FOR JESS: Regent's Park

Fall in London

I loved this walk. There were so many things that made it wonderful. I was with some of my favorite people, it's during one of my favorite times of the year, it reminded me of one of my favorite places, and it was one of the most beautiful places in London. So what wasn't there to like?! While we followed Dr. B's directions for our walk, we also took some liberties in exploring on our own to just live and be in the park.

The fall weather was perfect firstly. It was absolutely beautiful. While walking through, I couldn't for

London Fall

the life of me figure out why I was loving the park so much until it finally hit me that it was because it actually reminded me of home. It had beautiful trees, a river, bridges... I dunno... for whatever reason it felt more like Utah than anywhere else has. That was some introspective learning that happened - even when I love London and am so happy to be here, there still is no place like home. I also can be thousands of miles away from home and somehow I'm still connected
to home. I forget sometimes that we're not complete planets away.

All over the park people were playing sports. It was the first time I've been in a park here where they just play around together outside. Since we're in the middle of the city, people evidently can't go into their backyards and play, so this park is a great place where they can have neighborhood teams get together and play. It was fun to watch the families and the teams and all the variety of people have fun together.

Construction everywhere

Here's something about London that I've learned. Construction. It's everywhere. You can't escape it. Utah may constantly have roadwork, but London has so. much. construction. I don't want to burst any bubbles, but it's something that is London to me.

Rich houses with classy architecture

It was a family-friendly park and I love being reminded of all the families who have the wonderful opportunity to grow up here. Also this walk helped remind me that there are people out there who are definitely richer than I am. These kids certainly grow up in unique circumstances. The architecture all around the area outside the park reflects the wealth of the area. It's no surprise because - learned this on the walk - Regents Park was this huge project by George IV when he was still Regent and it was meant to be this huge, grand, rich park. So the surrounding terraces and buildings definitely reflect his desire for grand and ritzy.

One of the many beautiful
parts of the park

More than anything, I loved this walk because it felt like home and it was a simplistic kind of beauty (even though apparently it didn't start out that way). There may have been informative things I was supposed to learn and facts I needed to know, but I just appreciated being inside a beautiful park in the middle of a beautiful city. So this was one of those walks that I will really remember even if it wasn't stock-full of anything very scholarly or educational.


"How sweet the morning air is! See how one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some giant flamingo. Now the red rim of the sun  pushes itself over the London cloud-bank... How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of nature!" - Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle

Fun times together

Redheads in the Park

Sports

Another fun part to the garden

Love these three

FOR JESS: Little Venice

This architecture is so
similar to some near home!

Little Venice is this delightful little gem in the middle of nowhere. It's seriously one of the shortest walks, so what could I learn from it, you ask (Jess)? Well let me tell you. London is filled with hidden gems. Who knew that inside this horribly busy city there would be an entire little (rich) oasis! It's really quite beautiful and it comes out of nowhere.

Little Venice

So I emerged from the underground and had no concept of where I was. To be fair, that doesn't happen so much anymore. I might not be quite sure where everything connects, but in general I can find my way around and have a general understanding of home and the Thames. In that little area, I
had no idea. So just when you think you've got a grasp on things, you are forced to remember that maybe there's still a lot to learn. Same goes for London in general. There's always more to learn and it's probably a little too easy to get complacent and forget to keep my eyes open to learning!

Crescent where Robert
Browning lived

Another crazy thing is this area is known as Little Venice because it has this pretty, little canal that runs right down the center. I have no idea where the water comes from or where it goes and I have no idea how this river-like canal ended up in the middle of London, but it's wonderful. London comes through once again to surprise me with a new culture.

As an English major, I also really love learning about my favorite authors and guess what? Robert Browning lived here as did Lord Byron and rumor has it they were the ones
who helped give this area its nickname. I love being able to travel to places where my favorite authors and poets lived to be
able to see what they were seeing. It's like Wordsworth - when I visit the Lake District it makes sense why he wrote the way he did and where his inspiration came from. So it's always enlightening to go back to peoples' roots and see how it influences their writing.


"London is enchanting. I step out upon a tawny coloured magic carpet, it seems, and get carried into beauty without raising a finger.† People pop in and out, lightly, divertingly like rabbits; and I look down Southampton Row, wet as a seal's back or red and yellow with sunshine, and watch the omnibuses going and coming and hear the old crazy organs. One of these days I will write about London, and how it takes up the private life and carries it on, without any effort." - Virginia Woolf

Little Venice with
little cuties! 

St. Mary's church nearby

Bridge House Pub - famous
pub, interesting people

FOR JESS: Westminster and Lambeth: Church and State

London Eye

This is a short walk that everyone loves doing because it's basically like walking in the foot of a tourist. So... I figure that I would be amiss to disregard tourists as part of this culture. Here's something though (ready for this, Jess?) - there are so many wonderful things to see and do in London so what is it that makes certain things more touristy than others? Bam. That's my thought. I'm really getting deep here.

So first item of touristy excitement was the London Eye. It's ginormous. I know I have to go because... it's quintessential London. See that's the thing about the culture here, even if you live here you also have to participate in the tourist side of life. Here's a fun fact, the London Eye was only built
in the turn of the millennium. I've thought it was such a permanent part of London, but who knew?! It really shouldn't surprise me. London is constantly changing and growing and it's only natural that the famous skyline is a mix of old and new.

Parliament and Big Ben

Speaking of the London skyline, we then made our way to Big Ben. Second fun fact, Big Ben is actually the name of the bell within the tower. So... That's something. I don't think it really makes much of a difference, but now we're all better educated. Big Ben is attached to parliament and parliament is another classic aspect to London. The architecture behind London
is really
fascinating. When it was built there was a lot of discussion over what to make the new and current legislation building. So rather than going classical and building a Greek government building - which is definitely what we do in America - they decided to build it in the Gothic style. It's pretty unique.

St. Margaret's Church

Finally, we were able to look at Westminster and this fun church next to it - St. Margaret's Church. This was a church I had no idea existed, but I'm so glad I got to visit! We were really lucky because we got to be there right on the hour when - I guess - they do a prayer. They asked us all to find a seat or to stop walking and we all stopped for a prayer. They prayed for the queen, Ebola, serving military, and then they made a special prayer for families all across the world who all struggle and have their own problems. It was really, really cool. It was a fun taste of London that I love having because it's not typical London. So even when you think you're in a very touristy area, you still get small little London treats. And then of course Westminster is overwhelming and beautiful though I couldn't get in because it costs money.

So there you have it! These amazing monuments are integral to London not only because they're touristy, but because they're so rich in culture and beauty. I love it here.


"I'm not sure what I'll do, but -- well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale" - F Scott Fitzgerald

Claire and I at the Eye!

Classic London

Westminster Abbey

Just a giant statue over a
tourist shop. No big deal.