The Classics

Seems I've been a bit neglectful of keeping my adventures recorded, so hopefully this will make up for the last couple of days. Truth be told, there hasn't been anything extraordinary that's occurred, rather, it's been quite a bit relaxing. Since I moved into my studio flat on Tuesday, I've spent the majority of my time getting settled and exploring the neighborhood. I've found the best markets to shop at, the loveliest cafes, and the most traditional pubs. Yesterday, I walked a few short blocks to Paddington Station...now that is quite a place. It is filled with adventure - trains coming and going, the underground tube coming and going, people everywhere arriving and departing. Paddington Station is a place to visit and to mill around - there are plenty of cafes and restaurants, and every other convenience shop; but it's more than a place to sit. It's a place to watch. And the architecture is breathtaking - the high domed ceilings, the way that life keeps swirling about at a fast pace, the train whistles, the "all-aboard's", definitely a place to sit amidst the traveling.

As I am less than a five minute walk to Hyde Park and enter in by Kensington Gardens, this has become my daily sanctuary. I walk the path around The Serpentine, alongside the man-made river, through the geese/duck habitat, underneath stone arch bridges, passed two cafes with expectant outdoor patios, alongside Princess Diana's memorial fountain, and back to the stone garden walls, sculptures, and fountains that are iced down. Kensington Palace is in the distance and today the mist was rolling in. As I walked, I found two swans floating alongside the bank, hiding under foliage in their own personal pool. They were beautiful, and it felt like I was the only one who noticed them. On the opposite side of my path, the field stretched on, dotted with trees, wild grasses and wheat standing tall. I could have been standing in a Jane Austen novel. It hasn't failed yet - there is something magical about England that makes one feel directly connected to the Classics. While you're walking, you can almost imagine being transported back to the 1800's - there's something fantastic about knowing that it was all here then - the Palace, the grounds, the fields, the wildlife...somethings haven't changed.

"I Capture the Castle" is one of my all time favorite books (by Dodie Smith), and as I couldn't stand to leave it behind, it followed me here to London. Finished it last night (rather, this morning!) and it was yet another classic tribute to early London (only the 1930's), filled with mention of places I know well - Hyde Park, Park Lane, Leicester Square, Regent Street, and King's Crypt (Cross) station. It's a lovely idea to be in London in the 21st century but to feel like you're living it in the 19th or 20th - through a book.