MEETING A BLOGFRIEND FOR THE FIRST TIME

On thursday when I woke up I thought, wow, today is a special day I will finally meet my blogfriend Jientje who lives just around the corner I would say, compared to others who live on the other side of the world. It is only around 60 km (37 miles) to Antwerp where she lives.

I jumped out of my bed and did a few yoga excercises when suddenly my hand touched something fury and soft. Without my glasses I couldn't see what it was, but then I saw it was a big dead mouse ! Outside it was pouring cats and dogs so one cat must have dropped it in my room. The day started well !

I catched my train armed with an ombrella and thought it is such a pity that it rains just today where Jientje wanted to show me a special Antwerp not the one that I knew as a tourist.
The train passed by the North station and I had a nice view on all the prostitutes who were sitting in their red lighted windows, some of them real beautiful girls. It was only short after nine and there were already customers walking in the street.

When I arrived in Antwerp I admired the beautiful old station



and wondered if Jientje would recognize me, from her I had only seen one eye and one photo last week. I took some other pictures and just when I turned around she stand there with a big smile on her face and we greated each other as if we had known each other our whole life !

She took my arm and off we went with our ombrellas in the rain, deploring both that it didn't stop raining. She took me in a beautiful little café where we could sit and chat and know each other a little better in real life. I had experienced and heard that sometimes meetings between bloggers didn't go that well because some people are just very different in real life then in their virtual life. We didn't have this problem at all ! We ordered coffee and chatted and chatted and chatted.





Then I asked the waiter to take a picture of both of us as a proof that we really met ! It's not so good because he took it against the light but still you can see both of us and even people with an ombrella outside.

Finally it was time to show me around a little and it had stopped raining there was even a blue spot in the sky !



and then Jientje showed me beautiful little places and streets in Antwerp



Look at this little old house sitting amongst more modern once. Of course besides our ombrellas we also had our cameras with us. Both of us agreed that we couldn't live without and going out without a camera is just impossible for us.

Then it was already lunch time and Jientje took me to a nice little restaurant where we had a selection of Tapas.





and here she is at work, taking pictures of an old Jukebox ! Useless to say that we didn't run out of subjects to talk about. Time flew by. I thought to take the train around 4 pm but at that time we still were talking and sitting in another Café having another cup of coffee.

Finally at 6 pm I really had to leave and take my train back, and on the way to the station she showed me this beautiful shopping mall which had been a dancing hall before and she told me that her husband used to dance here. The floor was still from origin.



We then arrived at the station, where I had a train immediately and Jientje came with me and put me in the train. We said good bye and it was clear to us that we will see each other again and more often, and next time she will come to Brussels.

It had been a wonderful day despite the bad weather but Jientje was a good weather witch ! Each time we were somewhere inside it rained and when we came out the sun came out too ! I never had to use my ombrella again !

You can read more about our adventure and see other pictures on Jientjes blog here

Tomorrow for Weekly Winners I will show the rest of the photos I have taken in Antwerp.