Housesitting Zen: How a Misty London Morning Gave me Peace

Discover how one HouseSit Match housesitter found her housesitting zen on a misty London morning — exploring hidden gems, a stunning Japanese pagoda in Battersea Park, and the multicultural city streets that make every sit an adventure.

housesitting zen in london — London gives me a feeling of zen when I’m housesitting, even though it’s a big city
Photo credit – alleksana

What does it feel like to be completely, utterly at peace — in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities? For me, it happened on a grey, misty morning in London, mid-housesit, when I forced myself off the sofa and out into the drizzle. What followed was one of those rare days that reminds you exactly why you chose the housesitting life. This is the story of how I found my housesitting zen — and how a peace pagoda in Battersea Park had everything to do with it.

Housesitting Zen: 🏯How a Misty London Morning Led Me to Inner Peace

I was on a housesit in London through HouseSit Match — lucky me, I love that city — and despite the damp weather, something in me knew I needed to get outside.

I’d read about the Japanese Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park and since I had long been fascinated by pagodas I had to see it. So I set off walking in that general direction. As it turned out, the pagoda was just the beginning of my housesitting zen experience.

a London park in the fog — London parks are especially beautiful in the mist and fog
Photo credit – Alexander Zvir

A Calming Walk on a Misty Morning

Rather than following Google’s fastest route, I took a turn that brought me down Sloane Street, where a small sign for the Chelsea Physic Garden caught my eye.

Before I could even consider a detour, I stumbled upon something even more unexpected: the Royal Hospital Chelsea — a vast and magnificent complex with an old cemetery tucked behind it. It wasn’t in any guidebook I’d read. A genuine hidden gem.

I leaned in to read a few of the weathered headstones. One dated from 1703, another from 1690. On one I could just make out the phrase: “In the memory of [name], sixpennyman of the hospital.” Sixpennyman? I had to know more.

The Story of the Sixpennymen: A Hidden Piece of History ⚔️🎖️

statue of Chelsea pensioner in the park — Chelsea Pensioners represented in this respectful statue
Photo credit – Maria Vano

Just ahead was the entrance to the hospital, and a small sign pointed to a museum. My feet turned before my brain did. I ducked inside and asked a gentleman in a historic military uniform — which I thought was rather wonderful — about the sixpennyman inscription.

He told me the term relates to a remarkable British history: women who disguised themselves as men in order to serve in conflicts ranging from the English Civil War to World War I, sometimes to find missing husbands, sometimes out of sheer patriotism. Once discovered, they were paid at a reduced rate compared to their male counterparts — hence, the sixpenny name. Some things, it seems, change slowly.

medals at the Chelsea pensioners museum — At the Chelsea Pensioners Museum boasts collections of medals that date back to its founding in 1692!
Photo credit – Maria Vano

I sat for a wonderful half hour, completely absorbed in stories I never expected to hear on what had started as a quick morning walk. The Royal Hospital Chelsea Museum is an extraordinary place — rich in history, full of memorabilia and moving dedications to both fallen and surviving soldiers. If you’re housesitting in London, put it on your list. You won’t regret it.

The Wonders of Chelsea: Architecture That Stops You in Your Tracks 🌿

I left with stories swirling in my head and a lightness in my step. Walking towards the gardens, I found myself repeatedly tilting my head back to take in the Victorian architecture — the balconies, the curved rooflines, the almost spire-like details. There is something about beautiful, unpretentious architecture that brings on its own quiet kind of zen. It calms the mind before you even realise it’s happening.

Finding My Housesitting Zen at the London Peace Pagoda 🏯

A few minutes later, I crossed Chelsea Bridge, and there it was. The London Peace Pagoda — a striking Japanese Buddhist stupa built in 1985 by members of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order, situated in Battersea Park near the River Thames, its four golden statues of the Buddha gleaming even through the mist. It was built to promote world peace, and standing before it, you feel exactly that.

Walking the paths around the pagoda, I found a bench that felt right. I sat down, breathed deeply, and let go. I meditated on why I do what I do — the pets, the calm homes, the walks in misty rain, the unexpected museums and quiet parks in great cities. I didn’t feel the cold air or the mist settling on me. My housesitting zen had arrived, fully and completely.

I’m not a religious person, but spiritually I follow Zen Buddhism. It shapes my empathy, my love of animals, my desire to care for creatures great and small. It’s why I’ve dedicated time to animal rescue — including building and running a kitten shelter in Morocco. And it’s why I seek out peace pagodas wherever I travel. One day: Nepal, Japan. For now, a beautiful autumn morning in Battersea Park is more than enough.

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Housesitting Zen and London’s Beautiful Multiculturalism

Later, I sat in a small Italian café — the food transported me back to years of living in various Italian cities, both as a child and as an adult. Around me, the city buzzed with its remarkable vitality. London is, for all its size and noise, a remarkably clean and alive place. And it is extraordinarily multicultural — something Londoners are rightly proud of.

Everywhere I walked, different cultures mingled freely: a Moroccan street here, an Oriental quarter there, African, Turkish, Asian all within a few turns. At the outdoor food market I came back with Moroccan food, something from Ghana, something from Turkey. All in one afternoon. This is one of the great joys of housesitting — you don’t just visit a city. You live in it. Even for a little while.

importance of staying flexible when pet sitting — The animals also help me to find my housesitting zen
Photo courtesy of Maria Vano

The Housesitting Life: We Really Can Have It All

It was, all in all, a very good day. And days like this are why I housesit. Through HouseSitMatch, I’ve been lucky enough to place myself in the midst of some of the most wonderful cities and homes in the world — caring for people’s beloved pets while soaking up everything a new place has to offer.

The housesitting zen I found that day wasn’t really at the pagoda, or in the museum, or over a bowl of Moroccan food. It was already inside me. The walk just helped me find it.

We can have it all. If we just look for it.

✨ Ready to find your own housesitting zen? HouseSit Match connects homeowners and pet lovers with trusted housesitters for sits across the UK and worldwide. Rated 4.9/5.0 on Trustpilot. Join the community of housesitters and petsitters Housesitmatch.com

BIO

Maria Vano is a self-confessed dreamer who believes that the world is there for all of us to see, to taste all the wines and foods, to interact with as many cultures as you can because it’s the only way to truly experience the world. She now fulfils her love of travel and of animals by house and petsitting her way around the world. Her first book is about her life as a solo traveller ‘When every road whispers my name‘.

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FAQ

What is housesitting and how does it work?

Housesitting means staying in someone’s home while they’re away — looking after their property and, usually, their pets. In exchange, you stay for free. You apply for sits through a platform like HouseSitMatch, homeowners review your profile, and if it’s a good match, you’re confirmed. It’s a simple, trust-based arrangement that benefits everyone.

Do I need experience?

Not at all. Many homeowners welcome first-time sitters, especially if you have a warm, genuine profile and good references. Starting with a shorter sit — a long weekend, perhaps — is a great way to build your confidence and your reviews.

Is London housesitting expensive to set up?

The main cost is your platform membership fee. Once you’re a member of HouseSitMatch, you can apply for as many sits as you like — and because accommodation is included, London housesitting can be dramatically more affordable than hotel stays in one of the world’s priciest cities.

What are London housesits like?

London sits vary enormously — from a compact flat in Chelsea to a townhouse in Notting Hill. Most involve caring for one or more pets. What they all have in common is that you’re living in the city, not just passing through. You shop locally, explore neighbourhoods, find your own favourite café. It’s a completely different experience to being a tourist.

What is there to do between pet care duties?

Quite a lot, as this article proves! London is endlessly explorable on foot. Hidden museums, Royal Parks, riverside walks, multicultural food markets, world-class galleries — much of it free. A housesit here gives you the time and the base to discover the city at your own pace, on your own terms.

How do I get started through HouseSit Match?

Simply create a profile at www.housesitmatch.com, browse available London sits, and apply directly to homeowners whose needs match your skills and availability. The platform is rated 4.9/5.0 on Trustpilot and has sits across London and throughout the UK and worldwide.