Saturday in the Park...

…I think it was the 4^th of July.  Well it was actually Sunday in the park(s) and it was the 9^th of September.

It’s hard to believe, but I actually do have to study and do homework here in London! So yesterday I decided to stick around campus and accomplish some things. 

It was around 80 degrees outside yesterday, super-hot for London! I took full advantage of it, and ventured out into Regent’s Park.  My end goal was Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, but I wandered around a bit before I eventually made it there. 

On the way to the Rose Garden!

Pretty!

Waterfall :)

The Rose Garden has around 12,000 roses in it, and these were a few of my favorites!

There were so many people in the park that I was struggling to find a good place to sit.  I finally did, on a perfect little bench under a trellis.

My view for the afternoon!

I pulled out my book and spent almost three hours soaking up the sun and finishing up my homework!  Afterwards, I went back inside and crossed nearly everything off my to-do list and then decided to go to dinner.

I met up with Courtney and we went to Pizza Express.  It was delicious!  Then we decided to walk to find this gelato place that I had read about in one of my travel books.  On the way, we stumbled upon the gorgeous Kensington Gardens right next to Hyde Park! The Gardens were beautiful, but I was more excited about seeing the Palace.

Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace is the former home of Princess Diana, Prince Charles, as well as Harry and Wills.  We had completely forgotten this fact until we saw all of the flowers, posters, and pictures on the gate in remembrance of Lady Di.  It was awesome to see the devotion people have to her. 

We strolled through the Gardens until they closed.  We then walked around for an hour trying to find the gelato place.  Gave up and settled on an ice cream shop, which turned out to be the gelato place’s replacement.  Made the long trek home in the dark successfully!