It was a wonderfully stormy sort of day in England when my friend Katy and I boarded a train and headed to London.

To say I was excited would be putting it mildly. Not only was I getting to ride a train in England – the land of my favorite authors, books, and landscapes – but I was going to visit places I’d only read about – Covent Garden, King’s Cross Station, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

I couldn’t believe it.

Covent Garden

To make a good day even better, I was going to meet some dear folks for lunch including my brother Ryan (who was in town on business) and Cailin, a dear online friend Katy and I had never met in person.

It was a great day, and we were fairly giddy with anticipation.

We emerged at Covent Garden to find drizzly skies and the beaming smiles of Cailin and her husband. Isn’t it a lovely thing when people you meet online turn out to be even better in person? We got along marvelously and jabbered happily about food and travel and work and dreams.

A White Picket Fence

There was a food market of some kind going on and we wandered among the stalls oohing and aahing over various foods from all sorts of countries and cultures. Before long we were craving hot drinks and a place to sit, and found the perfect visiting spot just around the corner complete with heaters and umbrellas. I ordered a pot of Earl Grey Tea and settled in for a good, long chat.

Tea at Covent GardenSoon we were joined by my brother, so we halted our convivial jabbering for a few minutes to order something warming. I chose a savory Quiche Lorraine that warded off the chill beautifully.

Lunch in Covent Garden

All too soon it was time to say good-bye. We hugged each other tight with promises of emails and visits in the near future, then headed off to explore the streets of London.

how to say good bye

What city would you love to meet an old friend in?