Avenue Gardens

After a fabulous walking tour yesterday of the must-see sights of London (Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, etc.), I relaxed a little today. It was very nice to simply amble through Regent's Park with my camera, snapping photos of the gardens and ponds that I had seen on Tuesday when out for a run. It is terrific that so many parks and exhibits in London are open and free to the public.

In addition to St. James's Park, Regent's Park was commissioned by George IV and designed by architect John Nash. Even in December, the park is lovely as the leaves that remain on the trees have changed colour, evergreens are manicured, pansies, pinks and other cold tolerant flowers are plentiful, and fountains stream and flow. Even the gardens that are less formal are planned to show their best during all four seasons. There are wide walkways as well as winding paths. There is at least one café, a bike rental shop, tennis courts, a college, an open air theatre, and many sports pitches.

Regent's Park is also home to many birds and wildlife. There are signs in the park not to feed the royal birds "too much" but it is clear from the size of the squirrels that there is plenty of food to go around.