Once in a while life hands out little surprises that are so beautiful, so unexpected, they leave you glowing for days. I was given one this weekend.

Many months ago CanadianΒ  Breanne Mosher commented on one of my blog posts. I popped over to her blog http://thevintagebox.blogspot.com/and soon we forged an online friendship through our blogs and Facebook that grew to include her splendid hubby, Jared.

I liked them instantly as we connected over delicious food, great music, good books, and all sorts of adventures in travel.

When Jared contacted me last week saying he and Breanne would be in Vancouver, CanadaΒ  for business, I was delighted to be his partner in crime in surprising Breanne with an evening of exploring, eating and talking in downtown Vancouver.

I was excited all week until Sunday arrived and little niggling fears crept in: what if they don’t like me? What if I don’t like them? What if our online friendship doesn’t pan out in real life?

I needn’t have worried. πŸ™‚ Jared and Breanne were not only just as fabulous as they were online, they were better.

After hugs and smiling so big our cheeks ached, we secured scarves round our necks and headed out to explore Vancouver, talking a mile a minute as we walked.

We talked about their adventures working in orchards in New Zealand and mine as a nanny in Portugal.

We rattled on about foreign food and the scary things we’d made ourselves eat, and laughed about the marvelously quirky people we’ve met on our travels.

We’d be in an animated discussion of favorite authors when one or the other would stop mid-sentence and point out a gorgeous old building that we then would have to ooh and aah over.

I loved it. πŸ™‚

Our rambles ended at Chambar, a splendid restaurant on Beatty Street that is so warm and cozy you want to sink down onto a leather banquette and stay for hours. So we did. Lingering long over Trapiste Beer and French wine, plate after plate of exquisitely prepared and presented food, talking about anything and everything that came into our heads.

At last it was time to head home. We moseyed through the lamplit streets, hugged good-bye, and went to our beds with memories of a beautiful evening spent with true kindred spirits.