Battersea Park

A certain level of fitness (or stupidity) is required of the traveller who does not have a car. Yesterday, a walk to a park, added up to over 10,000 steps - and that included a trip on the underground home because we were exhausted.
Another day dawned; and another park beckoned. This time Battersea Park where we were supposed to go yesterday but turned away from it to explore other park-ish pleasures in Vauxhall.
Graham had read in the Times that 20 minutes of green time changes your brainwaves for the better. Well we thought let’s get to beautiful big and very green Battersea Park for some “ Alpha wave” cognition. 11,000 steps later we are alpha-ed out. Battersea is a truly lovely place and today there were hundreds of people, nay probably thousands, taking in the green. We walked through tree lined paths to the London Peace Pagoda.
This lovely monument was built by monks, nuns and others and it opened in May 1985. It is dedicated to the realisation of Universal Peace. I did not know that from 1947 to 2000 80 such pagodas were built around the world by a Japanese Buddhist community.
I also should mention that we went inside the Battersea Power Station, now a high end shopping mall, cinema and eating place - and a stunning example of how to repurpose giant industrial architecture in inventive and historically sensitive ways. Nearby as part of the redevelopment was the unmistakable architectural oeuvre of Frank Gehry in the Prospect Place apartment complex. Stunning buildings that really make you look at them. I read that his style follows deconstructivist (aka weird) principles.
Oh and we had an expensive and beautiful light lunch at Monterre. Stunning.
Washing and generally relaxing this afternoon. Chris and Stuart joining us in London tomorrow - how exciting!Read more