What Ewan McGregor said to Charley Boorman

EM: Charley?
CB: Ewan! Mate! How are you?
EM: Excellent. You?
CB: Suffering in the Kenyan heat, but otherwise good. Did you get it?
EM: Did I get it? Did I get it? I got it! And you were right, I loved it!
CB: What did I tell you? I knew you would. Hell I read it, and you know my views on reading. Got on the plane, clicked on the first page and I was hooked. Was still reading when I got to Nairobi. Had to cancel an interview so I could finish the damn thing. Unicef is not too happy, but them's the breaks.
EM: Where'd you get it? I've been boring everyone I meet telling them what an incredible book it is, and no-one's heard of it.
CB: Place I was staying in Nova Scotia - Cabot Shores - guy there recommended it. "Trust me, Charley" he said, "You'll love The Chicken Thief". I was dubious, but Paul Weinberg's a good bloke, an honest guy.
EM: Not surprised you loved it - reminds you of those days riding through southern Africa doesn't it? I could picture it all. You know what Charley, it should be a movie, that's what. I've sent it to my agent. Told him it's a movie I want to make.
CB: Brilliant idea, but, there's no part in it for you, you know that don't you?
EM: What do you mean?
CB: Well, I could be in it - I'd make a great Harry - but there's nothing for you.
EM: Rubbish. I have to be in it.
CB: You're just saying that because you've got a thing for Australians. You've never been the same since you did Moulin Rouge.
EM: I don't know what you're talking about!
CB: I've always had my suspicions about Nicole Kidman, breaking up with Tom Cruise the same year Moulin Rouge came out. You know I ran that theory past Keith Urban once and he got a bit uptight. He's not that keen on you.
EM: Urban's a nancy boy, I could take him any day!
CB: Rot! You know those light sabres aren't real don't you? And you know no-one is really scared when you do the noises? Coz we just pretend to be scared to make you feel good.
EM: Eh? What's that Charley? I can't hear you! The line's breaking up *crkkkkzzzkkssssss* Anyway, if you can hear me, thanks for the book, call me when you get back! Goodbye!
CB: Show us your light sabre McGregor!!!

***

Ok, so maybe that's not entirely how it went down. Admittedly I may have made up a considerable portion all of that conversation, but it could have happened. That's what's so cool about the world. Over the last weekend, Charley Boorman has in fact been staying with friends of ours - Paul and Barbara Weinberg - who run Cabot Shores; a beautiful lodge on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Canada. We met Paul and Barbara during our year long 'Year In America' expedition driving across the US and Canada. Cape Breton is a truly beautiful part of the world and Paul and Barbara were fantastic hosts and have since become good friends.

I was joking with Paul on facebook about how he should give Charley Boorman a copy of The Chicken Thief and then was thinking later that these are the moments of serendipity that I so love about life. If you'd asked me three months ago 'what are the chances someone will give Charley Boorman a copy of your book?' I'd have laughed. And now he and my book have crossed virtual paths, even if they never did meet. But how cool is it that they came that close?

What makes it an even better story, is the way in which we met Paul and Barbara. For the one and only time in fourteen years of marriage, Nyani agreed to go camping. We spent a gorgeous weekend at Cabot Shores but then, with a hurricane on the horizon decided to head for more durable lodgings (I still suspect Nyani called in a few divine favours...) So we packed up the tent, loaded the car and headed out. At the gate we met Paul who asked why we were leaving early. We explained about tents and hurricanes and Nyani's low pain threshold when it comes to camping and Paul very kindly offered to put us up in the main house as his guests. In the space of one conversation we went from having our front tyres on the road out of town, to turning back around and driving to the lodge. While the hurricane turned out to be a non-event, our friendship grew and we returned a few weeks later to spend a month at Cabot Shores.

The Universe is a funny place. And it's amazing the weird and wonderful things that just might happen...

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Photo source: Ewan MgGregor: Caroline Bonard Ucci / Charley Boorman: Johnny Wiggla 
Photos are reproduced under creative commons licensing.