Its Mid April, its been noticeably colder in the mornings yet by midday it feels like the end of summer, it’s a beautiful thing. I happened to be at Hampstead heath today, ive been before in the summer to the outdoor pool which is basically a lake which people can swim in. Its was very busy, people acting as if they were at the beach.
This time its midday and I decide to walk towards the middle of Hampstead heath and hopefully be somewhere where I can see an amazing view of London. It was rather empty walking through a forest like path, it was quiet, the trees moving in rhyme with the breeze, reminded me on an old screensaver I used to have, only now its in front of me.
As I continued to walk I mainly saw dog walkers going by on the regular walks, for them such a treat to have something this magnificent close by. As the path opened up I naturally walked towards the steeper section in hoping to find a view. As I walked up the land opened up to a huge, yellowy, tall grassy field. Feels like a million miles away from London. I felt present, taking in the view, treating every step as a bonus.
As I reached a flatter section I saw a beautiful hill in the distance, covered in tall bushy trees, a few houses and a tall church mixed in there, O what a view they must have.
I was fixated with this hill as the sun was shining on it, the different hues of green on the trees, the detail textures. It was if I could see every leaf in the distance. A perfect spot for any artist to paint. I took a picture but this did no justice, in fact the picture was almost an insult to the view.
Sitting on a bench close by I spread out my legs and arms as if I was trying to hug the view. The wind was fast, cold and sharp, an absolute treat for me, the perfect weather.
I decided to continue to a higher view point. I walked between the tall trees, full of autumn leaves beneath my feet, the light was strange as it was shaded but felt like it was giving off an orangery glow as walked by. Again I gravitated towards the steeper path. In all honestly I didn’t really know where I was going, just kind of going with the flow.
As the slope of the hill decreased I knew I was in the right place as I could see a group of people scattered around, some sitting on the benches, others taking picture of the view in front and others walking their dogs. I looked into the distance and I could see a white mist with dark shapes in the distance, as I got closer these dark shapes became recognizable, the first thing I noticed was the Shard, its dominance in London skyline, beautiful.
I sat on a free bench looking at this view, it wasn’t even clear because of the mist in the distance but it was still fascinating to see, shapes in the sky, the city is alive. If the view could talk it would be saying, YES THIS IS LONDON, the greatest city alive!
2022
