FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

For exactly four days we had summer temperatures even a bit too hot because sometimes it was over 30°C

 Even for Rosie it was too hot !
 

Those who had put their summer clothes away, if ever they had taken them out, did a useless job. In fact as we have mostly spring and autumn temperatures the winter clothes remain unused. 

I was still not fully recovered from the walks in the animal park, so I sat on the balcony with my computer and sorted out the pictures. Late afternoon Isabelle came to transfer my covid vaccination stamps into my new Smartphone, unfortunately there was a bug and the page got stuck. We then got an email that they are overloaded with work !! I am sure they don't know themselves how to do it.  It will wait for another day. The vaccin still is not obligatory, like in France when you want to eat in a restaurant you have to show your vaccin certificate. Anyway for the moment I can't travel, because  of Mr. G. 

This time we were only two from our Scrabble club, so I invited my neighbor who is such a nice girl of 84 and as it was too hot we had no energy to scrabble. So we had "Champagne" without alcohol and cake. My balcony is quite big and there is always a little wind so that we didn't feel the heat and spent a nice afternoon. Just before arriving Myriam had visited the apartment which was for sale in my building and it turned out it was on our floor ! We would have been three friends on one floor. Unfortunately the apartment was not big enough and not at all the same as mine (what she thought) and very neglected and dark. On top was an excessive price and I am sure that if the owner doesn't reduce the price the apartment will remain empty for a long time unless he finds a  fool who buys it ! 

Mr. G ran out of waffels he eats tons of them so Myriam and I went visiting him with enough waffels for a whole army. It was warm and sunny and when we arrived we saw a small bus selling icecream and all the vintage ladies and gentlemen were gathered around in their wheelchairs or not and a nurse took the orders ! It was just like a Kindergarden only the toddlers were a bit older. And they were so happy with their ice cream. It was such a warm an familiar atmospere that we all sat in the beautiful garden under the huge trees ate our ice cream and had a lot of fun. Mr. G was  feeling better and even managed to laugh. Myriam wanted to stay but we left because they have their supper very early at 6 pm

A beautiful place to sit outside

To finish the week I had an appointment with our Doctor. She had had  made a blood test with me and wanted to discuss the result.

Of course I had NOTHING, everything was normal (except myself) and the lack of energy is the result of  our move, Mr. G's Parkinson and of course the lockdown ! Even blood pressure was normal. Conclusion I am a healthy sick person !

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE SEPTEMBER 9

1. Something you've done recently that required you giving 110% ? 

To find an adequate and nice retirement home for my husband who has Parkinson. And I found one, in the middle of a big park, a nice room with bathroom. Even cats or little dogs are allowed ! 

2. What task-sport-chore-hobby-activity have you participated in or completed, that if judged, would land you a perfect 10? 

 I don't know if it would have been a 10, but I think I did a good job for my city Waterloo when the bi-centenary of the Waterloo battle was celebrated and I helped as volenteer the English, German and Italian tourists with information in these languages.

3. What are ten of your favorite things right now?  

Right now ? My little cat, and my new smartphone, that's all

4. Nine times out of ten I 

Rain which regularly comes back 

 5. Where were you when the world stopped turning, twenty years ago this week? 

The world stopped turning ? It never stopped turning even now with all the natural catastrophes we had this year in many countries and continents. The only thing which was happening 20 years ago was in the USA on  9/11 when the twin towers were attacked  and many people died.  I was driving when I heard it in the radio. I drove home and switched on the television and saw what had  happened. As there were people from all over the world working there died in this attack, we all were shocked. I personnally knew also two persons  who lost their lives in this catastrophe.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This morning I feel empty and have now thoughts besides the mountain of paper work which is waiting for me and the health of Mr. G who is not feeling well for the moment. These up and downs take all my energy. I have to find a way and build  a wall between his moods and me.

 

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Nothing interesting

 

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A VISIT TO PAIRI DAIZA A FAMOUS ANIMAL PARK IN BELGIUM

On Saturday I went with two friends to the best animal park in Europe called Pairi Daiza. The history and above all you can see  probably all animals which this time I missed because the park had changed.  You can find  the link to my post here.

We started with the little train to see a maximum of animals and rest our feet for more walking through the park. Unfortunately we were not lucky at all. Not only the ride took only 15 min, but we didn't see a lot of animals, I suppose that after breakfast they just went back to sleep !

Not only the animals had a lot of space, but apparently now also the cars ! Honestly I have never seen such a huge parking, for all kind of cars and lots of coaches !

This was the entrance, it was 10 am. We all had to wear a mask, so that the elephants and other critters couldn't get the Corona virus.
 

  

This should help us to find our way to the Pandas which are the most important animal in the park.

One of the restaurants which was still closed, after all it was far too early

 

Unfortunately I have no idea which animal has the honor that its space has a watch tower, which looked like a Dutch wind mill without the wings !

The trash bin looked a bit dangerous, hopefully people threw their dirt in them anyway !

 

 

A plaque confirmed where you were

Here my two friends waited for the train and studied where we should go after the tour. Unfortunately we were all more used to GPS and not to maps, That's probably why we missed all the animals.

We had been the first, 10 min later the queue became long and longer

The little steam locomotive looked very cute. It was an original one from 18 hundred something and had been imported from Germany.

 The flamengos could watch the train loaded with tourists the whole day !

At the first glance I saw a fainted kangaroo laying in a corner

But then zooming with my camera I discovered a little group who held a meeting

Besides the animals laying on the grass I didn't see anything.

Meanwhile the restaurants had opened

withouth any doubt this must be a very old tree. Sitting in the train it was impossible to read what it was

 

 

I wanted to take a picture through the window, but  realized that whatever animal lived here, they must all be sleeping somewhere inside.

 A miracle we saw elephants ! Fortunately they are big animals otherwise we wouldn't have seen them !

and that's all we saw from our little train !

 

From far we could see the young lady feeding the little penguins ! Each one got a fish and then waggled away

Another invisible animal or animals !  

 

We were hungry and finally could eat a Pizza here !

We even saw guinea pigs, nearly the same my grandson has at home !

The cute pandas I didn't see, My feet were on strike. But Myriam the youngest one climbed up again from where we just had come, but missed the indication to the pandas. It was the mum  with her two year old toddlers, first panda which had two babies in captivity ! Still having Chinese personal and doctors ! Here they did their best to amuse the spectators !

 

I was less lucky, each time when I finally had my camera ready to shoot, I got the hindquarters !

 

This was the last view I had from Pairi Daiza, although I hadn't seen that much, we all were very happy with our day. We had a lot of fun !

 

see also the post below ....

 

 

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AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 4

 

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Three of our friendship club had booked a Bus excursion to the animal park Pairi-Daiza animal park Belgium which I had visited already in 2015. 

This time our visit was completely different. The Bus was packed mostly with the same people as always and we greeted each other with joy because we all had the impression to do a school trip. Our driver certainly thought so because we seniors  were quite noisy !  

When we arrived we were all very much surprised ! All of us had already been here years ago when it started, only a few hadn't visited the park so they couldn't see the difference. 

First we saw several enormous parkings, covered or not when you think that the whole park is 75 hectares (190 acres) big ! No wonder that my feet hurt and my two friends got back aches.

We had a nice day but from the animals we haven't seen much, its so large that you have to walk and walk to see another species. We took the little train to save our legs from too much walking, but that was a big flop for 5 € the steam engine took you around for 15 min and I saw from very far a few elephants, but a lot of the beautiful park with flowers very well kept but not even a butterfly. 

Then we were lookintg for a snack stand, but all snacks had disappeared, you could get an expensive buffet, a pizza or a sandwich. We hadn't taken a picnic along because we were convinced that the snack stands were still there. Finally we had a Pizza but had to wait for 1 1/2 h until I asked the waiter if the Pizza will arrive by airplane from Italy.

I will write a post about this once so nice and family like park, now I had the impression that I had visited a money extracting place ! Everything was very expensive, Myriam payed 5 € for a coca ! 

But one thing has remained and that was the most important the animals almost ran free, they all had enormous spaces, ponds and everything they needed. 

At 5.30 pm we returned to our bus and home.I wanted to make a lot of pictures with my new smartphone, but I lost a lot of occasions  because I wasn't used to it.  The time I needed to switch it on and find the icon for the camera, the animal had disappeared !  Next time it will be better, the quality is much better than my old one.

Space for hundreds or maybe thousand cars !

 

 

Waiting for our pizza  

Trial with my new camera, this is supposed to be a sleeping kangaroo

View out of the train window, unfortunately until I was ready for my photo shooting the animal had disappeared

Another mistery, lots of people stopped here and looked inside, so I took a picture, hoping that maybe the misterious animal would appear through the plants, but I don't see anything !

It had been a very nice Saturday, with wonderful weather only there were too many changes and too many people ! 

On Sunday morning dear cat Rosie woke me up at 8 am by kissing my nose, I  thought I just turn around and continue to sleep but it didn't work. So I did Mr. G's laundry, sorted out my pictures, cancelled all propositions and rested my poor feet, which still feel as if I would walk on a hedgehog !

 

 Sunday