Nature

Today reminded me of the above scene from Bambi^.  All around me was the beauty of nature and, in Queen Mary's Garden, more flowers than I can count. I didn't come across any skunks, but there was a sneaky raccoon.

Mexico enjoying the greenery in Queen Mary's Garden.

Today was wonderful because all this was experienced while remaining in Central London. Entering  Regent's Park is like entering another world. London is still right there, but it seems awfully far away. Check out my panorama on Facebook. That was just one corner of Queen Mary's Garden. This park is absolutely gorgeous. Flowers are one of those subjects (like animals and kids) that it's always easy to take too many photos of.  Cassie and I decided that a book and a comfy bench would make a perfect relaxing day. As with many other parts of this blog, I once again feel the need to relate it to home. The only other places that give a similar feel are the Butterfly Rainforest at the Natural History Museum or Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, both in Gainesville, Fl.

Cutest Kite

Both Regent's Park and the adjoining Primrose Hill play a part in Mary Poppins. Regent's Park is the nannies park where Mary takes Jane, Michael, and their younger siblings (in the book. Yes there's a book). Also Primrose Hill is the perfect place for flying a kite. That is, if you have the skills, which it seems I don't. Though it didn't stay in the air long, my kite received quite a few compliments. Someone even said that I would win the "cutest kite" award. The only problem with Primrose Hill is that it is indeed a hill. Not at all like the hills we have in Florida, but a real hill that I was proud of myself for making it all the way up.*

Mexico at Abbey Road Studies. 

Another stop today was at Abbey Road. I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone why that's famous. I did not pose for a Beatlesque picture, but I took a few of my classmates crossing at the right spot. This happened much to the annoyance of the drivers.  Mexico also found time to leave his mark on the wall of Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded most of their albums.

One of the best parts of today was wandering around and seeing Londoners in their natural habitat, so to speak. As much as I mention the differences, there are some good ones that I will get into soon, and some things that aren't that different at all. We passed many people exercising themselves or their dogs in various parts of the park.  The ones who were especially crazy were running up and down Primrose Hill.  I also saw school children on field trips, other children playing cricket, and families out enjoying the beautiful day.

I left for London a week ago and I'm a bit surprised with how comfortable I feel here. I've traveled abroad previously, but just as I was getting comfortable it was time to head home. I'm looking forward to the next couple weeks and learning more about this wonderful city.

And now for some park pictures:





______________________________________________^Disney, W. (Producer). Algar, J., Armstrong, S., Hand, D., et al. (Directors). (1942). Bambi. [Motion Picture]. USA: RKO Radio Pictures.  
Walt Disney Studios holds the copyright to Bambi.
*Wentz, M. (2002). Once upon a time in Great Britain: A travel guide to the sights and settings of your favorite children's stories. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.