garethbee

garethbee, originally uploaded by garethbee.

I was in London again this week for a couple of days - more meetings at work, having been there for three days of meetings the week before! Still, despite all the hassles of travelling, the worst being the treatment I got in Gatwick when daring to try to take an almost empty tube of toothpaste out in my carry-on bag without separately declaring it and putting it in a plastic bag, both sets of visits to London were worthwhile and even fun!

This week, I had arranged to meet up with my flickr friend 'garethbee', having a couple of months earlier met up with 'Stuart-Lee'. Anyway, instead of meeting up in the City, Gareth suggested Soho, which was immediately a better idea, and having met each other at Trafalgar Square, we set off for Soho real and found a comfortable bar for some beer and some very pleasant conversation. This was followed by a meal in a local Japanese restaurant on Frith Street and then by another beer in another pub.

It is all along way from one's first steps onto flickr, where it was a question of putting one's photos onto the web so family and friends could follow us around Middle East and Africa on our six month journey, accompanied by this blog. It took me quite a few months to realise flickr's social side where one can look at other people's photos, make comments, send e-mails and build up some social contacts, ending up in meeting real people every now and then, like I did just now with Gareth.

All very positive and although there are things going on on flickr which one doesn't particularly like, it is quite easy to switch yourself off form that and make your own way through.

Having thanked Gareth already on flickr and later on facebook, I'd like to thank him aagin for a wonderful evening and I look forward to doing it again, if not in London, then maybe in the Cape in March (?). Hmmmm... that would be very nice!