Night time and twilight became my favourite time for walking. It's the sense of peacefulness that I appreciate most. Quiet streets, dark corners, lonely churchyards lit by faint lamplights. Away from the crowds I can enjoy the precious time before the day begins.

This week's walk took me to The Thames. I miss the river so much. Last year my boyfriend and I finished walking The Thames Path, and since then I long to go back to some of the places that we discovered on the way. Though this is not one of them, I was aware of it as I drove past it many times. It is a walking distance from our home, so it was easy to include it in my weekly walk.

When I got there I was disappointed a little as there was a gate and it was locked. However the timing was perfect, as the blue hour just started creeping in, so I tried to take a picture from behind the gate. As I was packing up, to my big surprise a guard turned up and opened the gate. I was so grateful and couldn't thank him enough. He didn't just open a gate. He opened a secret door to a hidden corner that I could quietly enjoy on my own. A precious gift I will always be thankful for.

Just in case you wonder what the place is, here is an extract from the temple's website and a link to more information.

While walking through the gardens and enjoying the time and place I had only to myself, the sky changed from dark blue and purple to fiery red. It was literally out of this world. So difficult to capture, that I just wanted to sit on one of the benches and quietly enjoy the spectacle in the sky. But it was too difficult to resist. I took a photo I wouldn't normally take these days. It's messy, it's not amazing, but it is my memory of the magical morning. Sometimes it's good to take a picture for no other reason than just preserving a special moment. No matter if it is only a snapshot.