October 22-Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park

The following is an excerpt from an email I wrote to Alberto.  It's probably more details than most would want to read.  I indulged myself partly because I wanted to record my experience and mostly because I wanted to spend some meaningful time with my good friend.  Here goes.

Yesterday morning the gardener came.  Very likable low key man.  He spent hours here trimming.  While he was doing that, I kicked back and zoned out on the internet.  Lots of interesting, thought-provoking articles.  Ralph came back from class early and wanted to go out exploring.  Surprised me.  I was settled in for the day looking at the photographs I'd taken.  Just now realized I didn't get any of me.  I extracted myself from my stupor and we went to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which are adjacent to each other.  It really is wonderful how one can walk to the tube, jump on, and emerge in a different world and near to any place you want.

It was windy and very cool.  I wore my trench coat for the second time.  It was overcast.  Very moody atmosphere.  Ralph was cold.  I was perfectly comfortable.  It was one of those times you don't plan and which turns out to be special.  There was no hurry and everything was new.  There were people around but it wasn't crowded or touristy.  It felt like we were in a private Londoner's place apart from the gawking.  I was so happy being there.  And at last I was not hot.

The two parks are big and adjacent so it is an enormous space.  You could compare the general look of it to Piedmont Park.  Large grassy areas, old trees, lakes, and walks.  Interspaced along the walks are little restaurants with tables and chairs and rest rooms.  People let their dogs run loose and the dogs are so happy.  Also, there were a couple of art galleries.  And monuments.  It was a long, long leisurely stroll.  Geese, gulls, and swans, pigeons.  Infants with their mothers.  A few joggers. 

There is a monument to Albert, Queen Victoria's husband.  I think it could not be more ornate.  Over the top.  I did not care for it.  A larger than life statue of him sitting in a chair high above the ground inside a pergola that is like something you might see in Thailand or India, I imagine.  Albert is shiny and gold.  The pergola is painted in rich designs and comes to a point above his head.  I think there is a cross at the top.  At the four corners are statues of animals and people with each corner representing a part of the empire, I'm guessing (elephants, buffalo, etc.).  Steps leading up to it.  It is at the edge of the park and faces Royal Albert Hall which is a very large round brick building.  There was a graduation happening there, evidently, as there were young people with graduation robes with family members roaming around outside.  The city starts up again at that perimeter. 

If you walk back into the park from there and take a turn through a gate, there is a flower garden stroll which is a straight path with floral plants and trees on either side.  Must be spectacular in the spring and summer.  Was just lovely now.  At the end, you can see the street and cars at a distance.  And turn right to a wide path the size of a street which eventually fronts Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived, where Victoria was born and raised, and where Prince Harry lives now in a cottage nearby.  It's impressive in it's size, of course, but is surprisingly plain, not pretty.  It's accessible to the public.  I think it would be weird to be persons of such interest to the public as are the monarchy and to live secreted away in private areas in a public place.  This was the royal residence for how long I don't know before Victoria moved to Buckingham Palace.  Must once have been far away in the country from London proper.

We stopped at a restaurant facing a lake and sat drinking some wine at a table on the porch facing the river.  It was dusk and turned to night as we sat there.  We had thought it would be unsafe to be there at night but people were strolling around.  We then walked back to the tube and emerged at Leichester Square which is always, it seems, thronged with people.  It's full of restaurants and small streets. Very jolly atmosphere.  We searched for a street Ralph had found while at school earlier and found there a Mexican Restaurant that turned out to be really good and a fun place to be.  Not microwave and not pricey and definitely not kitschy. 

And then we found the bus stop and rode home where we collapsed a 9:00 to bed. 

I'm here today all day.  Stocked up on groceries.  Hope to get plans written down and organized.  And hope to get photos on the blog.  Lots to do.