A natural retreat

National Botanical Gardens, Dublin

It's been a while since I wrote about places to visit with the environment in mind but last week I was blown away by a visit to the National Botanical Gardens, Glasnevin in Dublin. I have seen the odd programme about them but there was nothing to compare with the real thing. The day was dry which of course made a difference but there are beautiful glass houses to wander around even if it rains with a cafe to pop in to as well. The rose garden was perfect and mu parents and I spent time sniffing many roses to see which were the best. Squirrels pranced about the paths not worrying about visitors at all and were happy to come very close to us. In fact we were reminded by signs that these confident rodents would bite and to be careful but they didn't bother us. The kitchen garden was my favorite with all sorts of mouth watering delicacies on show and I was comparing many of them to my own at home wondering how I had done. Of course I have long way to go yet!

Getting there may be an issue as it is not really walking distance from say, Heuston Station and perhaps a taxi is the best option but  no doubt if you ring up before hand you may get a handy bus number to hop on to.

Entrance is free and there is a car park, should you wish to drive, with a fee of €2.00 only for the day I believe  and should you wish to you could stay from the moment it opens until closing time, for as long as the weather is on your side I cant imagine why you would want to leave. To find out about opening times just click here and to ring them just dial + 353 1 804 0300

Here are some of our highlights from the day.

Mum and dad enjoying the sensory garden

The sensory garden with all its shapes, colours and patterns

Beautiful Glass houses containing some plants that have been around
 since the time of the Jurassic period!

Nothing like a water feature.

Saving a few pounds...or losing them

One of the things I like about being green is when I can do it and save money. As if we needed reminding we are going through a spot of trouble on the economical front and many cut backs have to be made. For example, when I had a job I loved going to the gym and taking a swim and a sauna not even stopping to think of the price I was paying per year and certainly not considering the electricity being

used (or perhaps wasted on the many occasions I was too lazy to go). I've loved seeing these outdoor gyms popping up all around the country. Yes they require more material that wont naturally break down but the only energy required is the energy that we put in manually. Not only that but we can get fit and take in the fresh air (when its not raining of course but who is to say that you cant train even then?). My hubby and I went to the next town to check out the outdoor gym for ourselves and although we didn't stay long as we were just taking a look, we will definitely be going back. No fees, instructions on how to use the equipment written up, fresh air and ...hopefully...a fit me by the end of it all.

Are you familiar with these Outdoor Gyms? Let me know what you think of them

Guilt free fix in the morning

Slurp slurp!

The holidays are practically here and all I want to do, like everyone else I'm sure is to relax and chill out. I'm writing this in the city at a very busy WiFi café sipping my hot chocolate and watching people pass by or pop in with hands full of weighty bags, no doubt full of presents. One nice surprise is that I am drinking out of a completely compostable takeaway cup. Lovely. Nice to see some people have their heads screwed on. Now I know where to come for my morning coffee before the dash to college (or work if that ever comes my way) and not feel guilty because I am gathering yet another take away (or throw away) cup. Of course it would be better to sit down with a washable cup or glass but its the next best thing for those of us always on the go. Hey even the Christmas shopper can take their fix with them til they wind down on the big day itself.

Do you read me?

I have been pretty busy at college these past few months and my bag is full of books, bought and borrowed. I am seriously tampering with the idea of purchasing an e reader, the Kindle to be exact although of course there is a wide variety out there now including the iPad and its rivals. Part of me wants to save my back everyday, the other part says that if I can get some of these books as a download from the net then I am saving on paper. However the other side of me hates buying more plastic and encouraging its production. It is a dilemma although the reader is winning presently because of the amount of books I seem to need. This time I want your feed back on what is best to get. Do you have an E-reader and are you better off now for it or are you a stickler for a physical book. It has to be said that with all this technology, we cant really be looking after the local shops either. What do they do when people don't need them any more and turn to the Internet? Should we have a heart or should they just get with it? Gadget girl or not, I have a conscience and this is a tough one?

Mobile friendly or mobile trendy...

Samsung S7550 Blue Earth

I must confess that for most of my life I have been a gadget girl and a mobile phone was top of the list for some years. It was my treat to myself and every 12 months when my phone was due an upgrade, off I went to the phone company I was contracted to and upgraded to something swanky with extras that could bring me tea in bed, clean the house and let me have conference calls, all at once whether I needed those extras or not. I paid quite a price for this unnecessary luxury of extras when I could have got something much cheaper which did everything I needed. "How did we manage without mobile phones" people always say. Lets be honest, we managed perfectly well until the late 90's when, as I recall, they seemed to shoot up everywhere. Still, I am one of those people and I really do think that mobile phones or cell phones (depending where you are) are quite important and productive. We see "the latest model" every year and we go through them so fast even though, 9 times out of 10, they are still functioning perfectly when we buy the next model. What a waste you might say? What a waste indeed!

On yer bike!

Cycling has to be one of my most enjoyable past times and, it seems, very trendy right now. I took it up again about 17 months ago having not cycled since I was a young teenager. I joined a local club too in order to meet a few more people and this way it is a social leisure cycle and I'm keeping fit without it feeling like a workout. I was in Berlin this summer and the amount of cyclists in that city was a real eye opener and I don't just mean during the day, there are as many cyclists biking their way through the city at 1am, 2am and so on!  How wonderful to apply that lifestyle here in Ireland or any other country for that matter. I continued to ponder on that thought and realised that we have a lot to do to catch up with certain European towns and cities. Kids love their shiny new bikes from Santa or for their birthdays and wouldn't it be great to be able to go cycling safely as a family rather than having to drive to the nearest park so kids can cycle (as a single cyclist) in safety?

The Right Bike

It's essential that you get the right bike so, you need to know whether you want to go mountain biking, just cycle to work or do leisure tours. Your cycling shop should measure you for your bike. If it's not your size then it is dangerous. If your salesman is happy to let you buy any old bike just because you like the look of it and isn't interested in or doesn't know how to measure you for a bike, Run a mile! YOU MUST HAVE:

• The right bike for the right type of cycling

and

• It must fit you correctly

Word of mouth is a great advertisement.

Never cycle without a helmet, it could save your life!