Thursday 6 September 2012

The Eden Project


Thursday 6 September

It looks like the weather is settled for a while but the mornings are getting cooler. As a result we awoke to steamed up windows in the van. We do open the vents in the top of the roof but, if the air is as still as it was last night there is not enough ventilation to blow away the damp air. So for the first time in anger we put on the ‘Webasto’ heater. The heater is powered by diesel taken direct from the fuel tank. We were told if we put the heater on all night it would cost no more than 30p. The heater is amazingly efficient and after a couple of minutes the heat came through and in no time at all the windows were dry and we were turning it off as it was too hot. The dial was only set on half so what it’s like on full we have no idea. In away we hope we will never have to find out!

After showers and breakfast we packed the van and were ready to leave the site at 09.15. We are well into the routine now and both know what our individual tasks are. Today we are going to the Eden Project. We have had tickets all summer and have nearly got there a couple of times but never quite made it. Today is the day! 

It was nice to be out in the van again and on the road. We haven’t moved Campy since Saturday and we are sure she appreciated stretching her legs a bit too. The trip to Eden was not too far, and only took about 35 mins. Those who have been to Eden Project before will no doubt recall the location of the Project as it is on the outskirts of a huge clay mining region, and I mean huge. Check it out on a map of the area and you will see that it is dominated by the industry. We passed a man-made mountains made from the waste produced and the landscape looked barren and abused. Still, I guess we need plates and cups etc.

The parking is as you would expect for such a prestigious tourist attraction was well organised and very efficient. We parked Campy safely in a corner and walked down to the Visitor Centre. We found the area designated for the poor people who use Tesco vouchers (as wot we were) and we were given a silver sticker to put on our shirts. The other visitors who paid with real money had snazzy blue stickers. We have no idea why we were given the sticker as we were never asked to show it once in the visitor areas.  No discrimination there then....

As you walk out of the visitor centre and on the the balcony, you are greeted by a fantastic view of the domes below. The Project now open for 9 years has developed nicely and looked full, lush and very inviting. It certainly has a wow factor and you really can’t wait to get down there and look around. The Project is split in to designated areas and the first we went to was the Rainforest. For our money this is the most spectacular of all the areas. On entry you start at ground level and as you walk round you rise higher and higher along with the temperature, phew, it really got quite warm. On the way down we were stopped by a young girl who produced a questionnaire (it seems Chichester North Street isn’t the only place you have to run the gauntlet) we answered the questions regarding the fruit of the  Baobab tree and whether would we drink it? We said we would so were given a glass full of the stuff which actually was fantastic, cold, white, frothy and tropical in flavour. We could only really taste pineapple but it was nice and cold and refreshing.

Once we had finished in the Rainforest we went to the restaurant and shared the largest lump of coffee and walnut cake you have ever seen and a couple of Americano coffees. The restaurant area is lovely, very trendy and clean and really generous portions. Then it was off to the Mediterranean dome which was much cooler than the Rainforest and lighter. Interspersed with plantings were Mediterranean type buildings and sculptures. 

We had our lunch in one of the picnic areas, then on the the education centre and saw the 77 ton seed sculpture which is housed in it’s own round room and really is amazing (see photo).
Once we had looked around the outside gardens  we caught the land train back to the Visitor centre and walked down to the bridge spanning the valley. Overhead is a zip wire which goes from one end of the Eden Project to the other. It is amazing to watch especially when the person on the wire is light and cant quite make it to the end of the wire. A chap has to shimmy along the wire and effect a rescue. We had a quick look around the shop and bought 3 bags of coffee beans.

We really enjoyed the day at the Eden Project and would go again. It was helped by the fantastic weather.
















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