Lockdown Birthday
Lockdown 2.0 was expected, what we didn’t anticipate was for it to be in November, which meant a lockdown birthday for J. This meant that any celebrations that had been thought of had to be put on hold. I had to think of something to make his day special.
With an unseasonably warm day on the cards, I decided that we needed a change of scenery as we work from home and explore the great outdoors. We went to visit Hampton Court Palace, which is a short drive from where we live. Under current government guidelines, the palace building was closed but the gardens were still open, and there was more than enough space for us to explore and enjoy the mild winter day in a safe manner.
Hampton Court Palace is the kind of place that you visit more than once as there is a lot to see and you want to take your time when you do. We visited the Great Fountain with it’s perfectly manicured trees and a beautiful view out to Bushy Park. We checked out the Privy Garden and tried to imagine how it must have been to come for a visit to the Palace travelling on from the River Thames. The view of the Palace alone from this spot needed no caption. Sadly the Great Vine was closed but I hope that the next time we come it will be open to the public. Who doesn’t want to explore an indoor vineyard ??
I had some time for a mini photoshoot, and I am so grateful that J is such a patient partner because I was going a bit crazy with the creative process.
After exploring and acting, we had time for a snack which I had prepared at home. I did have a picnic blanket, but J was against the idea of sitting down, so I had to lay our spread on the bench. I had a chance to use my extensive collection of Tupperware, and we had a beautiful view. Who says romance is dead :)
Picnic on a bench
Although we are in the middle of a pandemic, there is still a lot we can enjoy safely. It can get quite hard to see or create those beautiful moments, but it is up to us to make those moments and to make them count.
Happy birthday J !
Have you had to plan a birthday in lockdown? How did it go? Tell me more in the comments.
Till next time
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