Kensington Palace & Garden

Refreshed after my stop at Daku Coffee, I crossed into Kensington Gardens, beginning what would become one long afternoon walk through London's royal parks.

The first landmark to greet me was Kensington Palace, looking wonderfully elegant behind its gates. In front of it stands the statue of Queen Victoria, a fitting reminder that this was once her childhood home.

From there I wandered deeper into the gardens, eventually reaching the magnificent Albert Memorial.

What an incredible monument.

The sheer amount of detail is astonishing. I found myself slowly circling it, admiring the sculptures representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America, each beautifully carved and full of symbolism.

Then something caught my eye.

Among the countless coats of arms decorating the memorial, I spotted the coat of arms of Saxony. As a German, that immediately brought history flooding back. After all, the British Royal Family traces its roots back to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. It wasn't until the First World War that they adopted the name Windsor to distance themselves from their German heritage.

It's funny how a simple walk through a park can suddenly become a history lesson.

I continued wandering through the gardens, discovering Physical Energy, the Peter Pan Statue and finally the beautiful Italian Gardens, each corner revealing something new.Read more