Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Stroll Through The Kensington Flower Walk Keeps You Grounded

Kensington Gardens in London is a huge expanse of open park space with plenty of large flowering trees the day I arrived in April, at 7:30 in the morning, from Paddington Station.  I was walking through the Gardens, pulling luggage and finding my way through to the other side where I would find my hotel and check in after my overnight journey from California.  There were bikers, joggers running and lots of dog walkers. There was work being done in the area near the Kensington Palace itself, some construction going on, dirt dug up and areas roped off.  It was fairly busy.

  

Then, nearly across and out the other side I came across this bench, by the Kensington Flower Walk.


An invitation to sit, where you could catch your breath, stroll and admire the color, or just rest from pulling luggage and take in the lovely blooms instead.


I remember finding the gardeners trimming, cultivating and tidying up early that morning so the garden would look its best.


Other people were sitting and reading on the benches that were scattered throughout. Nobody jogging about over here.


The pace was different here, compared to the rest of the park.  But that's what flowers do, they make you want to slow down, even stop to notice them.  Rest just a while, meditate and then when you are ready, you pick up that luggage and get on with the day--feeling just a little more grounded, hopefully.