We were in London for three days and out in the countryside the rest of the time. In London, we stayed near Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. The park and gardens were so big, we only saw tiny parts of them. And we learned just a little bit about their long history: In 1536 Henry VIII seized the land that is now Hyde Park from the Westminster Abbey monks for use as a private hunting ground (it was forest then, perfect for deer and boar hunting), and it wasn’t until 1637 that Charles I opened the park to the public. I’ll tell you just a few of the things we saw in the park and gardens: ornate Victorian fountains in the Italian Gardens; rows and rows of London planetrees (sycamores) along the Broad Walk; and, near the Queen’s Gate, the Prince Albert Memorial (a gilded pavilion containing a golden statue of the prince). White swans sailed about on the Round Pond, and there were pigeons perched on the heads of all the statues.

Around mid-morning we had a weird breakfast at Pret a Manger. Rob got a “cheese toastie” (grilled cheese sandwich), and I had some icy veggie sushi. (A traveling vegan always has a tough time of it.)

Later we took a tour bus to Trafalgar Square, where all the fountains were blowing in the cold wind, splashing the stone paving of the plaza. It was about 3:00 and nearly dark. We walked around in the freezing gloom and fountain mist and admired the huge but gentle-looking bronze lions at the base of Nelson’s Column; we later learned that the reason the lions look so tame is that the sculptor used his dogs as models.