Beautiful Botanical Gardens in Singapore

Botanic Gardens plaque. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
Where can you go in Singapore that's romantic and doesn't cost a lot of money?

Answer
No need to go to shopping malls and coffee shops. Try the Botanical Gardens.

Botanic Gardens. Open Gateway. Photograph by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

At night, even in the rain, we came across three other couples on a short walk from the MRT through the gardens and out again near the restaurant. What can you do? Amire the plants, read the captions. Plan a route together. Walk along curving paths. shelter from the sun in the shadows.

Where is it?
On the Downtown (blue) railway line. Also another line. Just at the top of one of the exits brings you out right by the gates. No charge to enter.

It's a World Heritage UNESCO site as the plaques tell you.

What does the place have? Bamboo and other trees. A lake with dragons - no, not dragons but monitor lizards. I was a bit nervous about these. No fear.
(Continued in next post next day.)

Useful websites
http://www.visitsingapore.com/en/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer

The Lake District, the latest UNESCO World Heritage Sights In The UK , and others worldwide

Problem
Where are the world heritage sights in the UK?

Answers
The Lake District in England is the latest addition.

As Gilbert and Sullivan song says: I've got a little list.
My favourites include:

1 Lake District
2 Stonehenge

Why do I put The Lake District top of my list? It is not just one sight, one day, but you can do a whole tour. If you don't want to pay for the top attractions, you can just enjoy the scenery.
The area has several major attractions connected with authors and characters we have all known since our childhood. Family attractions are not just for those into culture and history, but there's plenty of culture, history, and sport - especially if you like walking to waterfalls or boating on lakes.

1 Wordsworth  - Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's cutely named house - home of William Wordsworth, writer of the poem often voted as the favourite poem: I wandered lonely as a cloud ... (The rival for top place poem is Kipling's If.)
2 Beatrix Potter
3 Swallows and Amazons
4 Ruskin
5 The Pencil Factory and several other small museums.

If you are planning a trip, or organising photos and records of your holidays, you can check out how many world heritage sights you have already seen or wish to see. I was very pleased to note that I had just visited world heritage sights this year in Cambodia and Romania.

Tips
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40550650#_=_ (List of the latest and others with pictures.)
https://www.visitengland.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_World_Heritage_Sites
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/?search=&search_by_country=romania
https://www.visitbritain.org
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/ (Tours, tickets and ideas for you. A whole variety of places all over Britain, from seeing how coins are made to a brewery tour. )
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Scotland
https://wordsworth.org.uk/home.html (Dove Cottage)
http://www.hop-skip-jump.com (The World of Beatrix Potter, on Windermere)
My post on Romanian UNESCO fortified churches:
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/unesco-world-heritage-fortified.html

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have serval other posts on British attractions, and famous British people, also Ankor Wat in Cambodia and castles and fortified churches in Romania. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Update

Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.

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UNESCO world heritage fortified churches of Transylvania, Romania

Map of the Unesco World Heritage Fortified churches in Transylvania, Romania. 

Impressive portcullis entrance to one of the best fortified churches. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

Inside the complex. The church in the middle. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Around it is the ring shape wall with three or four floors of galleried dwellings, providing refuge for the citizens. You can see a room used as a schoolroom, a bedroom, cases displaying clothes. 

The souvenir shop has maps and guide books, magnets and little music boxes playing the Romanian National anthem or Rhapsodie Roumaine by Romanian hero, the composer George E n e s c o. The box plays when you turn the handle continuously. The music is on the underside of the lid. It cost me 35 lei, which in June 2017 was the equivalent of about £7. I also saw clothes, bags, magnets, jams, and cosmetic cream with rose aroma.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer, photographer, author and speaker.  See newer churches in my next post. Please share links to my posts.