The weed growing out of the concrete balastrade on our balcony seems to be flourishing despite the cold and the snow.
On Sunday morning Earl walked across the park to the church. Snow had accumulated overnight. The sidewalks were clear but the grass was covered with snow. Although the cold snap was not as severe as expected, earmuffs and scarves and gloves were needed to make walking across the park endurable.
Kensington Palace surrounded by snow.
Our destination was Saint Pancras station. Just opposite it is the British Library.
You can probably guess that the Beast from the East whether it was 2.0 or mini still left London very cold even after the snow had melted.
Since we were passing the British Library, I suggested that we stop off to visit Sir Isaac Newton. However, we discovered that the entire "piazza" around the statue was roped off because of icy surfaces.
Statue of Newton outside the British Library
The British Library with Sir Isaac Newton in the foreground
This print is for sale online
The British Library with Saint Pancras station in the background
...the libraries. But they’re dangerous places. Even with the assiduous application of the Dewey Decimal System, staying on track is impossible. My pals over at the Londonist have published an excellent guide to London libraries here. But here’s the problem; if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll get lost in stories within stories, and sidetracked endlessly.
A fun article about getting lost in research and a library. Books at the London Library date back as far as 1067
On the 26th of March we are taking the Eurostar from Saint Pancras station in London to Paris. We bought Eurorail tickets for 12 days of travel in Europe. In order to travel on the Eurostar we have to have paid-for reservations. The way to get reservations made is either online or in person at St Pancras Station. We took the bus and walked a few blocks to the Eurostar ticket office at the station.
Saint Pancras Station
Definitely not a modern building.
In 1968 the frist train pulled into St Pancras station. The elaborate building was the Midland Grand Hotel that was built to accompany the train stations and the passengers' needs. In 1935 the hotel failed and was purchased by the Midland and Scotland Railway as offices and an extentison to the railroad station. On our way to the station we passed the British Library.
Saint Pancras (Latin: Sanctus Pancratius) was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity, and was beheaded for his faith at the age of fourteen, around the year 304. His name is Greek (Παγκράτιος) and means "the one that holds everything".
One of the interesting aspects of wandering along these streets was that we saw parking spots for one small car in the front gardens of many of the houses. We also walked along a Mews that had car garages instead of the old carriage houses of long ago years or modern converted flats.
Kensington Square Garden
We decided that we were going to walk to the Holiday Inn where Kristi and her family have a reservation. While they are here in London for a few days at the first of April. We had a vague idea of where the hotel was located on Cromwell. We thought that we needed to go off to the right.We found ourselves on streets that were dead ends with small walkways leading from one square to another. Naturally it did not occur to me that we should be taking photographs at the time. It is very
unlikely that we will ever find our way into the same neighborhood.
Maria Assumpta Chapel
Church in London, England
Questions & answers
Holiday Inn on Cromwell Road. The entrance is a long block away on the opposite from Cromwell Road.
Gloucester Road Tube Station close to the Cromwell Road Holiday Inn
Not quite as cold today.
Map of the garden
London running routes with a list of interesting places along the way...Speakers corner to Albert Memorial
Cormarant
Grey Heron
Male Mandarin duck
Male and female
Cormorant
Most of the posts are occupied by seagulls
The seagulls are much smaller than California seagulls that we are used to in Southern California.
The fast few mornings we have heard them squacking from our apartment on Palace Court.
Birding Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
I have been trying to find out what a small round black waterfowl is called. I think we solved the mystery today with all of our pictures of bird posters at the park. Earl has suggested that they were common mudhens. Apparently the English version is a moorhen. This royal garden site has a lot of fun pictures of baby birds besides these moorhens.
The Moorhens in the Italian Garden have moved their chicks into another clump of plants at a safe distance from the Grey Heron's usual fishing station.
Strange as it may seem this is apparently a privately rented/leased dwelling place within the parks and maintained by the Royal Parks. In order to see any of the information or photographs please click on the link.
This property is located at Black Lion Lodge, Kensington Gardens, London W2 4RU and has an estimated current value of £4,093,000. Kensington Gardens, W2 has 4 houses and flats on it, compared to an average property value of £1,381,512 for W2. There are currently 1,052 houses and flats for sale in W2 with an average asking price of £1,655,453 and 2,466 properties to rent in W2 with an average asking rent of £841 pw.
The entrance area where we enter the park. Orme Square Gate has a lodge as well, but it is modern in appearance...a bit like the old salt box architecture that was popular in the 1960s.
Forsythia in Kensington Gardens
In Kensington Gardens, London, one can find
an inscription with the name William Forsythia,
1737-1804. This gardener gives it name to this shrub.
an inscription with the name William Forsythia,
1737-1804. This gardener gives it name to this shrub.
Forsythia
I have always welcomed the early blooming forsythia on the side of the house on Cherokee Lane. Daffodils and forsythia blooming in the yard were sure signs that spring was on the way.
Random pictures
Kensington Palace from the southeast.
The wing containing Apartment No. 1A
overlooks a private garden to the south.
Queen Victoria
The gardens now contains several statues and memorials including:
• A statue of Queen Victoria, sculpted by her daughter Princess Louise, which was erected outside Kensington Palace to celebrate her golden jubilee.
• The Albert Memorial, in remembrance of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband.
• Peter Pan.
• Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground.
For sale on our street - a flat for 2,350.000 pounds
 | I thought you might want to take a look at this property for sale on PrimeLocation. http://www.primelocation.com/
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http://www.primelocation.com/
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Down the street on Moscow Road - 3,000,000 pounds
This apartment building is at one end of our street. This is the private road way at the other end.
STANDARD OF LIVING IN KENSINGTON
There are some lovely parks in Kensington and the surrounding areas; there is Kensington Gardens which links with Hyde Park and Holland Park, Kensington benefits from lots of green spaces. The population of the area is affluent, with mainly middle and upper classes residing here. It is a well-populated and diverse area.
Kensington is home to some of the City’s most expensive areas and streets to live on. There is a variety of shopping and nightlife in the area, with an abundance of culture, it is home to the spectacular Royal Albert Hall and the Serpentine Gallery among other museums.
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