In Lavender Fields

Lavender.

The title was supposed to sound more like "Fields of Emerald, Droplets of Ruby". But then again...

Saturday morning, the skies were grey with thick sheets of clouds, covering behind them the warm autumn sun and blue skies. It was the typical weekend morning when I would wrap myself up with sheets and sleep in. What it was not was the kind of morning for a trip to a strawberry farm where I would have to get up at eight.

I joined Cherry and Edwin for breakfast at Hungry Jack's before heading to University Square where everyone going on the trip was told to gather. Cherry had to buy Henry breakfast and carry it all the way from the city to University Square. As an act of vengeance, we deliberately forgot the straw for his coke.

The opportunistic asshole enjoying his breakfast.

We left University Square in a bus at about 10:20 a.m. The journey towards the strawberry farm in Mornington was a hard and arduous journey due to my lack of sleep the night before and the diarrheoa I had to hold in. Arriving at the farm was definitely a relief, so to speak.

Not so sunny, not at all funny.

Des fraises.

Berry much into photography. I know, it is not punny.

Due to someone screwing up the booking, we were met with bad news at the farm, that we could not enter the farm to pluck strawberries. However, before anyone could bother to complain, we were all ordering desserts from the cafe.

Temptation.

I know that the ice cream and the strawberries coated in strawberry jam looks heavenly and girls who love Hello Kitty would jump off a building for something this pink, heck, even I am a sucker for this, but let this be heard, it is nowhere as good as it looks. Not saying that it was bad, just keep your expectations lower.

Fondue au Chocolat.

La temptation avec la fondue au chocolat.

Cherry and strawberry?

There is nothing like a few depressing black and white photos to put our emotions back in equilibrium after being overjoyed from gorging down dessert after dessert.

The one and only Steven Li Chun Ho. Now in black and white.

Depressed duo.

Although there was a kink the in plan, the committee of the Hong Kong Students Association did not give in. They decided instead that we go to a lavender farm nearby. The bus driver, however, screwed up badly as he took us in a big 45-minute long circle while the strawberry farm was practically next to the lavender farm.

Upon our arrival at the lavender farm, we were greeted by a friendly scarecrow.

Rustle the welcoming scarecrow.

There is not much to mention about the lavender farm, other than lavender being the tip of the iceberg, but not in a good way. Here is a list of the attractions that I took photos of in the farm.

A fountain with statues of horses besides two fountains with plastic water spouts.

Mazes.

The mazes were a refreshing experience as I had never been in a real maze before. The first maze was fun as it resembled a real, convoluted, non-linear labyrinth. The rest were just waist-high fences with creeper plants such as the almost barren rose maze and the lavender labyrinth which were not very interesting. There is also a rock maze.

Lakes.

Despite the lavender farm being somewhat a disappointment, it was a good opportunity for me to do some nature photography.

Roses. Notice the bee near the top right.

More roses.

Not as sharp as can be. I do not (yet) own a macro lens.

My favourite for the day.

Could be better with less negative space but moths do not stay at the same spot for more than two seconds.

I was also the unofficial photographer for the event.

Group photos.

Our artistic director Steven "Spielberg" Li.

After a tour around the farm, its numerous mazes and lakes, we headed for the cafe.

They also serve homemade lavender ice-cream.

Full house.

Honestly, the trip was just alright. I got quite excited about it at first but the weather, our bad luck with the strawberry farm and the rather nonsensical lavender farm let me down. However, I did have a lot of fun catching up with my friends during the trip, escaped the busy semester for a day in the great outdoors and bagged a few good photos in the process.

Here is a random picture of a Hummer as a filler.