After a brief hiatus, Bridges and Benches is back with photos from the beautiful Bower Ponds of my hometown Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
I have so many great childhood memories of walking or biking through the surrounding trails in the summer and winter. I've enjoyed sitting on a blanket on the hill, watching Shakespeare by the Ponds at the amphitheater, and taking in the Canada Day festivities, especially the massive fireworks displays, on many a July 1st. You can rent paddle boats and canoes, find a cozy bench to sit on near the water, or just wander around the trails and the beautiful bridge overlooking it all.
Thanks for a lovely summer night, Red Deer!
One place I'm excited to revisit in all its Spring and Summer glory is La Roseraie, a beautiful park and prized rose garden in the nearby town Hay-les-Roses.
The flowers were still blooming when we visited back in November but the garden itself was closed for the season. We still enjoyed our stroll around the grounds and took in the views from the many cozy benches around the park.
The optimal time to visit this garden is June, when the roses are in full-bloom. I'll be sure to come back then to take in the sights and scents of this lovely, quiet place.
For more information about La Roseraie, check out the website:
http://www.roseraieduvaldemarne.fr/roseraie_internet_2010/spip.php?lang=en
If you get a chance to go to Switzerland, I recommend visiting the lovely town of Yverdon-les-Bains.
Situated about an hour north-east of Geneva, it has an interesting history of Roman baths in the thermal springs and a diverse mixture of languages spoken by its residents: French, German, Serbo-Croatian, Italian and Portuguese. It has beautiful scenery, as its nestled in the Canton of Vaud, near Lake Neuchatel.
It was on a lovely morning walk around the lake that we found this interesting metal bridge and the lovely benches that face out towards the water and the mountains.
