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.

MY VERY FIRST ARTICHOKE

Letter A

I was 19 when I saw the first artichoke in my life ! I was invited to a lunch at a new friend's home, I had met in Italy during vacations with my parents and it turned out that she also lived in Brussels.

What I didn't know was that she came from a very posh family who lived in a very big house, they had a cook, a servant and a nanny.

The dining room was very impressive I had never seen such a huge one with an enormous table. The whole family was sitting around and the starter was served.



An artichoke !

I looked on my plate and found a very strange looking thing with leaves and thought how the heck should I eat that ? With fork and knife ? that was impossible. Besides my plate was a little bowl with a sauce inside.  I cross eyed around me and decided to copy the others.They pulled off the leaves dipped it in the sauce and then sucked the end of the leave. I bravely did the same.



When all the leaves were gone, I suddenly faced an obstacle. Hairs !! How could one eat that ?? I pulled out the hairs and dipped them in the sauce and tried to eat them but it really wasn't good.

The kids observed me (my friend had 4 much younger siblings) and started to giggle. The parents smiled and I wondered why. My friend finally told me that I have to cut off the hairs and only eat the heart of the artichoke because that was the best thing on the whole vegetable !

I wasn't embarrassed at all and laughed too and told them that I had been very much surprised that one eats hairs. And indeed the heart was very tasty and together with the sauce was really good.

Now years later when I see my friend we still laugh about my eating of the first artichoke in my life !

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Breakfast ! Grandson Toby and Arthur


more participants here

LIGHT QUARRY OF BAUX - France

My post is here

WEEKEND REVIEW MAY 16

Our usual quiet weekends this time it was rather eventful ! We were invited all together for a barbecue  to my son's best friend who has a little boy same age as our four year old grandson.



They had a lot of fun in the garden, while our son was busy to get the fire on. It's strange, houses burn down without any reason and very quick, but a barbecue takes ages to get ready !

While we the adults had our meal in the dining room, the kids ate in the kitchen.



The ice cream was especially good ! Toby licked out his bowl until it was so clean you didn't even have to put it in the dishwasher.



While we chatted and had also a lot of fun, the kids watched TV.

The next evening I went to the theater together with two friends, and left the 2 and a half men alone. It was my season ticket and I didn't want to miss the play.



In front of the theater two cats were sleeping. The play was very funny it was the story of a young woman who had an awful vulgar vocabulary and she wanted to learn everything to be able to study in University. The professor who was a very posh gentleman tried his best, with the result that at the end the girl talked like him and he spoke like the girl at the beginning. It really was hilarious.



The next morning Toby played with cat Arthur on the terrace



Before they left to return home to Amsterdam, we wanted to make an "official" picture : Grandparents with Grandson. The result was this ! Or Mr. G. had his mouth open or he had his eyes closed. My son told him to close his mouth several times and finally Toby had enough of posing and started to make the clown. What a photo session ! At least it looks natural !

After they had left, we spent the rest of the day recuperating from this eventful and funny weekend !