Autumn in Kensington Gardens

 After living so long in the tropics, wonder | wander | women love the turn of the seasons. Of course summer is the season that feels like home to us, but autumn is so beautiful and appeals to our sense of poetry.

The turning leaves are especially gorgeous in London's famous Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park. The gardens were originally private parks reserved only for the royal family but were opened to the public as one of the Royal Parks in 1841.

Unlike the famous red maples of Japan or the multicoloured slopes of New Hampshire in the US, the trees in Hyde Park turn golden in the autumn. On a sunny day the trees glow as you walk down the long paths. 

Kensington Gardens are famous for their many water features, the most famous of them being the fountains in the Italian Gardens. Conceived by Prince Albert and designed by James Pennethorne, the fountains were built with Portland stone and Italian marble and used to operate by steam before being upgraded to modern plumbing.

Simon Gudgeon's Isis sculpture by the lake

The Long Water is the Gardens' portion of the Serpentine Lake. Unlike the larger part of the Serpentine which houses the galleries, swimming and boating area and exhibitions, the Long Water is more peaceful and scenic.

Being quieter and more sheltered, the Long Water is also is home to many waterbirds and other wildlife. We saw many tourists feeding and taking pictures of the birds, and we couldn't resist taking our own.

There were ducks, geese, swans, moorhens and grebes swimming and wandering around, unbothered by the crowds of tourists. Even birds we didn't usually see close up were casually wading in the shallows and letting us take closeups, like this gorgeous blue heron.

The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain is especially popular with families for its shallow waters, three bridges and wide sides where anyone can sit and snap pictures. The fountain was built with pieces of Cornwall granite cut with computer-guided machines and was designed by firm Gustafson Porter.

Henry Moore's restored sculpture The Arch frames a vista from across the Long Water. This broad, deep view down a long area of landscaped grounds was known as a "prospect" and was an essential part of British landscape design. 

Prospect with Prince Albert Memorial in the distance

The golden trees lead the gaze down several of these long views toward landmarks such as Kensington Palace or the Prince Albert Memorial. For city-dwelling folk used to tall buildings, close streets and crowded commercial areas, the green and gold expanses soothed our tired eyes.

Opposite view of The Arch from the other side of the Long Water

We made our way slowly back out of the park towards our waiting lunch date, but we are always grateful to have this beautiful space waiting for us instead of being locked behind royal gates, forbidden to all except a privileged few.

Artemis fountain by Countess Feodora Gleichen, 1906.