A couple of Saturdays ago, on 25th June, the Governor of Gibraltar opened the doors to his official residence for the annual Convent Garden Party. The event, which has been running for several years now, gives mere mortals like ourselves the chance to enjoy a wander around the beautiful Convent Gardens.
Before heading out into the gardens this year, we took a walk upstairs to have a mooch around the state rooms. This stunning dining room is adorned with shields and crests which (according to Wikipedia) form the most extensive collection of heraldry in the Commonwealth of Nations.
In the ballroom there has been an art show in previous years but this time there was an exhibition of weapons by the Gibraltar Museum. I have to admit that weapons aren’t really my thing, either old fashioned ones or modern machine guns.
The one weapon of note which caught my eye was number 42, which is a relic from the Battle of Trafalgar.
Heading back downstairs we cut across the tranquil courtyard with it’s charity stalls.
The ladies of the Convent Charity Committee had a lovely stall with home-made cakes and other refreshments. The people you can see in the gazebo were sitting in the shade enjoying the tasty treats. The Convent staff also had their regular stall selling plants which have been propagated and grown in the garden itself.
The main attraction for me though, as always, is the plants. I’ll let them speak for themselves.
At the far end of the gardens this year there was a display of birds of prey – I don’t remember seeing this on our previous visits.
I really love coming to have a look around this garden – we have been going for about six years now. Last year I wrote one of my first blog posts on the event A stroll up the garden path….
It’s a great fundraiser for the local community and it’s so nice to have the chance to have a look around. When I’m feeling homesick for the British Isles it reminds me a little of a National Trust garden (if you ignore the heat and the Mediterranean planting), in times of uncertainty (as we were feeling two weekends ago immediately after the EU Referendum result) it’s a constant which doesn’t really change. Whatever way you look at it, it’s a really beautiful colourful oasis in a very busy and hectic place.
Great pictures of a pretty place.
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Thank you Sophisticated Homes 🙂 it’s such a great place to photograph.
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Wow! Favourite picture, the Fountain. Once again thanks for sharing this wonderful Rock with us.
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It’s my absolute pleasure Cathy, so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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What a wonderful experience. We have the Royal Armouries in Leeds which is amazing but those gardens are beautiful at this time of year. Thanks for sharing for those of us who can’t get there K xXx
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I’m glad you enjoyed it Karen. I never made it to the Royal Armouries when we lived in Yorkshire, I have a feeling my boys would enjoy it. Perhaps one for a future visit. X
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