FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

1. It had been a long time that Nicole and I hadn't lunch together, so we opted for the "Jardin d'Asie" (Asian garden) and had a wonderful meal. After that we went together looking for a bread baking machine she wanted to buy, but all we saw were far too big for her.

2. As the bicentenary celebrations of the Waterloo battle will take place in exactly a month, the city had asked for volunteers speaking several languages to help the thousands of tourists who will attend this event to find their way to the battle field and other sites involved in the battle. I had been selected and had to attend a meeting in the city hall where we got an overview of what will be going to happen.



The responsible of the organization seemed to be not very competent, because the most important thing which are the public transports from Brussels to Waterloo he had forgotten. I got up and told him that we would need more signs in the Buses and trains and also in the Brussels' stations. He stammered something and then he said everything would be done ! I have my doubts ! We then got a form to be filled in and should also join a court record !



As I am not member of a terrorist group or had killed somebody I got it immediately. I then was asked to help out in the Waterloo Tourist center and at the station, to help British and German tourists.

4. The next day I went to the Waterloo Lion to if the renovation works had be done, as the city guy had told !



What I saw was a big mess and still a lot of work to do, a lot for only one month left ! The memorial should be inaugurated the next day with all the officials and I stated that the outside was far from being finished. I met a friendly soldier who was pleased to pose for a photo.  They certainly had to work through the whole night to get the access a little easier !



I then drove over to the "Hougoumont" farm, Wellingtons headquarters and there it was even worse !
Impossible to walk inside without wearing boots or at least baskets. While I took my pictures 2 ladies and a man asked me what I was doing there and it turned out that they were from the British embassy and also checked the works. We had a nice chat together and I gave them a few tips to improve the access to the farm, as there is no visible sign from the main street it was covered by graffitis. They took note and told me that they will contact the officials to get it right.

5. The next day I had a visit from a Blogfriend from Australia Little wandering Wren. She was in Europe and stayed with a friend in Brussels. We had decided to meet each other and she wandered til Waterloo where I picked her up at the station ! Despite the fact that we had never seen each other,  I saw her immediately and she saw me. What a pleasure to meet someone life out of Blogworld !



First I took her to the Waterloo lion and we were lucky there was the inauguration of the memorial going on and we could see and listen to the soldier's orchestra ! We were really lucky ! Compared to the day before, they must have worked the whole night, because the memorial entrance was now clean at least and the windows so clean that they reflected us taking pictures  ! After a drink in the Wellington café, we drove to the Hougoumont farm !



We ended the afternoon at home, discussing technical problems with Google+ and Blogger, had a coffee and then it was already time to drive her back to the station ! In good company time flies by so fast !



Amazing was that she had brought me this beautiful kitchen towel, as if she had known that my whole kitchen is red and white ! It fits perfectly !

It had been a very nice afternoon !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.