Tuesday 19 June 2012

london days


Starting the post with a red double-decker - it doesn't get more London-ish, does it? As promised, here are some photos I managed to snap in London last week. There wasn't time for serious photography, it was mainly walking, pausing and clicking (when I got back home I was actually surprised to see how many photos I managed to take). As I said before the trip wasn't planned and this wasn't a going-to-the-theater & shopping trip. We had to visit the Icelandic Embassy in London and turned it into a fun road trip for the entire family.

We arrived in England by the Dunkirk-Dover ferry and as soon as we drove into London we felt that it was on high alert. The city is preparing for the Olympics and the security is already tight. This was the first time we drive in London - yes, on the left side - and we were amazed by the politeness. Not once did anyone honk the horn when we needed a moment to think. One friend said it was pure luck, another said it was always like that.

I divided the photos into a few sections and wrote short descriptions. Enjoy!


HYDE PARK & KENSINGTON GARDENS
Many people use the name Hyde Park for both Hyde Park and the Kensington Gardens, but technically those two are divided by the Serpentine River/The Long Water. Walking in these royal parks is simply wonderful.

In the Kensington Gardens you will find Albert's Memorial and across the street, Kensington Gore, is the Royal Albert Hall. For those who don't know, Prince Albert was the beloved husband of Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901). He died in 1861 when he was only 42 years old. The queen suffered from depression after his death and wore black for the rest of her reign.


KNIGHTSBRIDGE & CHELSEA
There is really no need to say much about these photos. The beautiful houses and buildings in this area of London are a treat for the eyes. You will find all the labels on Sloane Street and you won't miss the Harrods building on Brompton Road with all the British flags. 


OUR LONDON COMFORT ZONE
Our hotel, a small and cosy one, was situated on the west side of the Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. We have been there before and love the location. It's a quiet area and it takes about five minutes to walk down the Kensington Church Street into the lively Kensington High Street. There I find my house of worship, the Whole Foods Market. I could live in there, seriously. (From the hotel it takes about five minutes to walk in the other direction, to the Notting Hill Gate station.) As we sat enjoying our last latte before going back home we talked about this area being our London comfort zone.


GOODBYE LONDON: THE WELLINGTON ARCH AT HYDE PARK CORNER
After filling the trunk of our car with goodies from Whole Foods we headed back home. We drove to the east, passing the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner and found our way through and out of the city. Then we headed south and took the Euro Tunnel over to Calais in France and continued our journey home.


London was lovely and I plan to return later this year.

photo credit:
Lisa Hjalt

23 comments:

  1. Oh so beautiful photos, Lisa. Makes me want to go back to London immediately!!!! And you had great weather!

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    1. Will told me to take an umbrella but I didn't need it ;-)

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    2. You were lucky, Lisa, but I'm so pleased the weather was good for your trip! :) Great snaps!

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  2. Lisa, I was impatient to see your photos, you know why? Because you told us you are going to stay in Kensington and I knew there will be beautiful photos of that part of London. I saw London last year, but I have the pictures of a tourist, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, etc, I had no time for details, no time to spend in a certain part of London. Kisses

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  3. Your images are so lovely!

    Wonderful!

    ♥ Franka

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  4. I feel London calling, definitely. Beautiful, Lisa! xo

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  5. Adore your pictures, then again, I am biased! Kensington is one of my favourite areas of London (I think it is for most Londoners). I used to work around the corner from Harrods and Sloane Street so these pics made me miss it even more!

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  6. I ve never been to London, it seems so beautiful!

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  7. Beautiful beautiful images!! Love to wander around in those parks, and just strolling through London.
    And now i have to convince my other four sisters to travel with me either, to Paris or London or maybe both, Ha!!

    Ps. Thank you for visiting my blog today and your comments Lisa!! and for mention the name of that beautiful Rose, so kind of you to do so. Hopefully i will find this one at our local Garden Centre this weekend.

    Audrey

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  8. I love all these shots - and especially the one of Pret-a-Manger. I fell in love with their little cafes while in London, and I nearly peed my pants when they opened several here in Chicago (I'm not exagerating!).

    I didn't have much time to stroll through the different parks - only Hyde Park, which was beautiful -- so thank you for this virtual day in London :)

    p.s. There is a Whole Foods (and a Pret a Manger) five minutes from our apartment, you would be in heaven!

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  9. Great pics, love those double-deckers! :-)

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  10. Lisa, these photos are fabulous! Couldn't imagine if you took the time for "serious" photography :) Totally made me miss London. It's really one of my favorite cities. J and I have been talking about a long weekend in the fall. Hope we can make it happen. xoxo

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  11. Lovely pics Lisa! They make me nostalgic about my time there, wish I could visit again soon x

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  12. Great pics... you took me back to my favourite area, around Knightsbridge and thru Kensington Gardens. Gorgeous! Sometimes you're lucky when you don't need an umbrella in London! :)x

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  13. Fabulous pictures and now I am homesick for London:(

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  14. wonderful pics. thanks for reminding me of home :)

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  15. Gorgeous photos, Lisa! Makes me very homesick for London! x

    Kate {Something Fabulous}
    http://thesomethingfabulous.blogspot.com

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  16. I love your photos! London has always been one of my favorite cities -- there's something so special about it.

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  17. I completely lurve how people ride horses through the park in London, sigh. I wish they did that here in the States

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  18. London looks so pretty in the summer time! I admit when I think of London I think of grey skies, but it looks like you had amaze weather! The gardens are all so green and lovely + the city streets look incredibly beautiful. I hear London calling my name! xx

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  19. We have been to London every summer the last few years and I absolutely love it! Your pictures capture everything I adore about London - Hyde Park is one of my fave places! I agree with you about Whole Foods, love it! xxoo

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  20. Lisa thank you so much for sharing this pictures! I miss London so much...especially on Sundays when I think that there everything is open and there are so many things to do! It's great to see that you had such a good time!

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  21. Lisa, you definitely packed a lot into a short visit. Your photos of my favorite city are WONDERFUL! Your comfort zone is a great area. I think mine is a bit more near Pimlico/Westminster as I've stayed there a lot but also lived in several other locations. Oh, it's all great!

    p.s. Glad you enjoyed your shopping spree at Whole Foods. We have several locations here and they are very trendy and over-priced. D calls them Whole Paycheck Foods. But they do have a lot of wonderful things to buy. :)

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