London Calling: Four Horseman

Tuesday's weather was amazing. It was the perfect day to go out strolling in the parks of London Town. I set out later than I wanted to, but still managed to be in town before one. I went straight to downtown and popped out of the tube at the Green Park station and took brief stroll through this beautiful little park. 

After walking through the heart of it, I saw this amazingly ornate gate, and went up to take a few shots of it. It was the Canada Gate, gilded and beautiful. Wow. Look at this gate? Why is there such an ornate gate in this park? It made no sense to me, but suddenly I looked up, and saw this statue that rose tall into the sky atop a white marble pillar. It was a monument to Queen Victoria. 

Green Park.

Canada Gate

To my surprise, and complete lack of understanding of London, there was an extremely familiar looking building on the other side of the gate. A quick check of the map later, and I felt pretty dumb. Buckingham Palace.

Victoria Memorial.

Child without an eye... made her mother cry...

Oh yeah. I had no idea that it was in the middle of town. I snapped a few photos of the giant monument to Queen Victoria, and watched as the guards patrolled in the front of the esteemed palatial estate.

Jump to right...

Hands on your hips...

Let's do the time warp again...

After that I made my way towards Hyde Park, stopping off in Wellington Square to take some photos of the Wellington Arch, and the various war memorials that sit at its perimeter. It happened to be Remembrance Day, or as we know it, Veterans Day, and several poppy wreathes were laid about.

New Zealand Memorial.

Gunner memorial, made from old guns...

Wellington Arch, made from old weapons, and machines.

Australian Memorial

On Hyde Park: It's huge. I saw about a third of it. I checked out a few more statues and monuments and walked the length of the Serpentine, before making my way over to the Albert Memorial opposite the Royal Albert Hall. Hyde Park is gorgeous. The trees were in full Autumnal swing, making me feel that our Autumn is seriously lacking. Not that we have a proper Autumn, or any other season for that matter. Five months of Summer doesn't count. I'd like to spend an entire day there, but sadly this trip is winding down, and there are many more things to do. Next time.

Tree growing upside down.

Statue of Achilles, also made from old weapons and war machines. 

Trees changing colors.

Hyde Park.

Holocaust Memorial, which was hard to find.

Artsy.

Serpentine.

Looking South on the Serpentine.

If you are ever in London, go to Hyde Park, where comfy shoes, and take your time. The Serpentine is just a big pond, but it's a nice big pond. That little spire is the top of the Victoria Tower at the Houses of Parliament.