The Eden Project was always planned to be a highlight of this holiday and while its inspiration, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, gave it a run for its money it did not disappoint. In essence Eden is a very special natural history museum, although you’ll find no butterflies in cases. There are three biomes, including the outdoors (which should not be ignored) in which climates from around the world have been recreated to support life that would otherwise quickly expire in this former clay pit. And, of course, it is a rapidly expanding runaway success.

It’s also the kind of thing that needs to be experienced, the humid tropics biome melts everyone and there is much to take in on this tour of Earth’s ecology.

There’s also plenty of art including Tim Shaw’s Rites of Dionysus, this part of which upset a couple of older ladies just ahead of us. ‘It’s not right,’ said one. ‘Oh no, I don’t like it,’ said the other. ‘It’s just not right,’ repeated the first. ‘Ooh, I think it’s Greek,’ her friend advised. ‘Well they were never right… it’s just not right.’
Uploaded: 14 July 2005

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