LANGUAGE PROBLEMS WITH BOOKS

For Linda G.Hill's prompt "Stream of Consciousness Saturday" also called SOCS, we have to “open book, point, write.”

Pick up the closest book to you when you sit down to write your post. Close your eyes, open the book, and place your finger on the page. Whatever word or phrase your finger lands on, write about it. Enjoy!

The closest book for me was in another room because I, as a modern woman don't read books in paper but on my Kindle. With about 1000 books in our house I have an overdose of paper books.


and there are 4 other shelves !

Then I was confronted with another problem. I have to write in English, but the first book I picked up was in Italian, then I found a French and a German book and finally on the last shelf English books. So I couldn't close my eyes, I would have bumped in the door, I had to choose the right language and then I only could open the book ! But there was another problem. All my English books were in our guestroom downstairs and I was too lazy to go down the steps choose a book which is not a pick up go back to my computer and open it.

But between a few German books I found an English one, I took it out but couldn't remember that I ever read it, the title is "THE SILENT CRY" from Anne Perry .


Anne Perry

I opened the book, fell on page 3 and the first sentence I read was : "Evan knelt beside the second body and felt in the pockets to see if there was anything left which might at least identify him. His fingers brushed against the man's neck. He stopped, a shiver of incredulity going through him, almost in horror, it was warm ! Was it conceivable he was still alive ? " 

Apparently there was another body, because this was the second one. Evan called the doctor to check if the man was still alive. But he wasn't, he was dead but not for long as his body was still warm.

As the first body was a woman and this a man, it was probably the husband or the wife from one of them who had stabbed them. The whole room was full blood.

All this had to be proved. They started with the investigation, the bodies were taken away, the crime scene closed.

Whoever did it I don't know, I would call it a bloody love story with an unhappy end !

Next time I choose another book, whatever the language, I type it in Google translation and laugh my head off. Sometimes the translations are too funny !

Linking to Linda.G Hills SOCS

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Monday morning I woke up in sunshine, which turned to rain around 11. What a strange weather ! Sometimes it is warm in the morning gets cool in the afternoon and warm again in the evening. I had to change two times !



We had hoped to play outside, but it was too cold, and after I was not the last one this time, I cross eyed on this delicious strawberry cake. I ate two pieces while the others paid attention to their weight and only ate one. Good for me !

With this cold/hot humid, rainy weather, a real cocktail, our garden looked like Tarzan's jungle. Only Mr. G. with his new hip couldn't swing from tree to tree.

I asked my gardener to come and trim everything and take the weeds out. After 5 h at two men the garden looks now almost like "Versailles" !

In the middle of the week it was a terrible day. At 7 am the phone rang which was very unusual. I was still deeply sleeping and thought it was my mobile, but it was the normal telephone. Meanwhile Mr. G. had taken the call and I heard him speaking in Italian and it sounded not like very good news. It was Ileana our best friend and also family who informed us that Nino, Mr. G's oldest friend still from childhood had died after a nearly 2 years illness at hospital from a pancreas cancer, which the doctors hadn't detected. It was terrible for us. We couldn't even attend the cremation, in such a short time and for Mr. G. impossible to travel. So many memories suddenly came up. We spent a strange day in a daze.

Late evening I thought I have to call Ileana, but I have great difficulties to speak Italian on the phone, there is always English coming out. But here a miracle happened, suddenly all my Italian came back and I had no difficulties at all and could speak and comfort her for an hour.





In Italy when we were young and then vintage ! He was as old as me !

And if that wouldn't have been enough, cat Kim had returned home and I thought she would be better. But after 3 days I couldn't stand anymore how she suffered. She couldn't eat, and walked as if she was drunken. Mostly she didn't move at all. With a heavy heart I called the vet again and she came immediately. She confirmed what I had thought, that this was the end. I carried her into the kitchen where she died in my arms.



The last pictures of Kim.

The same day the husband of my painting teacher died too. Besides going in "our" Wok Dynasty Restaurant and had Chinese, we didn't do anything anymore. Nicole was not feeling well, I was so tired and Myriam also expected her Gardner.

What an awful week.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - THE WINDOW TAX

Spiderman on visit


more participants here
and Image-in-ing

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THE WINDOW TAX

On my tour around Britain, a few years ago, I was wondering why in some villages or cities, windows in the houses were bricked up !





I found that very strange because with only a few windows, the house inside must have been very dark. I was used to the closed shutters in Italy, to keep the sun and heat out, but in this country it rained as much as in mine, Belgium ! Finally I asked our guide and learned something very special !

The windows tax was imposed in England in 1696, was repealed in 1851 after campaigners argued that it was a ‘tax of health’, and a ‘tax on light and air’, as well as being an unequal tax with the greatest burden on the middle and lower classes and it must have been very unhealthy too especially in winter when it is so dark. The person who has invented such a tax must have been insane !

As early as 1718 it was noted that there was a decline in revenue raised by the tax due to windows being blocked up. It was also observed that new houses were being built with fewer windows.

There was a strong agitation in England in favour of the abolition of the tax during the winter of 1850–51, and it was accordingly repealed on 24 July 1851, and a tax on inhabited houses substituted.

You can read all about the window tax here

Today it's just the opposite, because light is good for the health and the governments want us to be in good health and all doctors prescribe Vitamin D, because apparently our population has a lack of light.



Transcription : No 1 Gordon Court

With this

The 25th – Day of March 1755

Received then of Mr John Hetherington the sum of five shillings being the year’s assessment due this day 1755 charged upon his Dwelling-House by Virtue of several Acts of Parliament for laying a Duty on Houses, windows or lights. £0 5s 0d.

By John Fleming Collector



linking to Linda.G. Hill One liner Wednesday

A DAY ON THE YVOIR ISLAND

We had booked a daily excursion to Yvoir a little town near Namur at the beginning of the Ardennes. It had been important for the resistance against the German attacks in 1940.

We were very lucky this day it was sunny and even a little too hot 30° ! 

Our first stop took us to Spontin a little town where the train station was located. We took an old train which was built from 1890 to 1907 and closed for public use in 1960. In 1992 volunteers restored it  for tourists throughout the summer. It allows to discover a beautiful valley.

The train inside had wooden seats and we were happy that we didn't have to travel for miles and miles !

After this adventure with a few stops because there was something to be made at the engine, but don't ask me what, we returned to the Spontin station and our bus.



We arrived at the station and climbed in the train. Nicole and I in front of the bus, and then Myriam and Nicole in the train.



I loved the local bricks which were used for all buildings. This was the station.



We saw a lot of green, but also very rocky wild looking places and then buildings



Little villages

The next stop was the Yvoir Island. We drove through a beautiful landscape and picturesque little houses and villages and arrived at the Meuse river where a little ferry which took us to the island only 400 m long and 100 m wide, it covers an area of ​​2.5 ha (6.1 acres).



Our bus dropped us off and we walked through the city to the ferries.



On the ferry

There was a restaurant on the island, a playground for kids, a beach and boats of course. We had a nice meal, a barbecue and a Tiramisu and coffee.



Walking towards the restaurant where we had our barbecue




Nicole, Myriam and me









Views from the island

After 3 hours the Bus took us to a Brewery which was built in 1858. It started as a little Brewery annexed to a farm. The beers were only sold locally. With the creation of the beer "La Gaulloise" a dark strong beer, the brewery became too big and was bought by another Brewery.  Today the annual production is 94.000 l !



The brewery and its Brasserie where we got our drinks.





A very strong beer called "Skull" and the label of the Gauloise which made the Brewery so famous.

We just assisted politely the tour a little bit



admired the huge copper container from inside and outside



and the awards and then we disappeared and went outside to have our free drink in their Brasserie's garden, unfortunately I forgot to take a picture ! And I hadn't even tasted the beers !



Just in front of the Brewery stood this old carriage pulled by horses, with which the deliveries were made.

We have enjoyed our day very much, it felt as if we had spent a few days of holidays !

more participants here

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JUNE 6

Camouflage




Linking to AWWW MONDAYS


WEEKEND

At 5 pm each Friday Waterloo organizes an "Apero" get together for all inhabitants, there is to drink and to eat (not free of course) and we are sitting on the grass or in deckchairs or some people come with their own chair.

It's nice people meet and chat and this time we had wonderful weather it was warm and sunny.




Saturday I was in a sad mood because of my cat Kim (story here) and to comfort myself I went to buy beige jeans. Of course once in the shop, I didn't find beige jeans but the striped trousers with a matching T-shirt which I wear in the photo below and was happy with that.



We have a Coach company which organizes one day excursions for all ages but mostly middle aged until vintage age are participating !This time we had booked a trip to the Ardennes to the only island in whole Belgium. We had a nice barbecue there and it was very hot around 30°. We also visited a big very old brewery.  I will write an extra post about the area.

It had been a long day and I will fall into my bed now ! It's still very hot !