Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of July 2. You never know if you need an alibi ! If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.
I had the excellent idea to make a little window shopping on a Saturday morning. I had completely forgotten that it was the first Saturday of "SALES" ! In Belgium "Sales" are only allowed twice a year, on 1st of July to get rid of the rest of the summer collection and on January 2nd to get rid of the winter left overs. Therefore twice a year lots of Belgians get crazy storm the shops, boutiques and stores in the hope of the best bargain.
When I saw the traffic I changed my mind and thought I will only buy some Chinese Food at the catering service of a restaurant which unfortunately is located in the Waterloo Shopping Galery. And then it happened to me what never had happened in the 36 years I live in Waterloo ... I didn't find a parking space ! And there are really more than enough usually. After turning around for 20 min without success, I tried another shop for my chinese food, it was the same, I turned around and waited for another half an hour, gave up, changed my mind, thought we would have Lasagne instead which Mr. G. had already bought early morning on the market.
As I was outside already I had another idea, I need a new windbreaker because my old one got dammaged (God knows why) in the washing machine.
There was a special Sport boutique in a little shopping mall with hundreds of parking spaces but not for me, each time somebody left there was immediately another car taking the space. After turning around for more than 30 min, I gave up and returned home. At least I had seen the windows and lots of full parkings. Mr. G. only shaked his head instead of comforting me !
I had the choice between this
or that.
After supper it was "Midsomer Murder"s time and together with my friend Dominique we watched only 3 murders but a "high" Inspector Barnaby who had eaten Canabis muffins presented by an old couple in their late 70th ! Please be careful if you eat muffins baked by Grandmas !
During the Sales period (whole July) the first Sunday the shops are open ! That's of course an event, because on Sundays everything is usually closed in Belgium. I tried my luck again to find a windbreaker. This time I found lots of parking spaces because I went early when the stores just had opened at 10.30 am, but of course they were not on sale and on top they didn't have the turquoise color I wanted. I left the sports store with a chic brand mark winter cap for grandson Toby, for 1 € ! I thought even if his head has not the right size at that time another baby can have it.
Fat up of "Sales" I returned home and prefered to stay watching "Miss Marple" and writing my posts.
Sales started here on July 1st too.. I don't like sales, hate the crowded stores, huge lines to try things on and to pay... BUT : I will go to the mall this morning to have a look, hoping to avoid the crowd!
ReplyDeleteI love sales and murders with Miss Marple and Insp. Barnaby hard to know what to do first sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHi Gattina, believe it or not, on Saturday the same time as you, we were driving around and around in an African city, looking for an address. (The GPS didn't recognize the name so we were looking ourselves) Of course, Grant was driving and by the 30th time around the about four blocks with hundreds of vehicles, donkeys, motorbikes and pedestrians, he was most irritable and snapped that we should leave it. (we were trying to get to our favourite Indian restaurant in downtown Eldoret) When I said OK lets eat at the Milk Bar on the way out of town (no traffic there) he doubled his efforts, looked properly and soon we spotted the restaurant. There is always a movable barrier chain outside the eatery so we found parking immediately which was a bargain! And had a security guard to watch our vehicle while we had lunch. I'm glad you found a hat for your grandson if not a windbreaker for yourself! Have a wonderful week. (((Hugs))) Jo
ReplyDeleteI hate the crowd too! I never do the sales the first days! there are so many people you can't choose anything! We have the same problem to park at the beach in the tourist season! If we want to have a place we have to go very early and after parking the car you get the good place on the sand!
ReplyDeleteI wait now for Kalle and Anaïs who went to the swimmingpool! We will go to the Castellet village and eat a pancake at this nice place!
We have sales all the time, so nothing is a big deal. Sounds like craziness to have sales only twice a year!
ReplyDeletelol thats awful when you have to fight traffic like this and to find parking space.
ReplyDeleteWhen we have sales people line up before the store opens and then if you come later,the stores are empty or left with just junk no one wants.
I wanted an outside wood burner to sit beside on the porch and it took me 3 years to find one.I sent my son yesterday and he said it was the last one.So I was lucky this time round. lol
We have sales all year round. There's always a reason to have a sale. Renovation sale, Moving out sale, Mega sale, School Holidays sale, blah blah. Hee hee. Looks like you had a very busy weekend, window shopping...literally from the car!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my world. Parking here is usually terrible, especially during the summer months.
ReplyDeleteCan't do crowds -- and shopping makes the hair stand on the back of my neck!
ReplyDeleteI think arriving early at the store is the best idea.
The city where I live, it's sales all year round. Not lucky though, my purse is always emptied. haha.....
ReplyDeleteAha, that sounded almost it could be me... with my bad luck... *giggles*
ReplyDeleteHubby has some strange parking luck, always when there is no parking, a spot will miraculously be free right in front of him...
I'm in Greece and the sales haven't started yet. We went shopping on Saturday and paid full price for everything (but on the plus side, there were no crowds, most people were at the beach). Perhaps I should have stayed home and blogged!
ReplyDeleteI posted on my blog! Miracle? No! I'm on holiday!
ReplyDelete