St. James Park, London

Today Delycia and I walked to some of her favorite spots -- the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, and St. James Park. The crowds started swelling around noon, and soon we were walking in a sea of tourists -- and on a hot afternoon, no less. We persevered, though, and found a quiet place in St. James Park to picnic and enjoy the surroundings --  people like us finding peacefulness in a pretty setting. This park was used for some important Olympic events (men's bike race, triathlon, and beach volleyball), so much of it was closed, but we were lucky to locate a shady spot for our picnic.

We rode the bus back to the hotel, then rested and recovered, then walked to Russell Square where we sat on a bench and read aloud from Middlemarch -- then back to the Penn Club for chicken and salad and flavorful wine for dinner.