It was a great day for a visit with Nigel and Gwynne Grant.  We arranged to meet at Hatchard’s Book Shop at the Blessed Pancreas (better known as St. Pancras International Train Station).  Hatchard’s has been a convenient meeting place for us as we three are all bibliophiles and Hatchard’s has sold coffee and tea which could be drunk at little tables in front of the shop.  I arrived a bit early, looking forward to a cup of tea while waiting, only to find that Hatchard’s had stopped their “café service” and taken away their tables.  Just next door, however, Fortnum and Mason (purveyor of fine foods) has a branch, with food service and tables outside.  So, I sat down and waited for service.  While there were menus on the tables, servers never came!  Eventually, though, Nigel and Gwynne arrived.

We walked the short distance from the train station past my flat on Judd Street and then turned down Tavistock Street where we could see several of the restaurants I had suggested for lunch.  We settled on “Bon Vivant,” a delightful French themed restaurant that I had tried once before.  The meal was great and the staff was very patient, letting us linger and chat as long as we wished.  The patrons of this restaurant all seem relaxed and enjoy the time spent here.

When we had finished our coffees, we moved down Marchmont Street so that I could give my friends a sense of the pleasant surroundings I have called home these last two months.  It was also a chance to take them to “SKOOB,” the used bookshop that I have mentioned in an early blog post about this trip.  As I anticipated, Nigel and Gwynne liked Skoob as much as I do and we all left with purchases.  After a tour of the rest of Brunswick Shopping Centre.  We then walked back up Judd Street and Nigel and Gwynne left me at Clare Court and continued back to St. Pancras for their trip home to Kent.

I have mentioned several times, the remarkable book called “The Lost Way,” I read during this trip.  It was, for me, an important addition to my understanding and spiritual growth.  Based on a discussion I had had with the young man who serves at the concierge desk at Clare Court on Saturday nights, I thought this book would be of interest to him.  So, deciding to brave the winds of Brian, I walked down to the Gower Street Waterstone’s to see if it would have a hard copy of the book.  Alas, they did not.   But, this Waterstone’s is a remarkable shop.  It is 4 floors accessed by stairways of various kinds.  The outside looks like a staid old establishment. The inside is a mixture of old, hippie/indie and new.  It was a fun visit.

Keeping on the French word theme, an American friend contacted me seeking help looking for a particular French word used in French contract negotiations.  I contacted a good friend in Normandy, France and she and her very clever partner, who I unwittingly reached at dinner, proceeded to send me several brilliant suggestions to pass along to my American friend.  So, all, in all, another grand two days for me in London town.

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