Heath and Oxo

The sun came out yesterday, giving Olga and I brilliant illumination and warmth for our walk to Hampstead Heath. I wound up taking her alone -- Adam and Tim made plans to see another friend for lunch, and Dave opted to stay home.

We walked for several hours...

...and after we came home, Olga continued to soak up the sun while napping on top of Dave's gardening shoes.

The starlings, meanwhile, mobbed our mealworm-filled feeder. It's almost comical to watch them squabble over it.

In the evening, all four of us went to the bar in the Oxo Tower for before-dinner cocktails. The sunset cast a pink-orange light over the Thames and on the dome of St. Paul's.

We were right beneath the landmark tower itself, which dates from the 1930s and has a pronounced Art Deco look. I didn't know this bar even existed until Tim found it in his guidebook. We'll definitely go back, but next time we'll be sure to reserve a table! We found seats at the bar, but we were lucky.

Finally, we went to dinner at Koffmann's, one of our favorite London restaurants. Adam and Tim fly back to the states today, and Dave and I are back to work this morning!