The Not-So-Secret Garden

Kensington Gardens was the destination of choice yesterday, so we hauled ourselves out of bed around noon and hiked over. The grounds are absolutely stunning, and all of us were in awe of the greenery (as locals of the desert, sometimes we don't believe that things can actually get that green!)

The green!

Our first destination was Kensington Palace, which was just as lovely and grand as a palace should be!

The palace

Me in front of the gates!

William of Orange

The view from the gates

A lamp honoring the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

We wandered about for a bit, taking it all in. We found the statue of Queen Victoria in front of the palace, and I made sure that we did not overlook the Sunken Gardens or the Orangery!

Victoria's statue

Next to the Sunken Gardens! (Much more open these days)

Outside the Orangery!

We took in some of the animal life on a stroll around the lake (I should also note how many dogs there were! And so well-trained!)

Swan Lake

DUCKLINGS

CYGNETS (aka, WEE SWANS)

What is up with this duck

After our brief animal episode (I also went squirrel picture hunting, but there is no need for sharing that), we went on a whirlwind hunt for all of the statues, memorials, and constructions that the gardens had to offer.

Me in front of Albert's statue (HUGE)

Princess Diana's Memorial Fountain. All of the children play in it, as she would have wanted.

Peter Pan statue

The Italian Fountains

After some haphazard wanderings, we decided that it was time to leave the park. However, we were sure to stop at Olivia's mecca on the way out:

Royal Albert Hall!

The Royal College of Music

And I snagged my first Jubilee swag in the gift shop! Laura got a Queen's bag. Olivia got a button that claimed "I played at Royal Albert Hall" and was thrilled.

Overall, we had a wonderful day. Kensington Gardens were so peaceful, and we literally spent hours walking around. There were painters, dogs, children, football players, and every manner of tourist present in the gardens. It was never too crowded, though, and a great way to spend a slow afternoon.