Sunday, September 13, 2015 Kensington Gardens

Took tube to High Street Kensington on District Line. An expensive and prestigious area of London. Popped into Marks and Spencer briefly, located just outside the tube station. Down Kensington Street to Whole Foods.

Larger than the one at Park Royal, on two floors. Same sort of foods, but more variety.  Interesting spices I've never heard of.

Beer selection.  Have a very large wine selection.  Such a civilized country.

UK1=CA$2.05 if currency is exchanged in Canada.  Up to $2.36 here in England.

Various sorts of breads available, baked in Whole Foods bakery.  A very busy store, just like in Vancouver.

Walked down a small street near Whole Foods.  Several sidewalk restaurants in this small alleyway.

The Iranian Embassy, not the whole block, just one small section, where the flag is flying

Beautiful detail on many of the old buildings in the city

Lots of Mercedes, BMWs and the like on the streets in this part of the city

In Kensington Court there were several embassies - Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Belarus

 Walked to Kensington Gardens, where Kensington Palace, a royal household, is located.

Signage is excellent throughout the park

Queen's Gate, one of several entrances to the park.

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This seems to be quite a well used park by the public.  Families and others having a picnic, playing games, cycling, walking. But it's possible to be in areas where there are very few people, and it's very quiet.

Kensington Palace. Can't say this is all that impressive.  Can take tours inside for 15UK.  It was too late in the day for me to take one.  Went through parts of Buckingham Palace in 2011.

Thought this was cute

This structure, which looks like plastic,  is beside the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park, which is also a sizable park beside Kensington Gardens.  An ice cream bar and a small cafe are inside. People are encouraged to walk through

Getting towards late afternoon I aimed to get to Hyde Park Corner, traditionally the place to go on Sundays to hear speakers - anyone who chooses to - speak their minds, to anyone who will listen. Generally people try to convert listeners to their religion.  It was a good thing I asked directions of an Asian couple on the path, as I was heading in the wrong direction.  This couple had immigrated to Sydney from Malaysia years before, were retired, and spend the summers every year in London, staying in their apartment.  I wish.  Interesting that they were commenting how foreigners were buying up property in countries/cities like Australia, the UK, Canada and raising the prices.  They were being critical of this, yet that's what they had done

Never did make it to the Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.  Instead stopped at Serpentine Bar and Kitchen at the tip of The Serpentine lake, and had a sandwich.  Then home.