mystery garden tour

Distinctive and Characterful Accommodations -- Tired of sterile hotels? Homestays offer an unparalleled opportunity to experience the incredibly diversity and delights of India. The options are almost endless and include plantation bungalows, historic havelis (mansions), forts, and remote rural cottages. One on hand, it's possible to stay with a royal family. On the other, a tribal family. There's no better way to interact with Indians from all walks of life!

There's a saying in India, "Athithi Devo Bhava", which means "The Guest is God". Indians consider it a huge honor to have guests in their home, and go out of their way to please them. There's nothing like Indian hospitality. Sadly, most visitors who come to India and stay in hotels never get to experience true Indian hospitality. The good thing is that all this is changing as a result of the growing popularity of homestays in India.

Safety -- If you're a solo female traveler who is visiting India for the first time or are simply concerned about staying safe, you'll have a family who looks after you at a homestay. They'll provide you with advice, and may even pick you up from the airport or provide a car and driver.

Personalized Service -- In contrast to a hotel, a homestay usually only has a few rooms. The family who resides there runs it, and acts as host. This guarantees that guests receive plenty of individual attention. You can spend as little or as much time with the host family as you like. Some guests choose only to dine with them, while others spend hours chatting to them. Regardless, staying with an Indian family is the easiest way of finding out about Indian culture. Many guests and hosts find that they bond with each other so much, they keep in touch long after the vacation is over.

Local Knowledge -- The wealth of information that the hosts have about their local area makes deciding what to see and do a breeze. Such local knowledge is extremely helpful in getting the most from your visit. Many hosts are delighted to show their guests around their local area, providing them with invaluable insights that simply aren't available from a guide book. Hosts usually have reputable contacts and can assist in making travel bookings too.

Home Cooked Food -- There's a huge difference between the Indian food served in restaurants and hotels, and the food that's cooked in an Indian home. By staying at a homestay, you'll be able to taste authentic Indian home cooked food, made to order. It's a lot lighter, and has more variation and flavor than restaurant food. Some homestays even welcome their guests into their kitchen, and let them watch and participate in the cooking process.

Unique Activities -- As a guest at a homestay, the focus is on you, and your likes and preferences. The hosts are typically very accommodating and will put a great deal of effort into arranging activities that are of interest to you. These activities will vary depending on location. Exploring a coffee plantation in Coorg, watching a polo match in Rajasthan, herding animals in remote northern India, village visits, picnics, and temple tours are just some of the options. Guests are often invited to attend weddings as well.

Celebrating Festivals -- The ideal way to celebrate India's many festivals is with an Indian family. You'll gain a deep appreciation and understanding of what the festival is about, as well as get to participate in the rituals associated with it.

Staying at a homestay in India is all about immersing yourself in India, rather skimming over it.

Choosing Your Homestay in India While the idea of a homestay might sound quaint and alluring, it's important to choose your homestay wisely. As with most accommodations in India, the quality is very variable. Those who prefer their privacy may feel more relaxed at a homestay that has separate accommodations for guests, rather than rooms in the family home. Also be aware of the type of food that's served. Some homestays only prepare vegetarian cuisine, which may be an issue for hardcore meat eaters!

Getting Off the Tourist Trail -- Homestays are commonly located in residential neighborhoods, rather than tourist areas. This means you'll be away from all the tourist traps, touts, scams and other hassles. Staying at a homestay in India is all about immersing yourself in India, rather skimming over it.

• Check Availiability

Amazing Stay

We promise you an amazing stay at Mystery Garden, so that you have a memorable holiday

Wonderful Views

See it yourself to believe it....Thats more appropriate than to say "youll get to see beautiful views"

We help you to get in touch with the village areas of darjeeling, where you can experience the tradition and culture

Book Your Trip

We gradually plan to help you with your entire trip here in Darjeeling...with amazing packages and offers

Popular Destinations

We would like to recomment places where you can visit on your visit to kalimpong, Darjeeling.

Pineview Nursery

Kalimpong science center, morgan house, popular purchases.

We would like to recomment you the following items for your travel.

We love to share with you the natural beauty that you will experience during your stay.

• Employee News
• Public Engagement
• Books at Memorial
• Special Features
• Student Life
• Teaching and Learning
• Events Calendar
• Events Submission Form
• About The Gazette
• Editorial Guidelines
• Contributors

Event Details

Mystery garden tour.

Sunday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Various Locations

Purchase your Passports online at https://event-wizard.com/2021MGTgiftcert/0/register

Presented by Newfoundland Horticultural Society & Botanical Garden

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Visitor itineraries.

The Winchester Mystery House has 160 rooms including 40 bedrooms, 40 staircases, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 10,000 window panes, 2,000 doors, 52 skylights, 47 fireplaces, three elevators, two basements and just one shower.  So, touring the bizarre mansion and grounds takes time. Don’t worry, we’re here to assist in planning your visit.

Vaccination Policy: as of 1/1/2022  All WMH employees must be fully vaccinated or provide a weekly negative COVID test. At this time in accordance with county guidelines guests are not required to be vaccinated, however our mask policy remains in place.

LIMITED ON TIME?

• 65 Minutes: The Mansion Tour includes 110 of the 160 rooms and showcases some of the most iconic areas of the mansion
• 15 Minutes: The Mansion Tour exits into the Mercantile Gift Shop, shop for souvenirs and purchase your photo with our partner, Mystery Pics.
• 15 Minutes:  Be sure to walk the Victorian Gardens on the Sarah Winchester Garden Tour.

GOT A FEW HOURS?

Those looking to explore even more of the beautiful but bizarre home of Sarah Winchester should book the Mansion Tour and spend more time in the gardens and gift shop.

• 20 Minutes: The Mansion Tour exits into the Mercantile Gift Shop, shop for souvenirs and purchase your photo with our partner, Mystery Pics.  Enjoy a variety of onsite activities including the vintage arcade games and Sarah’s Attic Shooting Gallery.
• 25 Minutes: Walk the Victorian Gardens on the Sarah Winchester Garden Tour.

WANT TO SPEND THE DAY WITH US?

For the ULTIMATE Winchester Mystery House experience we highly recommend taking both the Mansion Tour & Walk With Spirits Tour and adding Axe Throwing at the Stables.

• 30 Minutes: The Mansion Tour exits into the Mercantile Gift Shop, shop for souvenirs and purchase your photo with our partner, Mystery Pics.  Enjoy a variety of onsite activities including the vintage arcade games and Sarah’s Attic Shooting Gallery.
• 30 Minutes: Walk the Victorian Gardens on the Sarah Winchester Garden Tour.
• 30-60 Minutes: Reserve a 1 hour private session of  Axe Throwing At the Stables.

Garden envy? Grab a map and reveal some of the lushest and loveliest on the Avalon

Mun botanical garden's 7th annual mystery garden tour.

Social Sharing

Traipsing through someone else's garden and browsing at your leisure would likely be discouraged at times — but not this weekend. 

Ten homeowners are opening their gates wide, inviting people in for an up-close view as part of the seventh Mystery Garden Tour on this weekend, rain or shine.

"Visitors can poke around people's backyards, get ideas, and enjoy a weekend outside in beautiful gardens," said Kim Shipp, a director with MUN Botanical Garden, which spearheads the event.

Green-thumb extraordinaires, or wannabes, have to get a special passport designed for the event, which includes a map that reveals the 10 secret locations. 

"We always have such an eclectic group of gardens. It's always amazing to see some really big, wide spanning gardens and some small tight ones in urban settings," said Shipp.

So how difficult is it to find willing hosts? Apparently, not very. 

"Those who are showcasing their gardens have put so much work and effort into it, who doesn't want to show off their beauty?" Shipp said, laughing.

Jamie Day is one of those willing to show off his backyard. In fact, he loves it.

He said he gets to have great conversations — and is expecting about 350 people this weekend — but also knowing he is part of the event makes him "put a little bit of pressure on myself to get the garden done so i can enjoy the rest of summer."

Gardening is a true love for Day, who estimates he has 1,200 different varieties of plants.

"I find it very therapeutic. It also keeps me very active as well," he said. 

Any advice for gardeners just starting out who aspire to his level?

"Trial and error," Day said, laughing. 

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

With files from Carolyn Stokes

Haunted History Tours

New orleans ghost history tours, these are the tours you've heard about.

• Featured Tour

Homes of the Rich & Famous Garden District Tour in New Orleans

Explore the lavish Garden District of New Orleans, home to the rich and famous. This elegant neighborhood was built in the 1800s to rival the beauty and splendor of the French Quarter.

• Hour Glass 2 hours
• Info Walking tour

Our Famous Tours

• User 13 + years

New Orleans True Crime Tour

The New Orleans True Crime tour isn’t just another murder and ghost tour. This is actual documented real murders, missing people, conspiracies, and unsolved mysteries taken from newspaper articles, police archives, and court documents.

New Orleans Daytime Cemetery Tour

A tour like no other, focusing on several different historical Cities of the Dead at the end of Canal Street. This tour takes its participants by several cemeteries and discusses the history, burial procedures, tomb architecture and local customs.

New Orleans is a city like no other — featuring hundreds of years of history steeped in mystique. There’s no better way to explore the haunted side of this city than via the entertaining and educational history and supernatural tours offered by Haunted History Tours. We are the original New Orleans ghost tour company. We know the city’s spooky side inch by inch. Since 1995, we’ve been walking our customers step by step through the supernatural history of New Orleans through history tours that offer a truly unforgettable experience.

With over 27 years of excellence under our belts as well as extensive research on all the hauntings, we’re proud to provide the best haunted tours in New Orleans. Make no mistake; if it doesn’t say Haunted History Tours, then it isn’t the original! These are the New Orleans history tours you’ve heard about featured on A&E, History Channel, Discovery Channel, SyFy Channel, Fox Network, and recommended by The Travel Channel as “The #1 tour in New Orleans… a must-do!” Mildly theatrical, hugely historical, and thoroughly entertaining, Haunted History Tours offers a variety of daily and nightly history tours that are sure to leave you spellbound!

In addition to our ghost and history tours , Haunted History Tours has a vampire tour , a cemetery tour , a Garden District tour , a haunted pub crawl , and day or night bus tours of the city. Explore the legends of the French Quarter, or take in spooky stories of the city’s Mid-City section. From our New Orleans Cemetery Tour to the 5-in-1 Ghost and Mystery Tour, every ghost tour we offer lasts about two hours and runs, rain or shine.

History tours run year-round — except on Mardi Gras. The largest and longest operating walking tour company in New Orleans, Haunted History Tours is renowned for incredible storytelling and wow-worthy explorations. We use only the industry’s best guides and storytellers: Expect to walk away impressed. Come join us for a spine-tingling experience today!

Over 20 Years of Excellence!

The owner was very helpful in booking our tour. Cedric was hands down amazing!!!! He made the tour very fun, and if I go back and take another tour, I want him as my tour guide!!! Spooky and informative, we learned a lot about the ghosts and graveyards of New Orleans!! This is a must do tour if you go to NOLA, and make sure you get Cedric!

Rose was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. She went really deep describing folklore, historical, societal, and cultural origins of vampires that mirror our fears and perceptions reflecting it back to us. All of these were done in a way that made us able to relate and think deep about who we are.

I highly recommend this tour if you want to dig a little deeper and learn what New Orleans was and is all about and how it came to be the city we see nowadays. Thus a very, very interesting tour given by Toast, who's is an excellent storyteller, with a solid knowledge of history, funny anecdotes and music.

We toured with Toast (yes tour guide was named Toast), who was absolutely amazing. He told us numerous different stories of the area including hauntings and other parts of New Orleans history. He was incredibly entertaining and the two hours flew by. We went to several different graveyard sites as well as a local park and the old Charity Hospital.

We booked the French Quarter Ghost Tour and it was so much fun. Katrice was an absolute professional when dealing with less than ideal participants and the general rowdy public. She was engaging, educational, and the highlight of our night. We loved hearing the history and the stories as we walked the quarter.

At this time, events are being scheduled but may change without much notice depending on current covid-19 restrictions. Please check with the organizer for any you are interested in to get the most uptodate information.

« All Events

• This event has passed.

Mystery Garden Tour

August 2, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

Wednesday August 2 – Mystery Garden Tour

More details to follow – see our July newsletter

• Google Calendar
• Outlook 365
• Outlook Live

Partner Calendars: Here are other free places online to add events:

Post Seedy Saturday/Sunday events here.

Post your Society’s or District’s June events that occur during Garden Days here.

Post your meetings and events all year long here.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Full Moon Mystery Garden

By Colin Joyce

self-released

December 20, 2022

Like his friends and collaborators in GothBoiClique—the emo-rap iconoclasts who counted  Lil Peep as a member— Wicca Phase Springs Eternal has never been afraid of the dark. The singer-songwriter born Adam McIlwee fills his songs with shredded self-loathing and grim atmospheres, elements no doubt informed by his past membership in the openhearted emo band  Tigers Jaw . But Wicca Phase’s music has always been a little more opaque and otherworldly than his peers’. The feelings are raw, but his songs aren’t didactic—he wants you to lean in close, to get lost in the mystery. 

On  Full Moon Mystery Garden , Wicca Phase Springs Eternal deepens the enigmatic air he’s cultivated in the decade or so that he’s been releasing songs under the alias. The images that recur throughout the record—lonely roads, quiet nights, portals to other realms—are emotionally evocative but never too specific; they’re mundane enough to be comforting, but with enough horrors lurking in the shadows to remain unsettling. It’s a Lynchian journey down a lost highway soundtracked by shuddering trap beats, dusty drum breaks, and the dizzy haze of shoegazing guitar lines. On the gauzily poppy “Tonight I’m in Love on My Own,” he sums up record’s allure in a single couplet: “The ambience, the air that I’m after/Is cryptic, it’s mystic, it’s true.”

McIlwee’s misty abstraction has rarely been as moving as on “Dark Region Road,” where he readies himself to descend into an underwater portal, letting love wash over him. Throughout, his writing feels heavily labored and self-consciously poetic, but in a way that suits the grave intonation of his voice. He’s always favored a rough low register flanked by creeping harmonies, and he does here too, in a way that evokes medieval sacred music—when he sings about being chased by shadows or prying open a “forbidden door,” it’s almost as if he’s chanting profane verses, the foreboding consequences of which remain unclear.

This approach, shrouding almost every lyric in darkness, makes for some incisive moments of emotional clarity when McIlwee does allow himself to open up. The simple, direct opening of “I Was on a Back Road by Myself” is a placid meditation on solitude that recalls the unvarnished vulnerability of Phil Elverum’s first records as  Mount Eerie . It’s affecting and earnest in a way that much of  Full Moon Mystery Garden isn’t, which makes it feel like McIlwee is confiding in you—a small kernel of truth amid the swirling uneasiness of the record as a whole. 

This satisfying use of contrast is echoed in the record’s instrumentals. McIlwee and producer Garden Avenue alternate between the bruised beats that defined past Wicca Phase releases, heavy drum’n’bass refractions, and euphoric pop. In part, that’s no doubt to accommodate the wide variety of guests, who run from similarly downcast GothBoiClique regulars like Fish Narc to kaleidoscopic pop mutators like 8485 and blackwinterwells, but the emotional effect is profound. Tension and release exist in a delicate balance—for every moment of ecstatic abandon, like the dreamy “Hickory Grove,” there’s something a little more curdled and unsettling, like the hazy witch-house memories of “I Am the Edge.” As a result, the record feels inviting in places, terse and cold in others. It’s a compelling document of uncertainty from an artist who’s unafraid to offer a guided tour of the muddled headspace where he lives. 

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Pitchfork. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

• Skip to content

Hi! YOUR OPTIONS

• Garden Pictures
• Gardening Questions
• Gardening Blogs
• Garden Centre

Mystery solved

By bowl_you

by John Beaulieu (Bowl-you)

On most garden tours, you usually know where the gardens are, where you are going, or whose gardens they are. Not so with the local horticultural society Mystery Garden Tour. We meet at the Legion, arrange car pools and only then are we given driving instructions. I have never been on one of these mystery tours and thought it sounded fun… A bit like going on a fun car rally.

Our first stop was north-west of Elmvale in an area known as Tiny Beaches. Not because the beach is tiny, but because it is in Tiny Township. This is just north of Wasaga Beach (on Georgian Bay) which is the worlds longest freshwater beach. The garden was at a cottage on top of a sand dune overlooking the water. I was amazed at the plants thriving only in the amount of ‘soil’ that they came potted in.

Parking was tricky, as all the laneways were marked No Parking as I guess this can be a problem with non-residents coming to the beaches. We all took a chance and parked anyway, as we were not there for a long time. We had quite a convoy of cars, as this tour has proved very popular.

There was a lot of greenery and plant material for being in sand. There were no drainage problems in this garden!

It was not far to the second location. We headed east to the village of Wyevale.

The first thing I noticed, were all the hostas. I may specialize in hardy geraniums, but still grow a lot of hostas and daylilies. I love the larger varieties especially when mature and reaching full size.

You get great ideas from simple things sometimes. The saucer of glass marbles was very attractive glistening in the sunlight.

This garden had cement blocks that are for retaining walls, but you can plant in the blocks. I keep searching for a supplier of these. And, of course all the rocks (of all sizes) caught my attention. I was told stories about the gardener chasing trucks of stones and boulders to find out where they got them, and then getting the driver to dump them in her yard! I thought I was bad with my rock collecting!

I guess I’m lucky that I have never had Japanese Beetles. I could see the damage they can cause and also how well the traps work in controlling them. They had several traps around the yard and they were full of beetles.

It was a very short drive to the third and final garden which was on the same street in Wyevale.

There were photos on display of some really unique ‘farm themed’ table arrangement that club members had prepared for an anniversary gathering. Gwen, one of the tour planners, read a letter of thanks that the club had received and told us a bit about some of the designs such as this little mini-farm scene.

Our garden hosts had a perfect yard with a patio so we could gather and enjoy the many homemade treats and tea/coffee.

A big thank you to the garden hosts and to those that organize these tours. This was my first Mystery Tour, but not my last… This was such a fun time.

More blog posts by bowl_you

Previous post: A 'Tiny' blog

Next post: Geranium wallichianum bed

What a fun idea

26 Jul, 2014

A great day out. I loved the arrangement of chairs in the Woodland garden - clearly visitors are meant to sit and meditate - no talking please!

27 Jul, 2014

Hi John the gardens look super!

30 Aug, 2014

Recent posts by bowl_you

1 Dec, 2023

24 Nov, 2023

22 Nov, 2023

9 Feb, 2018

3 Sep, 2017

13 Jun, 2015

Members who like this blog

Gardening with friends since 17 Jan, 2012

Gardening with friends since 10 Mar, 2012

Gardening with friends since 9 Aug, 2009

Gardening with friends since 16 Mar, 2010

Gardening with friends since 22 Jun, 2011

Gardening with friends since 13 Aug, 2014

• Community Guidelines
• Cookies & Terms of Use & Privacy

Grows on You is a community for gardeners. Record the plants in your garden, share your photos, and make like-minded friends.

• MARKETPLACE

A magical mystery (garden) tour at Pine Grove

Fancy a séance or reading with a medium? Head to the Pine Grove Spiritualist Camp in Niantic this Saturday. The homeowner association's second annual walking tour of quaint turn-of-the-century cottages and community gardens includes the chance for readings with a Spiritualist medium in the neighborhood temple.

Pine Grove is one of Niantic's secret places. The 155-home community is on a peninsula - with the Niantic River to the east, Smith Cove on the west and Connecticut National Guard's encampment, recently renamed Camp Niantic, to the south. The streets are narrow, the water views are serenely stunning, and yes, you might feel the presence of spirits.

The community was established in 1882 by the Spiritualist movement, a science, philosophy and religion of continuous life that is based on communication through mediums. There are five Spiritualist churches in the state, including ones in Niantic and Norwich. The camp and temple are maintained by the Ladies Aid Society, a member of the Connecticut Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association and the Spiritualist community nationwide.

Initially, the camp homes were tent structures for Spiritualist members; these evolved into summer cottages and year-round homes. Today, roughly half are year-round residences, some maintained with their historic gingerbread style, some newly renovated. Anyone can own a home there and enjoy the communal property of river banks and beaches, as long as they agree to be caretakers of the grounds and respect the ongoing temple services and visiting Spiritualist mediums.

"It's so out of another time and place," says home owner Abigail Stokes, who divides her time between a New York apartment and a Pine Grove cottage. "There's an Andy Griffith feel here. We have only one Stop sign, there's a place for horse shoes. It's really a special place. Everybody knows everybody. And then the Spiritualists add a whole other element."

Stokes, whose ultimate goal is to get the Spiritualist Temple and some of the cottages on the National Register of Historic Places, and other owners started up the house and garden tour last year to raise interest, as well as funds for grounds beautification projects.

This year's tour features eight cottages, many built in the early 1900s. Three are new to the tour, including one of the oldest homes, near the temple, with original pane glass windows and other features. There's the Princess Cottage, with its original outhouse (no longer in service) next door, as well as the community grounds.

"It's all open, beautiful land that, thanks to the Spiritualists, for anyone who owns a home there to enjoy," said Stokes, who publishes the Pine Grove Post, the homeowners association newsletter.

A few years back, some of the owners formed a beautification committee to inspire more residents to spruce up their properties. Residents Petie Reed and Rich Oliver, who own Perennial Harmony Garden Shop across the Niantic River, contributed plants and labor, as well as advice, on what to grow in some community flowerbeds.

Stokes says the committee has made astronomical progress. The first project, to plant more than a thousand spring bulbs, led to establishment of four large perennial gardens; funds from last year's tour, including memorial donations for Georgia Bristol, a founding member of the committee, paid for a gazebo on the bank. The committee has also put up a little green house style shelter for children at the community's bus stop.

The Spiritualist Temple also will be open with a historic memorabilia display, including a slide show of more than 200 historic photos collected from residents' family archives and the Chat Club, a group of friends in East Lyme in 1912 to 1914, plus minutes of the first Spiritualist meetings there.

This year's tour, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, happens to fall on the anniversary of the first services offered at the temple on July 16, 1882. Tour tickets, $10, can be bought in advance at Perennial Harmony Gardens, 368 Boston Post Road, Waterford, or on Saturday at the bus stop on the corner of Broadway and South Street. For a schedule and fees for Spiritualist medium readings, call the Ladies Aid Society at (860) 739-2157. For other info, see www.pinegrovespiritualistcamp.net. Follow progress of the Pine Grove Beautification Committee on FaceBook.

Many Republicans are waiting to see Trump’s big plans to flip Black, Latino voters 11:01 pm

New policy at UConn says quiet 24 hours a day, no tents through the end of the semester 10:50 pm

Fire extinguished in Norwich 06:29 pm

Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, as Rafah offensive looms 05:46 pm

Cal Poly Humboldt closes campus for rest of semester over Gaza protests 05:39 pm

Barks and beers: Dog-friendly beer hall opens in Ledyard

Waterford, Stonington paraprofessionals picket for higher wages

Stonington farm owner fighting to restore locally extinct bird

Police logs ― April 27, 2024

Cracks filled, lane reopens on I-95 in East Lyme

An altar boy in Newport, Rhode Island

Bee rescuer patrick gaudin, reporting on church sex abuse cases for over 20 years, dictionary researcher joshua pendragon, providing victims of church abuse some justice and accountability.

The Garden has a new shopping cart. Note: Members check your email for a new membership ID.

The Chicago Botanic Garden has 385 acres of nature, beauty, and respite to discover.  

Today's Hours

8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Botanical Mystery Tour

A podcast about the real-life science behind the plants in pop culture..

In each episode we interview a scientist, horticulturist, or educator at the Garden who dives into the botany behind our favorite stories. We explore what’s real and what’s fantasy, while discovering plants that are characters all on their own.

Subscribe   Hosts: Jasmine Leonas and Erica Masini  Producer: Charles Goss

Latest Episode

Episode 7: harry potter and magical plants.

Guest: Amy Iler, Conservation Scientist

We all know the “Harry Potter” series is filled with magic. But did you realize how important magical plants like Devil’s snare and mandrake are to the stories? We explore whether these kinds of plants really exist in the Muggle world.

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Episode 6: The Silence of the Lambs and Death's-Head Hawkmoths

Guest: Krissa Skogen, Conservation Scientist

The poster for the movie The Silence of the Lambs is iconic — a sinister winged insect covers the mouth of a pale-faced woman. That insect is a death’s head hawkmoth, and in some cultures it’s considered a dark omen. Do hawkmoths deserve their creepy reputation? What do hawkmoths and Buffalo Bill have in common? And how does Clarice Starling compare to real-life women in science?

Episode 5: Shakespeare in the Garden

Guest: Heather Sherwood Senior Horticulturist

“What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” Botanical references abound in Shakespeare’s works, like in this famous quote from ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ He was a writer who celebrated plants in verse and someone who kept a garden of his own. But his interest in the botanical wasn’t necessarily special for his time. What do modern English gardens have in common with those back in the Bard’s day? And why did he choose to mention certain plants and trees?

Episode 4: Alice in Wonderland and the Mysteries of Mushrooms

Guest: Greg Mueller, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Vice President of Science

Mushrooms! Colorful, weird, possibly deadly, and an important part of the classic tale by Lewis Carroll. When consumed, the mushrooms Alice encounters have wacky and strange consequences, but are there real-life equivalents? And where can you go to find mushrooms that would feel right at home in Wonderland?

Episode 3: The Star Wars Sarlacc Pit and Carnivorous Plants

Guest: Tom Weaver, former Garden Horticulturist

Move over Darth Vader and Kylo Ren: Sarlaccs are way more terrifying than your light sabers. The terrifying, plant-like creature that almost eats Lando Calrissian in Return of the Jedi is the stuff of nightmares. What makes this pit of despair a plant? Does it have any real-life comparison? Do venus flytraps and pitcher plants torture and communicate with their prey like Sarlaccs do?

Episode 2: The Simpsons, Dennis the Menace , and the Corpse Flower

Guest: Pati Vitt, Ph.D., former Senior Scientist and Manager of Conservation Programs and Curator of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank

Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower, is one of the Garden’s superstar plants. These stinky, rare blooms attract thousands of visitors intrigued by their foul odor and towering height. How has the corpse flower been accurately (and inaccurately) portrayed as a character in pop culture? Are the references in Dennis the Menace (“The 40 Year Orchid”) and The Simpsons (“Sumatran Century Flower”) based in science or fiction?

Episode 1: Black Mirror and the Automated Drone Insects

Guest: Paul CaraDonna, Ph.D., Research Scientist

Black Mirror is a British sci-fi TV series that explores some nightmarish consequences of new technologies. In the season 3 episode “Hated in the Nation,” humans have curbed colony collapse disorder by developing autonomous drone insects. Are we headed to a world where robot bees are possible? Or is the idea just a ludicrous invention of Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker’s imagination? Do we still not know why bees are disappearing? And what can we do now to save them?

Home Page › Our tours › Moscow tours

• Our Service
• Our Photo Album

Moscow tours

We take part in bbc series of documentaries "world's busiest cities"(moscow).

Buy Tickets to the Bolshoi Theatre

Other special offers...

Interpreting and assistance at exhibitions and conferences, our garage ( vehicles+drivers), where to stay in moscow, what and where to eat in moscow, visa support, learning and discovery, our partners (trips to st.petersburg).

Copyright 2015 - Moscow Navigator

Moscow Free Tour

• Page active

Description

Highlights:.

• Hit the Red Square;
• Explore the nooks and crannies of Alexander Garden;
• Get a taste of the ancient Kitay Gorod;
• Learn about the tragic destiny of the Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Roam through the heart of Moscow.

Walking Tour Itinerary:

Here are our TOP 7 things to help you start your Russian adventure or tick off before you say goodbye to Moscow.

Wander around the vast cobblestone square with rich past, gorgeous architecture, incredible GUM , bright colors of the Kremlin and swirling Saint Basil’s Cathedral .

Kitay Gorod

Walk across the Red Square to see the embankment of old Moscow river and plunge into the atmosphere of ancient Russian village where nobles preferred to settle in XV century.

Varvarka street

Walk up Varvarka street to find the landmark of Kitay Gorod - Palace of the Romanov Boyars, which was built in the XVI century and where lived the first Tsar from the Romanov dynasty.

Old English Court

Look at the Old English Court , which used to be the English Embassy in Moscow and where Ivan the Terrible confined the envoy from England, because Queen Elizabeth I refused to marry him.

Alexander Garden

Watch the solemn ceremony of the Changing of the guards , pay respect to the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , and the stone Grotto , The huge fountain in the centre adds a sophisticated feel to the almost 200 year old garden.

Christ the Savior Cathedral

Walk to the cathedral which is of a great cultural value to Russians. Its marvelous exterior, enormous golden domes, colossal bronze doors and pristine white walls will touch your feelings.

Patriarch’s Bridge

Pause on the bridge and marvel at the Kremlin, river cruises, monument after Peter the Great and Red October Chocolate Factory , which is now a nightlife hub for youngsters.

About Moscow:

We picked up a list of article that might be useful and helpful to you during your stay in Moscow. These are things to do in Moscow, tips about Moscow, best cafes in Moscow and simply fun facts about Moscow. Enjoy reading!

Before coming to Moscow:

• Our fun guides sharing their observations about their tours and best practices:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-private-guides-on-tours-in-moscow
• What you should know about Moscow:  
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/5-things-to-know-before-you-go-to-moscow

Off the beaten path of Moscow:

• Kitay Gorod:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-fun-facts-about-kitay-gorod
• Zamoskvorechye:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-fun-facts-about-zamoskvorechye
• White City:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-off-the-beaten-path-white-city  

The best parks in Moscow:

• Muzeon Statues Park:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-off-the-beaten-path-muzeon-park
• Gorky Park: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-gorky-park
• Tsaritsino Park: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-37-reasons-to-visit-tsaritsyno
• Kolomenskoe Park:
•   https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-kolomenskoe-museum-reserve

The most historical and beautiful streets of Moscow:

• Arbat  srreet: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-arbat-street
• Tverskaya street: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-things-to-do-tverskaya-street
• Downtown of Moscow: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-moscow-streets

What to do in Moscow:

• How to have a Real Russian Experience:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/real-russian-experience
• Things to do in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/21-things-to-do-in-moscow
• Architectural masterpieces, hidden gems of Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-off-the-beaten-path
• Top Moscow attractions:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/top-10-moscow-attractions

Budget travel:

• How to have fun in Moscow for less than $4:
• How to save money in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/7-ways-to-save-money-while-travelling-to-moscow

Cafes & restaurants in Moscow:

• Moscow cafes with Russian breakfast:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-cafes-with-russian-breakfast
• Best Moscow restaurants:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/best-moscow-restaurants
• Best coffee shops in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-best-coffee-shops

Moscow Metro:

• Facts about Moscow Metro:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/fun-facts-about-moscow-metro
• Myths about Moscow Metro:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/7-myths-about-moscow-metro
• Facts about Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/fun-facts-50-facts-about-moscow
• Fun Facts about Kremlin:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/33-fun-facts-from-our-kremlin-tours
• The best flea markets in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-best-flea-markets
• Top 5 Russian souvenirs:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/top-5-russian-souvenirs

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review