It's a Small World After All - Atlanta, Georgia version

Well today was the big day, I flew to Atlanta where I met my nephew, Justin, for our big adventure. We arrived at the airport close to the same time, his plane was early, mine late, but we found each other easily and made our way to our hotel near the airport. Justin decided to take a nap and I checked out the surroundings and came to the computer room to check email, the last time it will be free for 2 weeks. So I come into this tiny 'business center' and there are only 2 computers and one is taken by a nice looking young man. When I opened my email I had a letter from my cousin in Austin with some suggestions of restaurants for a friend of mine from Denver who is visiting there. So I decide to call her in Austin and give her the names. I am trying to talk quietly because I didn't want to bother the other person. So when I get to the 2nd suggestion, he says that is one of his favorite places to eat, she should definitely go there! By the way it is a barbeque place called Iron Works, just in case you are ever in Austin looking for a good place to eat. I looked at him and asked if he was from Austin and he said he was from Denver and I said that was cool, I was too! So we had a discussion about other good places he knew of there and I hung up with my friend and she had quite a list by then. I start talking to him, as César says all Americans do, and we shared a lot of stories about travel and how much we love it. He said he was going soon to Europe, London and somewhere else but he wasn't sure where. I asked if he had considered Portugal because I have a friend who lives there and it is beautiful. He said he might consider that so I decided to give him César's email address and told him to contact him before he went to work out meeting him and seeing the sights with him. So we introduced ourselves and he has a very unusual name, one which I'd only heard of as a friend of some of my friends. A little history: I went to Paris with my friend Sharyn in March to celebrate her 40th birthday because her brother was working there at the time. César flew there from Lisboa to meet us and take care of us with his French and his European savvy. Well, it turns out this is a good friend of theirs and he had also heard a lot about me and has even seen our pictures that Rich took in France! AMAZING! So here, in a little room in a hotel in Atlanta I met a person who is a good friend with some of my good friends! Small world...again? still? He typed César a letter as we sat here and invited him to Denver and told him I had introduced them sort of! I guess there is no end to these experiences, wherever you are and whatever you are doing! I am sure this person and I will stay in contact by email now and who knows maybe someday he will visit Portugal and meet my friend César, or better still, maybe someday César will visit me and meet his new friend here!

Tomorrow morning we are going to the Georgia Aquarium with my friends from here and then we will have lunch and hang out at the airport for our trip to Rome and on to the Mediterranean! Justin is glad to be going and I am glad to have him for company, he needed this break and being with him will be like old times. Not to mention it is great to have a man along to help me with my luggage! More from Italy and the ship...later!