Saturday, November 11

Green Park


Madeleine gets a free ride in The Green Park, which is one of the Royal Parks of London. 

Covering an area of about 53 acres, GP was originally a swampy burial ground for lepers from the nearby hospital at Saint James's. It was also a favorite spot for Mayfair dandies to have a duel. The park was first enclosed in the 16th cnetury by Henry VIII. In 1668 Charles II made it a Royal Park, laying out the park's main walks. The park lies between Hyde Park and St. James's Park. Together with Kensington Gardens and Buckingham Palace, these parks form an almost unbroken stretch of open land reaching from Whitehall and Victoria Station to Kensington and Notting Hill. 

By contrast with its neighbours, Green Park has no lakes nor any statues or fountains (except for Canada Memorial), but consists entirely of wooded meadows. The park is bounded on the south by Constitution Hill, on the east by the pedestrian Queen's Walk, and on the north by Piccadilly. It meets St. James's Park at Queen's Gardens with the Victoria Memorial at its centre, opposite the entrance to Buckingham Palace. To the south is the ceremonial avenue of The Mall, and the buildings of St James's Palace and Clarence House overlook the park to the east.

I tell Madeleine that a boullion cube is a caramel. She stuffs it into her mouth, grimaces and spits into the sink. Eitan and I have a hardy laugh; Sonnet rolls her eyes.