2.
Each year the city organizes an excursion for the senior citizen. This time we went to the Ardennes to visit the Abbey of Orval. The departure was at 7 am and here we are on our first stop having breakfast around 9 pm. We all got coffee, or tea and a huge croissant.
3.
Two hours later we arrived at the Abbey, an impressive building and inside the ruins of the old one. I will write a separate post about this beautiful place.
On our way back we stopped in Bouillon and had an hour to walk around. It is a very typical Ardennes city. I had been there already years ago but didn't remember very much.
4. Just one week ago the gardener had pulled out all weeds in our red gravel, but weeds are like boomerangs they come back as soon as you turn your back. Therefore I made an eco-friendly mixture out of white vinegar, salt and chlorid and poured it over the gravel. If now a weed dares to show up I will shoot with a gun ! After that I was exhausted and rested behind a crime story.
5.
After our painting course, Nicole, Ilona and I went to the Jollywood restaurant and could eat outside. It was very good and it was also good for Ilona who feels now all the stress coming out from her mother's dead.
After lunch we went to her mother's apartment and gathered 5 big bales with clothes, bedlinens, kitchen and bath towels which I will bring tomorrow to the charity shop for battered women and loaded them in my car, because Ilona's is too small. It was strange to be in this apartment without her mother. There are so many things to get rid of ! She had a beautiful collection of semi precious natural stones, which are now for sale.
linking to Willy Nilly Friday five
You had a lovely excursion - happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteTreasured objects of Ilona's mother. What to do with them? What to do with yours or mine?
ReplyDeleteOne thing I enjoy now that I am older is the special things for senior citizens. It looks like you had a good time.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week-end!
Your Ardennes trip looks lovely, I too am wrestling with a new smartphone...grrr.
ReplyDeleteIlona is lucky to have friends like you to help her after her mother's death. I know how hard it is to pack your mother's possessions up for charity and it took me a long time.
Bon weekend.
Ardennes looks lovely
ReplyDeleteLooks like lovely time spent with friends. I love the abbey. It looks so beautiful and peaceful. Thanks for sharing your Five on Friday!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great outing, I loved the Abbey.
ReplyDeleteWould have loved being on the trip for Seniors. I need a vacation, even if it's only for a day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip, great that the town organised it for you too.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a busy but rewarding week, Gattina! I might have to adopt your style of weed killing. LOL. The senior trip looked like fun and what a lovely place that is. I'm interested in seeing the rest of your pictures. There seems to be so many lovely places to discover in your country.
ReplyDeleteCleaning out a home or apartment is always stressful. We stopped by an estate sale in our neighborhood and were amazed at how much stuff was for sale.
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to reading the separate post on the Abbey.
What beautiful pictures from excursion! The abbey looks very nice!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea of the city to take the seniors on a trip. It looked awesome. It must be sad for all of you to be clearing out the apartment.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful the Abbey is!!! i always enjoy coming to your blog to "visit" Europe each week!😜
ReplyDeletein 3 weeks from today I will be flying to Rome, Italy!!!!!!
someday I hope to get to Belgium!
what a wonderful trip! i enjoyed all the photos...it looks like everyone had a great time! i laughed at your weed comment about them being boomerangs...it is true! thanks so much for linking up with willy nilly, hope to see you next week! :)
ReplyDeleteIt must be hard to decided what to leave and what to take. But it's nice you are there for her.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Ilona will be grieving her mother for a long time. It's good you could help her with some of the tasks of cleaning out her mother's home. A battered women's shelter is a great place to donate clothes.
ReplyDeleteThe senior trip sounds like such a fun thing to do!
I need to look up natural weed killers. There are some weeds in my grandson's play area, and we don't want to spray poisonous stuff there.
It's good you are there to help your friend after her mother's death. There are always so many loose ends to tie up, paper work, stuff to clear away. All of those things are hard kinds of tasks in the best of circumstances and then when you have to do them when you are sad and in grief it is even worse. That's when good friends really count!
ReplyDeleteGlad your weather is springlike at last -- it looks very nice eating outside!
Weeds are definitely hard to get rid of! I'm not sure a gun is the answer though - unless it's a water pistol filled with weed killer ;)
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos, thanks for joining in with Five on Friday :)
ReplyDeleteAn awesome Five! Looks like so much fun!
ReplyDelete