Now that the Summer is almost upon us here in the UK, the Beetle thought
she would share her favourite London park: Regents Park – an oasis
of green and tranquility in the heart of London. Architect John Nash landscaped
the park and designed many of the buildings in the area (also worth a
stroll around) in the 18th Century. The park is within walking
distance of the following tubes: Marylebone, Baker St, Regents Park and
Camden Town up in the North. Within Regent’s Park, you have Queen
Mary’s Flower Gardens, where there are often band concerts in the
Summer months, the Boating Lake, the Zoological Gardens, one of the oldest
zoos in the world and the Open Air Theatre which often stages Shakespeare
in the Summer months. A nice day out could be to visit the weekend market
at Camden Lock then head south to the park, have a picnic and watch a
play in the evening. The cafes are surprisingly good and not too expensive
either.
Greenwich Park is probably most famous for having the Greenwich Meridian
passing through it, and being home to Greenwich Meantime (GMT). The Beetle’s
favourite scuttling route to get to Greenwich is to take the Docklands
Light Railway (DLR) to Island River Gardens, and to walk to the river
and take the path that goes under the Thames to the other side. Before
you take the footpath, stop to admire the view across the river of Greenwich
and the fabulous stately buildings including the Old Royal Observatory,
designed by Sir Christopher Wren (he of St Pauls), the National Maritime
Museum and the Queens House, and not least the Cutty Sark. A good day
out would be to take the DLR to Island River Gardens, cross over to Greenwich,
take a picnic lunch, wander around and then take a boat back to West London
– to Blackfriars or Embankment or Westminster.
The convenient thing about Hyde park is that is it close to some of
the best shopping areas in London. The park is within walking distance
of the following tubes: South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner
in the South and Marble Arch in the north East and Lancaster Gate in the
North West. Henry VIII used Hyde Park for hunting in the 16th
Century! In 1851, Prince Albert redesigned it for the Great Exhibition.
An absolute must is Speaker’s Corner, especially on a Sunday is
an example of freedom of speech, where you can witness impassioned individuals,
literally on their soapboxes in some cases, espousing some cause close
to their own heart!
For the hardy, there’s the Serpentine Lake where you can hire
a boat or even go swimming! There’s also a very good art gallery
at the Serpentine. Close by is the Lido, a place to have a drink or snack
and in Summer months, there is often a jazz band or a poetry reading.
A good day out would be to visit the shops in Knightsbridge, then on to
the Victoria and Albert Museum and then over to Hyde park with a picnic
lunch.
Next month: Iceland
Please contact Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
for your suggested country itinerary