London -Boxing Day

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Boxing day bought freezing temperatures, we knew we were in for a cold day with all the cars in the street covered with thick ice. It also bought a an Underground train drivers strike.

Options were a bit limited but we caught a bus to Kensington and spent the day exploring the vast parkland of London's main Royal Parks, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The ground was absolutely frozen, and so was the water in Serpentine lake, the Serpentine Swimming Club who, since 1864, have a traditional annual 100 yard swimming race on Christmas day, this year had to break up the ice before the race!

We made our way from Kensington Gardens past a couple of Anish Kapoor's current sculpture installations within the park, toward the Royal Albert Hall and the grand statue of Prince Albert. Apparently he didn't think much of monuments, and against his wishes Queen Victoria commissioned the Albert Memorial after he died 1861. It was great to spend the day out of the congestion of the city even if we had to slip and slide our way around these parks that cover 625 acres. There was plenty of activity in the park with a winter wonderland festival and a number of orators at the speakers corner.

We decided to catch the bus home again from nearby Marble Arch, but with the train strike, there was no hope and we ended the day having to walk the 5km back to Hammersmith.

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Photos

Round Pond
Kensington Gardens

Centre Fountain
Standing on ice!

The Fountains
Lancaster Gate