Putting one foot in front of the other

I love walking and believe it’s by far the best way to experience a new city.  It’s also the best way to experience somewhere you know well, often opening your eyes to things you miss when you are whizzing past on the bus (or crawling, depending on the traffic.)

Each Wednesday afternoon, I have the luxury of a babysitter to do the school run and tea.  I try and use my time wisely and not waste it doing chores.  This week, I had planned to visit the British Museum’s new Garden and Cosmos exhibition about Jodhpur, but the weather was so beautiful, I took a walk instead.

The first thing I came to was an exhibition of truly miniature pieces of art.  Willard Wigan creates sculptures so tiny that he has managed to fit nine camels inside the eye of a needle.  When he works he slows his heartbeat and only moves between pulses, painting them with the hair of a dead fly.  He has been known to inhale sculptures whole by mistake.

Next I headed down Neal Street, through Covent Garden, then wiggled Westwards through Chinatown, Soho and then the back streets of Mayfair until I eventually came to Hyde Park Corner. 

I stopped here for a look at the memorial to New Zealand soldiers who fought for Britain in World Wars One and Two.  I’ve seen it lots of times from the bus, which gives you a great view of the forest of metal crosses from above, but never had a closer look.  Each cross is engraved with designs and quotes and decorated with smaller sculptures, each one either unique to New Zealand, such as Maori sayings, or illustrating the relationship between the two countries, such as the rugby ball.

I then crossed into Hyde Park, which was full of people enjoying the sunshine, with lots of rowers out on the Serpentine, and even some swimmers.  I wished I’d had my costume with me as it looked really cool and inviting, if a little weedy.  There is a lovely children’s paddling pool here, next to the lake, so we’ll definitely be back soon.

I finished my walk at Kensington Palace, which marks the Western boundary of Kensington Gardens.  I was hot and my feet were a little sore, so I hopped on the 49 bus home.  It was a lovely afternoon and I really enjoyed being a tourist in my own city.  I loved hearing the babble of different languages, seeing the details on the buildings around me, watching people in the parks and stopping when the mood took me.  It was only two and a half hours out of my life, but it felt like I’d escaped somewhere else for a little while. 

This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. For more travel pictures, click here.

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