Regent's Canal and Primrose Hill

We recently went on a walk around the central part of London near Regent's Park. The park, which also contains the London Zoo, used to be King Henry VIII's hunting grounds. Now it's a huge public park with sports pitches (fields), gardens and pathways. Along the north and west borders of the park runs a waterway called Regent's Canal. To start, we woke up early to beat the crowds and took the tube to the center of the city…

Jumped onto a path that runs along "Little Venice," a neighborhood of houseboats…

Watching the boats form the path

And followed the canal to the northernmost point of Regent's Park, Primrose Hill. Dogs are allowed off-lead in most of London's parks, and Cleo had the best day of her UK life (Warning: Cleo overload ahead!)

She finally joined us at the lookout point, where we took in the view.

Poet and artist William Blake frequently composed drafts at the top of Primrose Hill.

As B aptly put it, Cleo was the obnoxious American tourist at this park. First, she's a rescue/mutt/mystery breed. Almost all London dogs are pure-bred, and the owners are very confused by Cleo. Second, she likes to roll around in piles of dirt, dead animals, and leftover charcoal from bonfires, all of which she found in the park. Third, she was running around like a 5-year-old kid at Chuck-E-Cheese, while all the other dogs trotted obediently alongside their masters. One child spied Cleo and said in an adorable British accent, "Mum, that cow dog is so dirty!" We pretended we didn't know her…

You can't even see the wet, crusty-ness on her other side

Just kidding, Cleo! We love you! Even if you smell like rotten milk on the way home. 

I can't wait to live closer to this park! Moving this week, wahoo! Photo credit to the talented B!