It had to happen – after three weeks of non-stop eating , even the regular housework, the wheeling the baby in the garden, the frequent jaunts to the malls and sporadic morning walks didn’t help to keep the weight down so finally I just had to do something to get those fat cells moving.
It was late afternoon and the overcast sky didn’t bode too well. But despite the tiny drops of rain, I persisted in walking through the Botanic Gardens, a sprawling beautifully maintained garden that has been declared a UNESCO Heritage site. For more details on this gorgeous oasis of calm, visit here.
The stunning wrought iron gate at the entrance to the Gardens is just a fore taste of the splendid, 82 hectares of serene parkland that lies behind them.
With more than 150 years of history, the 82-hectare Gardens holds a unique and significant place in the history of Singapore and the region.
There are several gardens within the garden but the pride of place goes to the National Orchid Garden with its stunning collection of rare and hybrid orchids.
The gardens have a section devoted to commemorate the visits of VIPs in the special VIP Garden with special orchids named in their honour.
A tribute to nature
With rampant and often unplanned urbanisation in different parts of the world, respect for the environment and nature is often given short shrift so it is heartening indeed to find a place that doesn’t sacrifice nature for progress.
A special section of the Orchid Garden is dedicated to VIPs who have visited the garden and have had an orchid named in their honour. This gorgeous bloom is named after Mrs Narayanan wife of the then President of India during their official visit to Singapore.
Not just a walk in the park.
Dear reader, you may be wondering why I chose this post to express my gratitude this month. Surely there are many more things other than a mere walk in a park that I have to be grateful for. And yes, you are right about that but there was a strong indescribable feeling of sheer gratitude that filled me when I walked through this garden.
So top on my list for things I have to be grateful for ,is the opportunity to visit this beautiful garden and immerse myself in the glory of nature- it is indeed a blessing to be able to wander through a magic parkland in the middle of a bustling city.
What filled me with gratitude? Was it the sheer beauty? Was it the stillness and calm? Was it the amazement of a real forest in an urban jungle?
Perhaps these photos will give you some idea of the emotion that I felt in the park.
I’m linking this post to the Gratitude Circle hosted by Corinne and Vidya.
Twenty- five Seven 
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