Oh Deer!

Oh deer, deer, deer!

Well! Where to begin on this fine day (imagine I am up to date on my blog and it's the day of my next adventure)! It all started with a message from Sami. Sami was my room mate at university in first year. It's taken us four and a half years, 13922.2 km, long plane flights and coming to the other side of the world in both ways for us to meet up!The greeting outside the train station was a blur of arms into a giant hug from both of us, much to onlookers annoyance, because we almost hit several people as they walked past! Oops ~ sorry about that! But in any case, it was awesome to see her again! The questions on both sides didn't stop for at least an hour, and in that time we had managed to walk up to Richmond Park.


"Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London covering an area of 2,500 acres. From its heights there is an uninterrupted view of St Paul's Cathedral, 12 miles away. The royal connections to this park probably go back further than any of the others, beginning with Edward (1272-1307), when the area was known as the Manor of Sheen. The name was changed to Richmond during Henry VII's reign. In 1625 Charles I brought his court to Richmond Palace to escape the plague in London and turned it into a park for red and fallow deer. His decision, in 1637, to enclose the land was not popular with the local residents, but he did allow pedestrians the right of way. To this day the walls remain, although they have been partially rebuilt and reinforced."



We saw deer! It was only 4 or 5, two doe and three fawns (I think it was three), but even so that was pretty amazing! I'm going to plan another trip there some time soon, and find out where the herds are mainly found before I trek through the grasslands again. Then later on, Sam and I saw another deer through the trees in a small thicket of trees, and it just felt so magical! Just like out of a faery tale! (It's the first picture, see if you can spot it?)


We also saw a lot of people walking dogs through the thick ferns! It was like a Jurassic with all the ferns covering the ground, the deer were able to hide so easily within it because it was higher than them! It was very cool walking along then all of a sudden seeing three old people sitting surrounded by ferns and their pet dogs - one's name was 'Scruffy', he was a bear like dog and his name suited him so much!


We walked so much that afternoon, and had lunch at a pub called 'The White Cross', which overlooks the river Thames. It was great catching up with Sam, hearing all the stories she's collected as she's traveled a little more than me in the last few years!