I had a terrific lunch yesterday with John Boeren from Antecedentia Genealogy in The Netherlands.  John and I met at RootsTech in London as our presentations were in the same room.  We both happened to be there at the same time checking our slides and making sure that the equipment worked.

He was in Salt Lake City on his way to a board meeting of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Oklahoma and had a day to spare. We met outside the Family History Library and strolled down the road to the beautiful Joseph Smith Memorial Building, originally called Hotel Utah. On the ground floor, just past the foyer is a lovely cafe called Nauvoo which serves great and relatively inexpensive food. I had their famous turkey pot pie with a Bundaberg peach flavour drink – imagine finding one of those in Salt Lake City (though Kirby and I did find them in Ireland too).

Turkey pot pie and Bundaberg peach drink – Nauvoo

The elderly couple sitting next to us enjoyed our genealogical conversation and as they were leaving, showed us the most magnificent pedigree fan chart – almost every space on the double A3 piece of paper was filled! They come to the Family History Library most days even though they live on the outskirts of Salt Lake City – and they wear matching shirts.  The shirts were a lovely colour and they do this so that they can easily find each other in the Library.  [Note to self – mention this to Kirby.]

After lunch, we went up to the 10th floor to look at the views from each end of the building across SLC.  At one end, the mountains are quite close while at the other you can get a birds eye view of the Temple and the work that is being done while it is closed for 4 years.

I walked across to the City Creek shopping centre – quite spread out with little waterways through it.  I then headed across to Harmons to pick up a few bits and pieces to supplement what I had already bought on Saturday.  Totally forgot to get some beer as it doesn’t sell wine and I haven’t made the effort to head down the road to pick some up.  You can only buy wine in Utah at state-owned liquor stores.  Still it will be good for me to go without anyway.

Off to do some writing now.

Fountain on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Foyer of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Work next to the Temple