I'm Walking London: Primrose Hill and Regent's Park

There is nothing more exciting than waking up in the morning to find the sun is up and shining through my bedroom windows. I know straight away that spring has come. For some reason, the days are always fresh, the sky is always blue and the birds are chirping more happily than before. The weather has been very good to London these past few weeks and it makes people get on with outdoor activities. I myself feel obliged to go outdoor every weekend. I know I don’t have to but I must! London is famous for its cloudy sky and when the cloud disappears and is replaced by the sun with blue sky in the background, everyone in London is flocking every outdoor places you can imagine available, be it the parks, the beaches or their own backyards. It always feels good to be outside and to enjoy the good weather.

Last weekend I went out to walk for a bit. I kind of need the exercise, you know, after months of hiding in my apartment away from the coldness of winter. I need to breathe in the spring air and to re-introduce my skin with the warmth of the sun. And so I did a walk that I followed from a book called ‘Walking London’ by Andrew Duncan. It started from Chalk Farm tube station toward Primrose Hill Park and Regent’s Park and ended in Regent’s Park tube station. It is spring time and we need the walk in the parks!

The walk from Chalk Farm tube station to Primrose Hill Park was about ten minutes and I passed by a local high street on Regent’s Park Road. It’s got a few cafes, restaurants and pubs. It wasn’t very crowded but quite a cozy street to stroll when you need to get a quick bite after your rest in the park. Once I entered the gate of park, I immediately saw a hill in front of me. It was where a lot of people hung around. I hesitantly walked up to the hill but when I reached the summit, I understood why many people hung around here. The view from the summit was fantastic. I could see the London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London Eye and some building blocks of the city. I could also see the whole park itself from up there. It’s a small park, grassy, and manicured very nicely with walking paths and line of lights. You can bring your picnic baskets or read your book or just sit or lie on the grass and enjoy the weather. The park has got a very inviting ambience which is very pleasant.

I continued my walk toward the south-east corner of the Primrose Hill Park and found the London Zoo. I walked a bit more and I saw one of the entry points of Regent’s Park. There were many sport pitches on this side of the park. I saw people playing football, tennis, cricket, and many other type of sports. Then I walked to the boating lake where I saw people were busy moving and rowing the boats about the lake. There was a children’s playground near the lake and many children were playing there happily like there is no tomorrow. The park was huge and tended with very proper care. Colourful flowers were blooming everywhere in the park. I enjoyed the walk from the lake to the open air theatre the most. It was, after all, a walk by the lake and I felt very much at peace. There was an area called bandstand nearby and it is really good for picnic and reading books on deckchairs (if they are available).

It was already dark before I could finish my walk in Regent’s Park. The walk was supposed to go on to the open air theatre, Queen Mary's Garden and end at Chester gate. There were so many spots in the park where we just stopped and played around. I don’t think it matters if we finish the walk or not. The important thing is we enjoyed the day and we all did. I’m looking forward to another great day outdoor.

Contact Details:

Address: Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR

Website: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/regents_park/

Nearest Stations: Chalk Farm or Camden Town (to Primrose Hill Park), Baker Street or Regent's Park (to Regent's Park)

Opening Hours: from 5am until dusk all year round

The cozy Primrose Hill Park

Primrose Hill Park

Enjoying the summit of the Primrose Hill Park

Primrose Hill Park

Regent's Park

One side of Boating Lake at Regent's Park 

Sunset at boating Lake, Regent's Park

Regent's Park

Daffodils in Regent's Park

Flowers in Regent's Park

More flowers in Regent's Park

Close up on a daffodil

Regent's Park

Rowing at Boating Lake, Regent's Park

More Rowing at Boating Lake, Regent's Park

Granada

We reached Granada around sunset and therefore we had some time to sit back and relax at our accommodation before going for dinner. The weather was chillier than Seville which was surprising to me. I came here once before in the summer somewhere in August and the weather was too hot to handle (36C celsius) that I didn't notice its differences when I travelled to both Seville and Granada. I suppose being located not too far off from the coast and near the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada enjoys both warmer and colder climates.

After getting ready, we went on to celebrate the surprise birthday party from the night before with a proper dinner. We went to a very nice little restaurant called Restaurante Sevilla. The food was fabulous and we really had a good time there.

The next morning, we walked the town a bit before visiting Alhambra. The town was quite hilly and the roads were narrow and covered with pebble stones. After an hour walking the pebble stones path, my feet started to ache. Every time I stepped I felt my feet were massaged by the stones. The town itself was quiet. There was a small local market selling food, fruits and vegetables, clothes and bric-a-brac where the locals traded among themselves. We visited the remains of the old city gate and at one point when we reached the top of the hill, we saw a view of the city  and a spectacular view of Alhambra. It was magnificent.

A visit to Granada is not complete without visiting Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex that whose buildings and the designs around it was incredibly beautiful. The one thing that was very outstanding of Alhambra (compared to other palaces I visited in Spain) was the carving. Every walls and ceilings of each buildings there were carved beautifully into very detail. It must be taking the artists very long time to finish them. And looking at the results, I think it's worth it. The carving is definitely the highlight of Alhambra. Of course, there were other places worth noted as well, such as the pool of the El Partal Palace, the Alhambra reflections and there was a courtyard near the exit of the palace that was very lovely. I still remember enjoying the serenity while sitting at the courtyard.

Even in our very tight schedules, we still had time to go street shopping. Our accommodation was located in Albayzin (also known as Arab quarter) where it is famous for its original houses since the 16th century. The streets were narrow and winding and full of small shops selling Arab's influence souvenirs, clothes, shoes, or trinkets that you can bring home. I was happy to have found two bubble pants for myself.

It was another chaotically short but still a very memorable visit to Granada. We visited Alhambra, which was the most touristy place in Granada and had a chance to walk the town in attempt to grasp the essence of the town. We even had a chance to enjoy free tapas in a few tapas bars around (Granada is one of the few cities in Spain that offers free tapas for every drink you order). It was all very good. This is the last story of the Spain Trip as this was the last city in our trip. After Granada, we headed back to Barcelona to do souvenirs shopping before catching our plane back home.

The town where we walked

Some of the many designs of Granada's floor

Alhambra

Carving on the walls and ceilings of Alhambra

Windows of Alhambra

Reflection pool in Alhambra

One of the fountains in Alhambra

The courtyard before exiting Alhambra

Borough Market, London

The oldest food market in London, Borough Market is my favourite. Everytime anyone of my friends came to London, I always brought them here. The place is always full of people and very lively. It is touristy but that doesn't bother me at all. There are many variety of stalls around selling almost everything. I love to taste the yummy cheeses, the variety of olives, the delicious cakes, the hot chocolate (in cold weather) and not to forget, the world famous chocolate brownies. I can't resist the chorizo sandwich located at Brindisa. I always join the long queue and have it right there. Hmmm, very yummy sandwich. Now I'm hungry just thinking about it :).

This market is definitely not to be missed if you're visiting London.

Contact Details:

Address: Borough High Street, Borough, SE1 9DE

Website: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk

Nearest Station: London Bridge or Borough

Opening Hours:

Thu 11.00 - 17.00

Fri 12.00 - 18.00

Sat 9.00 - 16.00