Ethan Knox

Hey, y’all!

After yesterday, I’ve got to admit, I was a bit tired. Everyone stayed up way too late, since most of us have Wednesdays off, and my head was pounding when I woke up. After a quick cleaning kerfuffle, (a 10 o’clock maid service we didn’t realize was on its way, but we’re definitely thankful for!) I decided to go on a run. Since it’s something that usually gets me moving and exploring at home, I thought it would be a great way to see the city and clear my head.

Gianna, another student I’ve gotten close to, decided she would join, and so we set out in our exercise clothes for the thirty-minute journey to Hyde Park. Although it’s a pretty straightforward walk from our accommodations, it was nice to see how even busy shopping streets are almost all offset by green space. I enjoyed listening in on conversations and noticed that, like the streets, sidewalks also operate on a completely different set of rules than New York City. Foot traffic in NYC mainly follows the right/left, opposite direction rule, which keeps collisions from occurring too often; in London, it seems like a free-for-all. It’s true that it’s a bit more laid-back of a walking pace, and maybe it’s just my sense of direction as a tourist (as of now!!!), but there’s almost no pattern to the ways in which people wander through this city. Although I could do without running into everyone on the street, I enjoy the anonymity it seems to give– I’m just another member in this city of fashionably dressed, suitcase-rolling, sometimes-foreign strangers.

When we finally made it to Hyde Park, I was a little intimated. The park became a park in 1536 when Henry VIII established it as a hunting ground, and even now it seems royal and regal, stretching out forever.

The park patrons seemed to follow the same rules as the road– namely, none at all. I also realized that the park itself is full of trails that don’t just cater to walkers and runners, but also horseback riders, something I’ve never seen in any American park. There are entrances at several corners of the park, but the closest to FSU is the Marble Arch, a, well, white marble arch created by John Nash in 1827. The structure was first built for Buckingham Palace but relocated in the 1960s to its current location.

Like the Royal Park, there are several interesting things right nearby– a sculpture called Still Water, designed as a giant horse head, a fountain and several bronze elephants (large and small) in support of stopping the ivory trade, and two examples of street art supposedly by Banksy, the notorious graffiti vandal/artist. Officially called “Extinction Rebellion,” after the environmental group which occupied the space recently and whose logo is featured, the piece contains both a small jump-roping girl, another young girl next to a growing plant, and the words “From this moment, despair ends and tactics begin.”

As I continued my run, I also passed by several other monuments, including the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, the Statue of Achilles (right), the Joy of Life Fountain, and the Boy and Dolphin Fountain (left). All were so unique and beautiful, and I’m sure they would look just as wonderful in every season– I hope I can come back later in the year and see if this theory really checks out!

Another interesting aspect of the park is The Serpentine lake, which attracts a large waterfowl population. Like squirrels in other parts of the park, the swans here came right up to visitors to feed; I could see their webbed feet in the shallow water and their beady eyes as they watched for food and craned their necks. Although quite pretty, I was a little cautious– if they’re anything like the Canadian geese at home, you better keep your eyes peeled or you might get a nasty bite.

Nice and relaxed after my jog, I took a couple seconds to reflect on my morning. Although it was nerve-wracking to run in a new place, It’s been a while since I’ve seen a public park so accommodating and relaxing. I’m excited to see more of this park and others, and as I get to know London a little better, I think I might compile a list of my favorite running spots. Next up: Regents or St. James!

Talk to you soon!