ANGIE, BRAD, & THE KIDS MOVE TO "GREEN" LONDON (YOU SHOULD VISIT THE GREENS TOO!)

Breaking News:  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have bought a ₤10 million mansion in the lovely Richmond area of London.  Richmond is remarkable for its stately homes, the River Thames meandering snakelike through town, and abundant wooded parks and open green spaces.  The new Jolie-Pitt home, “Whornes Place,” has features such as an indoor pool and 15th-century wooden beams.   The couple had been renting the mansion for ₤30,000/month last summer while Brad worked on World War Z.  With Angie now working on three movies in the UK, back-to-back, starting with Maleficent, apparently they felt a need to properly settle down in London.  And where could a power couple find a more peaceful, homey spot to call home than Richmond?

Richmond, however, isn’t just for the rich and famous…it’s also a fabulous tourist destination.  The area is a must-see for nature lovers.  It’s also a perfect spot for tourists weary of traipsing around central London and needing a breath of fresh air.

I heartily recommend two destinations in this area for tourists:

• RICHMOND PARK   Richmond Park, bordering the Thames, is the largest of London’s Royal Parks.  It’s filled with woods, hills, foot paths, wildlife, and a lovely café, where one can enjoy tea and snacks inside a stately dining hall or on an outdoor terrace, watching deer and listening to woodpeckers and parakeets!  (Richmond is an easy train ride from central London, and Richmond Park is a bit further on, accessible by foot, if you don't mind a short hike.  Just follow the river!  Alternatively, buses 65 or 71 will take you to the park entrance.)

• KEW, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS   One train stop away from Richmond is Kew, home to the Royal Botanic Gardens, a World Heritage Site.  The 300-acre Kew Botanic Gardens, featuring greenhouses, historic buildings, art galleries, formal gardens, themed plant collections, gift shops, and cafes, is also noted for its botanic research and public education.  Its herbarium, one of the largest in the world, contains over seven million preserved plant specimens!   Kew Gardens is such a spectacular destination it requires its own blog entry—which I will provide at a later date!

Bottom line: If you have a spare day on your London trip and love nature, Richmond should be a top destination for you.  And if you spot Angie, Brad, and the kids, please give them my regards!


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