London Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square in London

There are eight parks and one cemetery in the city which all fall into the same category of 'Royal'. Each offers something different be it Hyde Park's Serpentine lake, Richmond's massive expanse of wilderness, or the beautiful gardens of Kensington.

Not a lot comes close to the feeling of freedom as you walk under the arches or through the open gates of a gigantic expanse of green space. Ok, so the freedom comes with constraints in the form of parkland fences but, such is a park's ever-acceptable excuse for a spot of relaxation, romance or fun - like a lustful affair with nature - people never stop returning, and with good reason. The Royal Parks of London are like microcosms within the chaotic city's buzz. They're places where people come to do a multitude of things, the chief of which is simple: to lie down (in the summer at least). You're guaranteed to find hundreds of couples, groups, and individuals freckling the grass like scattered dandelion seeds, books in hand lazing away the sunny hours while the world hums around them.