25 Dec 2015

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Besides  wrapping gifts for Christmas, I haven't done anything special this week. The city was too crowded and there was a lot of traffic, so I was happy that I had done all my Christmas shopping before and not in the last minute.

Now I pack our suitcase and we are off to Amsterdam to celebrate Christmas with our son and family.







more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.



24 Dec 2015

AT THE AIRPORT IN EGYPT

On our return flight from Egypt, we arrived at the Hurghada airport, which I had known as a little barn in the past and which has become a big very modern airport ! A man in uniform asked us with which travel agency we had arrived and then told us to wait outside.

Normally that wouldn't have bothered me, but it was very windy and therefore cool. So I asked the man if my friend and I could wait inside, where he was standing at the entrance hall. There was a bench on the left with two other men sitting there. He looked at me and Nicole and then said, OK, come in and sit down here. The men got up, smiled and we had a nice seat in the warmth, while the others were lined up freezing in the wind like a flock of sheep.

Then the man stood up on his toes and shouted : All old woman can come in ! Nobody came and we laughed our heads off. A more than vintage aged man with a crutch was also asked to come in and sit down, but he proudly refused.


The old women

Then the others could come in and the check in started.



Linking to What happens in your surroundings this week ? and Warm heart Wednesday

23 Dec 2015

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY



Seen in Egypt






more participants here

22 Dec 2015

CHRISTMAS MARKET IN BRAINE

Each little town around Waterloo has its own Christmas market. I missed the one in Waterloo, because I was on holidays and this weekend there was another one in the next little town, Braine l'Alleud.





In front of the City Hall stood a big Christmas tree, just besides a blooming flower bed. This is very unusual for Belgium ! Normally it should be snow or at least it should be very cold !



Little stalls were all over the place



and in a huge tent other stalls selling arts and crafts,



In front of the post office is also a huge tree and an old carousel



Of course the roasted chestnuts stand is not missing.

I haven't been to the Brussels Christmas market yet, because it is so crowded that you can hardly walk despite the terrorist alert level n° 3 on 4. On TV I have seen soldiers with in one hand their machine gun and in the other Christmas shopping bags ! That's Belgium ! The market is very big with more than 230 stalls.


more participants here

21 Dec 2015

WEEKEND REVIEW - December 19

Before my holidays in Egypt, I had sworn to myself that this year I wouldn't do any Christmas decoration at all, because the Christmas we celebrate now, has nothing to do with the Christmas celebrations I was used to since my childhood  and during our marriage ! Now we celebrate with my son and family and everything has changed.

To my own surprise when I came back and had seen all the beautiful Christmas decorations in the Hotel, and listened and danced to the Christmas songs (that's where I fell and still have a huge bruise on my bottom) Saturday it itched in my fingers and I carried up the box containing Christmas decoration with the label "Christmas for two".

And here is the result



on the bottom right the smallest Christmas tree we ever had, even smaller than last year, but with little candles !



On the table is the advent wreath with four led candles. I can switch them on with a little remote control !



I also put garlands in our plants, and I am quite happy with the result, the whole living room looks very cozy !



In the afternoon I went to Ilona to exchange our Christmas gift, her tree was bigger, but she also receives her 5 grandchildren with husbands or partners and two great grandchildren ! I think her living room will explode ! Fortunately her daughter does all the work, a cold buffet, otherwise it would be a little too much for her !

Sunday while I was helping Nicole with her Christmas decoration, the Waterloo alderman brought me the 2016 calender which had been printed in honor of the volunteers who had helped during the bicentenary festivities of the Waterloo battle.

He rang our bell and Mr. G. received the calender, in my absence.



The first two pages



An introduction from our female mayor and the alderman, thanking the volunteers ! A picture of the Duke of Wellington, the King of the Netherlands, and the other descendants of the Generals.

I will give this calender to my grandson, so when he learns the Battle of Waterloo at school, he can say that his grandma was a volunteer at the bicentenary of the battle.