Thank you so much Alex for sharing your beautiful travel photos here. I don't get to travel much so it is a huge treat for me to see these beautiful gardens through your lens. Wow, love the tree peony blooms in Moscow University. What awesome and spectacular shrubs they grow! I have never seen so many trees covered in blooms. Did you encounter any difficulties traveling in Russia or going through customs? I also love the pics of the Spanish gardens and architecture that you took. Love those gorgeous arches and open verandas that overlook the gardens. Just magnificent. The roses and waterlilies in the German gardens are wonderful as well.

Thank you Jasmin for sharing the links to the peony books. I am starting to read Peonies MS Uspenskaya via Google translate. Already I am gripped by its opening paragraph.

"When, as the song says, "we can't overcome trouble, when despair sets in" ... we go on trips, and if not possible, then to parks or to our garden plots. Communication with nature, with plants is necessary for everyone. The great Russian artist and philosopher NK Roerich writes: "Beauty in its philosophical and evolutionary sense is the basis of the human spirit. Without Beauty, neither the evolution of a person as a whole, nor the advancement of an individual person can take place. Without it, there is no man as such, there is no light on his path. Images of Beauty, according to the teachings of the Living Ethics, live and pulsate in space and affect the psychic energy of the individual.True Beauty plays an important role in evolutionary progress, changing a person for the better, elevating his thoughts, developing his spirit." This is perfect description of how I would feel if I was traveling and seeing the images that Alex shared in this thread.

Love your post Karen. I don't travel much either.

Thank you, Karen for your kind and inspiring words.
It was a rather difficult trip to Moscow, I succeeded on my 3rd attempt to fly there. My 2 flights from Malaga by Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines were cancelled and I decided to change the departure airport to Barcelona hoping for better luck.
Travelling is my passion and I have to restrict myself until kids are more or less independent. 2019 was a wonderful year, but COVID made my 2020 trip plans useless. 2022 was very nice and I am hoping for a great 2023, but this time I will try to be at home when peonies are blooming.

THanks LG and Alex! Just want to clarify that I took that quoted paragraph from the book, Peonies by Marianne S Uspenskaya.

Alex, I am glad that you did not give up after some failed attempts at flying to Russia. Otherwise we would not be able to see such magnificent tree peonies in bloom. I am so happy that you timed it just right at the tree peony bloom time there. I bet if you were to stay there a little longer, you would be able to see all those herbaceous peonies bloom. What parts of the world are you planning to visit next?

Karen, me and my wife will be travelling to Japan in April and May if everything will be all right. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I also have a Eurasia cross continent trip in plans starting somewhere like Paris and ending in Japan with a long stop over in China, but that will depend on too many factors and may not happen soon. Or I may end up with 2 separate ones instead, European in the fall and I want to see blooming peonies in Luoyang or Beijing. Tickets to China are outrageously expensive at the moment.

That sounds wonderful, Alex! I hope your plans will materialize and that you will get to see peony blooms in Luoyang or Bejing. Hope there will be travel deals favorable to your travel plans. I would love to visit Japan during tree peony blooming season someday. My sister had traveled to Japan and she loved it. She said that's her favorite travel destination. Everything is so clean and orderly. Foods are delicious and people are so friendly.

Your travel plans sound so exciting Alex! I can't wait to see your photos.