After eating my first ever dim sum on my first ever day in London, it was time to go for a stroll. Peter and I walked out the front door of the Royal Garden Hotel and hung a quick left. Thirty seconds later we were at the entrance to Kensington Gardens on our way to Hyde Park.

Hyde Park is 350 acres and home to over 4,000 trees, The Serpentine lake and Diana Memorial Fountain.

Though, technically, Kensington Gardens and Palace are not a part of Hyde Park, they seamlessly blend together.

We started our loop in the Gardens heading towards the Palace. The plan was to continue clockwise until we ended up where we started. That is quite a plan after a 10 hour flight, no sleep for 24 hours and a welcome-to-London cocktail at Min Jiang.

But, I was ready to get this vacation rolling and didn’t want to miss one minute of new adventures or exploration.

The gate at Kensington Palace was stunning and William III greeted us out front. What a nice guy.

The flowers were all in bloom in the gardens. Luckily, they were also fenced in or else I would have had a beautiful bouquet for my hotel room.

Their landscaper did an impressive job on these perfectly manicured hedges which lead to the resident cafe, The Orangery.

We continued our walk, through the thousands on trees, to Hyde Park.

We passed Serpentine Bridge, the boundary between Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

The Serpentine, a 28 acre recreational lake, tempted me with their blue paddle boats. But, that may have thrown my tired body right over the edge. No pun intended.

Approaching the Princess Diana Memorial fountain, I had to do a double take. This was not your typical fountain, instead it was one continuous circle of shallow streaming water.

The laughter of the children enjoying this memorial could be heard a dozen feet away.

Heading back towards our Kensington entrance, I was stopped in my tracks by the grandest statue I have ever witnessed.

The Prince Albert Memorial was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband who died of typhoid. The statue is 176 feet tall and took over ten years to complete.

The sky is turning dark and it is time to put me and my first day in London to bed. Goodnight.

Have you ever taken a stroll through Hyde Park? What was the most striking statue you have ever seen?