20 Aug 2011

STEALING IN A MUSEUM ?

Today amongst other things I showed Claudie and her daughter the Wellington Museum in Waterloo. With the entrance ticket she also got a blue guide phone which gave her all explanations of the exposed things in the language of her choice.



Wellington and Claudie

Apparently she was so impressed by Wellington, that when we were already on the street she still had her and her daughter's guide phone in her hands. I asked her if she wanted to take it home as souvenir because she hadn't realized that she still had them. She returned to the Museum's reception and gave them back while her daughter and I laughed our heads off.

19 Aug 2011

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE



more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. On Monday we had a holiday, it was Assumption day, when holy Mary travelled to heaven. Therefore all shops were closed and as it rained (why hadn't she chosen a sunny day) it meant I had to stay inside and watch TV or do some computer work. But one shop was open ! The Indian one which is the only charity shop we have. Inside it doesn't look at all like a shop but like a house, with a living room, bedroom and shelves where Indian things are exposed and sold. The benefit goes to a village in India to built a school.

2. I went with Dominique to our acqua gym and afterwards had lunch in our (for the moment) favourite restaurant which is rather a Pub.

3.Then in the afternoon we both mowed the lawn, she in hers I in mine. Over the fence we had a cup of tea to strengthen us from the effort !

4. Our entrance looked like a tunnel, the bushes on both sides had grown so much. Our gardener who always takes care of the hedge, started to cut off all the bushes and take them out. So it will be far lighter and one can see our house again.

5. I went to the Midi Station to pick up Claudie and her daughter. From virtual friends through blogging we became real friends when I stayed with her and family at the French Riviera in April. Now I will show her Brussels and Waterloo ! Just before their train arrived we had a terrible thunderstorm and all trains were late, except theirs. But to return to Waterloo we had to wait 20 min !



From the sunny South into the rainy Brussels !

18 Aug 2011

TO RAIN OR NOT TO RAIN THAT'S NOT A QUESTION

Jenny Matlock
more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday



In the past I have been told that the UK is a country where it always rains. This is not the truth because I am the witness that in Belgium it rains more. In fact it rains at least 2 weeks per months and for the moment I even got the impression that since I am back from holidays in the UK (where it didn't rain) it rained all the time here at home. People who weren't able to go on holidays and take some sunshine have a complexion like a white cheese. In the 19th century it was very posh to be so white and women walked around with umbrellas because they didn't want to get brown.

Now everybody wants to have a healthy look which means a little brown at least.

And as it rains again for a change here are some idioms which are used with the word "rain"

- It rains cats and dogs - to rain very hard
It has been raining cats and dogs all morning, which is true, I looked at my feet I think they start to change into flippers

- A rain check - a free ticket to an event that replaces a ticket that has been cancelled because of rain or for some other reason
I received a rain check to change a bathing suit into a rain coat.

- Rain on (someone's) parade - to spoil someone's plans
I tried not to let my bad mood rain on my friends parade during her birthday because it rained.

- No matter whether it rains or the sun shines
We plan to go to the beach tomorrow rain or shine. (only in my dreams)

- Rain (something) out or rain out (something) - to spoil something by raining
Each outside activity is rained out !

In short I will give up my cat collection and collect umbrellas in the future !



The End



New Start


Other possibility

17 Aug 2011

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

more participants here


Modern Art = Recomposing





16 Aug 2011

MY WORLD - Oxford UK

I visited Oxford beginning August and stayed for 3 days at the Belliol College. It was a very interesting experience. Oxford is such a culturally rich city that it would be impossible to write everything down here. The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. continue to read here

15 Aug 2011

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?



Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of August 13. You never know if you need an alibi ! If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

Sensation and excitement in our street ! I sat peacefully at my computer when I heard loud meows in the street. Quiet unusual because it sounded like a cry for help. I went on the street and met another lady who also had come out of a neighborhouse, whom I didn't know, but she presented herself as the mother of the young couple living across the street which was on holidays. We found a little ginger cat about 6 months old with the paw trapped in a far too large collar.



In my excitement I completely forgot to take a picture, and found this one on internet. It was so cute and looks very similar. I was so worried what to do with it in case I didn't find the owner.

The little cat was so happy to see us and purred and turned around our legs. I took the collar off and fortunately found an adress and a telephone n°. which I called immediately. A man answered in a forgeign languagage and it turned out that he and his family were in Poland on holidays and the cat had been left at home as apparently he and his wife were servants in a house were they also had a flat.

He was really very upset and worried about his little cat. I told him that I would bring it home, what Mr. G. and I did, but before I fed the little thing which was starving. The little cat's home was very far away, even amazing that it had done all this way to end up in our street.

When I rang at the door of a big mansion a young girl opened and I explained what happened. Mr. G. was waiting with little cat on his lap in the car. It hadn't said a word the whole way long as if it was used to drive in a car. In this very moment my mobile rang again and it was the polish man to ask news about the cat. I told him that I just was at the house door and gave the phone to the girl. She reassured him to take care of the cat. She then in bathrobe and barefoot went over the gravel to our car picked up little cat cuddled it and we were so relieved that this bad adventure had a happy end.

The afternoon I went for a visit to Ilona, I hadn't seen her since I returned from Oxord and we had quiet a lot to chat.

The whole weekend it rained and rained and there was even flooding at some places, impossible to put your nose outside. I just managed to go to the market between two showers and buy our Thai food, freshly made for supper.

The evening was dedicated to Midsomer Murders, and Dominique came over to watch with us and we strengthened ourselves with apples, grapes and brownies watching Inspector Barnaby to solve 6 murders this time !

14 Aug 2011

LONDON ST. PANCRAS

Each year when I come back from the Eastbourne at the English coast, I try to arrive early morning in London and spend the day there before catching the Eurostar back to Brussels early evenings. This year after Eastbourne I stayed 3 days in Oxford and had wonderful summer weather, but the day I had to leave for London it rained cats and dogs.

My London tour was fallen into water litterally. I checked out as late as possible and catched the Bus from Oxford to London. It rained and rained. I sat on the top of the bus and had a wonderful view through the rain drops !




London when I arrived. Water streamed over the windshield









The streets looked rather wet ! I took the bus from Victoria Station to St. Pancras to see as much as possible from rainy London. It was August 4, fortunately before the riots started.



It cleared up a bit when I arrived at King's Cross, St. Pancras Station is just on the other side.

I had 3 h to discover the Station and did some window shopping. I also had a nice little lunch and



listened to the music of this lady group. They were real good. By the time I had digged out my other camera to make a little video, they stopped for a pause !




The Eurostar part of the station was already decorated for the Olympic games



The people who arrive in London have this view




I also had for once the time to see this beautiful statue







in all it's details. Finally time went by quiet quickly and I had to check in at 4.30 to leave at 5 pm. Outside it still rained. What a pity.