Parc Gonzalez, in the hilltop village of Bormes les Mimosa. Did we know this park existed? Had we been there before and just forgotten about it? Did we know that part of it was full of Australian native trees and plants? Well we might have been able to answer all the questions with a yes except we cannot recall knowing about the park.
In the nineteen years we have been coming here, we have driven through the middle of the park, many times, and it has not registered that there is a botanical garden there. So it was a pleasant surprise when we saw it marked on the tourist map Walter picked up from the office at Camping Manjastre.
I also realised today that the local council have propagated many of the species in the garden and then planted them in the public beds around Le Lavandou. It all makes sense really.
Although we recognised many of the trees, shrubs and plants, we did not know the Latin names for them. The signs under some of the trees meant nothing to us at all.
For anyone wishing to visit the park, the easiest way is to drive up to the carpark at the top, and then walk to the area behind the Marie, where the entrance is very clearly signposted, as seen below.
The description of the garden, and where the plants come from are printed quite clearly, in French, on the board as you go through the entrance.
Kangaroo paw.
A white bottlebrush tree, from Queensland. There was also an orange bottlebrush there plus the more common red one.
A view over the Australian part of the garden.
Australian grass trees.
Looking back up the path to a villa at the top, a mixture of Australia and France for sure.
A type of white flowering gum.
Another scene from the garden.
As the two gardens are on the side of the hill, we were walking down steps the whole time. Of course we also knew that at one point we would have to walk back uphill to the carpark again. Good exercise.
We crossed over the road, and entered the main garden on the other side. More steep steps. Notice I do not have a jumper on, and I have a sunhat on. It was a perfectly warm day. The shirt by the way, is not my new shirt, just one of the three white shirts I now own. I am so scared of getting my new shirt dirty I will probably look at it for a while.
A view from the gardens towards the hills on the other side.
A collection of Cycads, from Japan. At least I now know where this species comes from.
A palm tree with fruit. I know nothing about palm trees. Are they dates hanging down?
We came out of the park by the Post Office and took the road on the left. In fact the walk up this road, was quite easy.
Once we got to the square at the top, we decided an ice cream was a must, and well deserved we thought. Mine was mango and vanilla. The restaurant/cafe made their own ice cream so it was extra delicious. Walter got a salted caramel ice cream. We even ordered two scoops each.
As we walked back to the carpark, I took a photograph of the cafe/restaurant on the corner.
Plus another photograph of the hill top village of Bormes les Mimosa.
The Marie, or town hall behind the boules and market area, and just beside the entrance to the park.
Back to the campsite. The cork oak in front of us have caterpillars coming down on threads, and once they hit the ground they must go somewhere before turning into moths or butterflies. The caterpillars have slowly been getting larger during the past week. I tried to take a photograph of one as it swung in front of us during breakfast. It is the black spot, in the bottom centre of the photograph, on the blurry part. We have plenty of time to watch the caterpillars as they slowly descend to the grroud! Fascinating.
I have forgotten to write about the complicated charging arrangement in the caravan. A couple of years ago Walter put an English power board in, which meant that we needed only one French/English adapter on the end of the power point. This being a French caravan. It worked brilliantly when everything we owned had English plugs.
Now we have Australian plugs on most things, and no English adapters. However we did bring two European adapters with us. So we have a small French power board plugged into an French/English adapter on the English power board. We then each put our Australian/French adapters into the small French power board, and then put our multi plug Australian power connections into that. Confused? Yes I am, just trying to explain it all. But most importantly it works. Then to make it all complicated my Chrome laptop still has its English plug on it, so I took the English/Australian adapter off and lo and behold I can plug it straight into the power board. Life on the move.
I am not sure how we are going to manage at the caravan in the Netherlands, as it is our old caravan. Perhaps the new owners have changed the power points. Hope so.
Now that the weather has improved, more people are arriving at the campsite. Good news there.
Still too cold for the pool. However Emma and I swam in it last year, at exactly the same time. Perhaps I need to be a little braver.
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