Holland Park in 10 Photos

If you’ve been to London, you’ve probably walked through Hyde Park, watching the paddle boats or riding a bike along Carriage Drive. It’s possible you’ve been to Regent’s Park with its large rugby and cricket pitches.

It’s possible I’m just bad at researching (or maybe I was a teensy bit preoccupied trying to move two people across an ocean and didn’t have a whole lotta time to research random parks) but I think Holland Park is a pretty well-kept secret.

It’s unassumingly nestled just far enough away from Hyde Park and Notting Hill, and its wood chip paths cut through dense trees instead of large swaths of grass. There’s a rose garden and several play areas for kiddos. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d walk right by its entrances. Its footprint is maybe only a quarter of Hyde Park’s, but walking along you feel just as secluded, if not more so. (You can learn more about the history of the park over at Londoneer.)

But the best part (IMHO) is the Kyoto Garden.

IT HAS RESIDENT PEACOCKS.

Several of them, in fact.

Everything about the garden is symbolic, but so far the internet can’t tell me whether or not the peacocks are there because “F*ck Yeah Peacocks!” or for another, more legitimate reason. (I would assume the latter…but secretly hoping for the former.)

Also several squirrels. This guy in particular is so fat — and quite cheeky! When I lowered the camera I swear he came over and held out his little paw as if asking for a tip. Apparently Papa’s got a family to feed.

Londoners and London tourists must not see too many squirrels because wherever you do see one, you will undoubtedly see someone (in this case, me) taking its photo or trying to feed it. Spot one puffy acorn-muncher and the whole world turns into my sister, taking a gazillion photos and enticing rodents to come live in her house.