was a great way to burn through some time before we got on the bus to Chateau Chambord, the castle that inspired the Beast's castle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  

But that's a post for another day...

Étang Colbert, Le Plessis-Robinson, France

My favorite bench at L’Étang Colbert, a beautiful pond in Le Plessis-Robinson, is tucked away in a section of the path that winds around the water. It’s a quiet place to read, write and just take a moment in nature.

The view is so lovely! I suspect it will only improve in the next few weeks as Spring unpacks and settles in.

With so many benches to choose from, you can admire this place from any angle. 

I certainly do! 

With wild daffodils blooming and the occasional sounds of the ducks quacking and splashing, what's not to enjoy about this place?!