The Octagon and Pepper Corns

For the last 7 days we stayed at the Octagon.  It was really really nice.

The Octagon is located about 20 minutes from Peridiniya, where we visited the Royal Botanical Gardens.  It was built in 2013 by an Irish poet called Richard Murphy.  Whose father was the last British Mayor of Colombo in 1935.  The monks at the Rockhill Hermitage blessed the Octagon when it was built.  I love all these little facts about the place.

I also love the place itself!!!  The Octagon has 8 sides.  Each with a big window or door.  The building is surrounded by a pretty garden with tea plants, black pepper plants, and likely more we didn't identify.  It's airy and bright.  With a balcony all around.  It was possibly modeled after the Sri Dalada Maligawa / the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a very famous Buddhist temple in Kandy which is only about 45 minutes away. 

My wish is to have a simple version of the Octagon as a cottage....

Pictures
1-The entrance to the Octagon.  Elegant.
2-Desmond, the caretaker delivered a beautiful breakfast to us every morning.  An omelet, toast/butter/jelly, fruit, tea.  It was a delight to the eyes and mouth!
3- 3a Toby and the resident cat.  Looking regal on his elephant!
4- The ceiling in the Octagon was very cool to look at!  
5-7 Who knew???  Pepper corns grow on vines.  The vines need a tree, preferably with rough bark, to climb.  You pick the pepper before they're ripe.  When the pepper on the lower part of the vine just starts to turn red.  Then you let the pepper dry in the sun, And shell them. Picture 5 is Upali picking the pepper corns.
8-10 - Inside and outside of the Octagon.  So pleasant!!!!