The doughnut-shaped Regent’s Park was originally a hunting ground for Henry VIII, but John Nash turned it into an elegant Georgian retreat for the Prince Regent. The general public couldn’t even go in until 1845, and then only for two days a week. Nowadays, this refined park is bordered by busy roads filled with noisy traffic. However, cross into the park, and calm descends. Ask Londoners why they go to Regent’s Park, and you’ll get as many reasons as people you ask. Some go for the sports grounds that fill the center, where on a summer’s day the thump of leather on willow heralds the cricket season. Others love to take a boat out on the lake or visit the Wildlife and Waterfowl Centre. On a summer’s evening, hordes of hardy theater-lovers head for the famous Open Air Theatre to enjoy Shakespeare – and risk the British weather. The theater is nestled in the shelter of Queen Mary’s Gardens, a circular haven of tranquility much frequented by traditional nannies à la Mary Poppins, who still meet to gossip on Nanny’s Lawn. The northwest corner is dominated by the London Zoological Gardens (aka London Zoo). For a free view of the giraffes, take a bus to the entrance, cross the road, bear left, and look up!