FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Again Monday and I rake my brain to remember what have I done the first day of the week ? And then I remembered I had done paperwork ! Paying invoices and have endless conversations with the healthcare and then a quite rough conversation with our Internet provider who had sent us an invoice for an old box which the technician had taken away from our house when we moved, and they probably thought I have stolen it. 

114 € is not a little amount so I let him look through the whole file and finally as he couldn't find anything he agreed to credit our account  with the 114 € as it was "an old thing probably destroyed" I didn't mind the reason for  the credit he had to justify, I just wanted my money. This conversation too took nearly an hour !

and while he was looking in our file to find the references of the old box, I admired the different greens in the garden from my window.

We had our Scrabble at Myriam's we still were only three because' Nicole is still in hospital (as Mr. G) and the other one was busy with her Ramadan which finished today !

We didn't manage to eat the whole cake but certainly more than the half. Was delicious !

I got my first vaccin !  The place was a huge sport stadion but we were only very few people maybe 8. It went very quick. I got the Pfizer and the second shot will be in June.

Since we have moved in, we shortly had neighbors who moved out and  yesterday a new one moved in. A lady my age who seems to be very nice ! We talked a bit before the furniture arrived which has to go through our balcony/.

It went rather quickly very good company, not like ours which had been a catastrophe !

I had invited my new neighbor who is a real Brussels' girl also with the accent ! These people are famous for their cheefulness and humour. I had invited her for a coffee late afternoon, but she was still in the middle of her mess (she used another word "brothel") which made me laugh and we agreed to postpone our coffee for another day. 

Her grandchildren and her son were there to help her, so she was not alone. When I called Mr. G. he had a bad day not feeling well and asking me strange things like sending a birthday card to my daughter in law, which is in August. I hope sincerely that when he comes home he will be normal again.

 and Rosie in her Lockdown sleep !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE MAY 11

1. It's like my mama always said,

I can't remember that my mother has said always something to me except maybe "take your shoes off." 

2. May 11th is National Eat What You Want Day. What will you be having by way of celebration? 

I don't wait for May 11, I eat what I want every day ! In fact I celebrate May 11 the whole year !

3. Describe your idea of a perfect spring day. 

Going into a nice park with a little lake and a nice restaurant, sit on the terrace have a drink, pet the dogs, chat with people, feed the ducks and enjoy the smell of fresh blooming flowers and trees !

4. Success, fulfillment, growth, achievement...pick one and tell us how it relates to your life in some way, either currently or in days gone by. 

 I think for me it had always been important to be successful in everything I did.

5. I saw this going around on various social media sites and thought it would be fun to answer here. The last thing you bought on Amazon is your weapon in battle. How will you wield it? (if you're not an Amazon shopper, then the last thing you bought online anywhere) 

 

The last thing I bought  on Amazon was an oxymeter, to mesure the oxygen I had in my blood. So nothing to  do with a weapon. You stick your finger in the oxymeter for a few minutes and it tells you how much of oxygen is in your blood. Anyway I would never buy a weapon, maybe a knife to cut steaks, and I hate battles too.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

From June 9th our lockdown will be lifted if I understood well. For now we had a bubble of 1 person, which nobody respected and  4 outside and other things I have forgotten because they are so stupid.For example in Brussels the curfew was until 10 pm in Brussels municipalities midnight ! So you sat in Brussels city until 10 and then crossed the street to be in Brussels 11 and continue on another terrace ! The Coronavirus must be very intelligent that he knows exactly the hours from one meter to another !

Now the terraces are open and of course ever since it rains and it is cold. I thought to put on a thick raincoat and sit on a terrace, but then I preferred to stay in my warm living room. Poor owners no luck with the weather to make a bit of business ! 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - CAT CAFE

When I was in Budapest just in front of my hotel was a "Cat Cafe". I had never been in one ! Of course I went and it was so nice to have all these cats around ! One found that I looked lonely and sat on the chair besides me !

 

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

WATERLOO LION AFTER THE BICENTURY RENOVATION

Last Sunday when I came back from the Reha clinic I stopped at the Waterloo Lion, where I hadn't been since at least 2 years. Before the renovation for the bicentury celebration it was a nice place to go, there were restaurants and cafes, a wax museum a souvenir shop and many many tourists from all over the world. 

When I arrived there were quite a lot of people but due to the Corona Virus and closed borders there were only Belgians who discovered their own country ! Usually compared to before there are less and less tourists..

I was very surprised when I arrived and it looked even worse then in normal times

This had been the Lion site before the renovation and now it looks like this. The restaurants were replaced by one building and fortunately it was the first day  where the terraces were opened during the lockdown.

A few canons were exposed for the tourists

 

 

The terrace was filled with happy people to be able to sit outside and enjoy their beer or a glass of wine, after nearly one year of lockdown. A few guardians were standing there to watch over the people that nobody broke the rules. But as you can see they took it easy.

I had seen enough because there was nothing to see and returned to my car on the parking which looks like a horror place.

 

Te old oak trees had been trimmed, which was certainly necessary to keep them healthy, but it will probably take a few years until they look like they did before! 

 

You can see how it was before the renovation HERE

 

more participants here

AWWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND 8 MAY

 

 

 

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

*******

 

WEEKEND

On Saturday I wanted to make our balcony ready for summertime ! In the morning my good Maria cleaned the floor and the furniture ! When it was done it started to rain which was very good, because we are only allowed to clean the floor when it rains, so that the neighbors on the first floor don't get a shower !

We had a quite a strong wind and the cherry trees lost their petals and it looked like pink snow from far !

In the evening we had a beautiful sunset.

In the afternoon Myriam came, the floor had dried and looked clean. We carried the grass carpet rolls on the balcony and unfolded and cut it. We both were very satisfied with the result. 

Then when it was all done we put the table and two chairs, so it's at least ready for two people. The other chairs I'll clean and take out later.

On Sunday my son should come in the morning to visit his father in the afternoon. But late afternoon I got a message that he won't come because he is sick ! I don't know what he has and as I didn't hear anything from him although it was Motherday, I thought I leave him in peace and wait until he explains what he has.

 

I think it's all a bit much for us, the lockdown, Mr.. G's Parkinson and the worries we have. I feel so tired as if I hadn't slept for a year ! So I went alone to visit Mr. G but I didn't stay long because he is very quickly tired and on top there was the Formular  1 ! It made me happy that at least he is still interested in the Formular 1 ! 

 

 

On my return I stopped at the Waterloo Lion, usually packed with tourists from the whole world.  The terraces of restaurants and cafes were open and to my surprise there were quite some people but I didn't see any car from another country and people didn't speak Chinese or Greek, but only French and Flemish. The borders are closed so everybody stays and discover his own country !

I was shocked when I saw that they had cut the beautiful huge trees and now they look creepy ! made for a battle field ! 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SELECTION

I had started last Sunday to show you the Brussels' City Hall from inside here when in August the Flower Show takes place. I thought I will show you some more of this beautiful decoration.

The city hall on the Grand' Place

 

 

Flower displays

and even vegetables

The inside

The room where civil marriages take place ! Nice place to get married when you live in the community Brussels.

Ready for a little lunch ??

 

 

 Linking to SUNDAY SELECTION