With a little help from my friends

Click to magnify and to look into the butterflies' eyes!

Well, here it is, the photo I wanted to post yesterday. Uploading photos is still a problem, but thanks to Mark's tip - see his comment on yesterday's post - I can finally show you the photo of the two butterflies in the 'Jardin des Papillons' of Hunawihr in the French Alsace.

Thank you Mark!

The second day of summer

Summer has arrived, and so has the rain. So, to make up for the lousy weather, I'm posting a photo I wanted to post a photo I shot in September 2008 in the French Alsace. These pretty butterflies live in the 'Jardin des Papillons' of Hunawihr, near the picturesque village of Riquewihr.

# Well, this is where the photo should have been,
but blogger is playing up again and won't post it.
Anyone else having trouble uploading photos? #  

Of course, they looked a lot more colourful and pretty with their wings open, but for some obscure reason they always closed them as soon as they saw me moving in with my camera. To see some really pretty pictures of 'Jardin's' population of Lepidoptera (the order of the butterflies - "Thank you Wikipedia") and other critters living in this indoor garden, just click here.

Back to basics

Although my mind is completely focused on my upcoming trip to Deal, I sometimes have flashbacks of the happy times I’ve spent in France; and the reasons why I like travelling to France so much.

One of those reasons is food, of course. When I look at the photos I’ve shot over the years of the food displays at outdoor markets and in village shops, my mouth starts watering. I’m also wondering how basic things like, i.e. ham, bread and butter can look and taste so good. Is it simply the fact because they are ‘different’ from what we can get at home? Or is it because we’re on vacation and more or less care-free? I don’t know. But I assure you that there is no way to ‘re-create’ a basic traditional ‘jambon beurre’ baguette with the produce – which, by the way is of excellent quality too – we can get here in Belgium.

However, the other day, I decided to give it a try. I bought a crispy and very French-looking baguette (the bag it came in even had a picture of the Eifel Tower on it!), a few slices of ‘jambon’ (ham) and I got out the (Belgian) slightly salted butter from the fridge.

The 'Belgian' ingredients for a traditional 'jambon-beurre' baguette.

I cut a slice of baguette, cut it length-wise and coated both halves with a generous layer of creamy butter. I took a slice of ham, folded it in two and put it between the two pieces of bread. I looked at it, and decided that it looked as good as the numerous ‘jambon-beurre’ baguettes I’ve eaten France over the years. Of course, I forgot to take a photo of the finished result, as I was too much in a hurry to try it.

The outcome? Well, it was nice. The butter blended well with the ham and the general taste and crispiness were close to the real thing … And yet, something was missing … Something I would never have here. The glorious view of the ‘Fleuve Royal’ – the royal stream, the Loire River, slowly making its way to the sea and the sun shining down on Amboise castle, making the many glass-pane windows sparkle like tiny diamonds!

Just a pretty picture

Nothing much is happening for the moment. Three months ago I moved into my new apartment. I've settled in nicely and really enjoy living here. My favourite room is the kitchen with its glorious red wall and matching curtains.

There is still the matter of the lighting fixtures in the living room and the bedroom, but those can wait. I'll worry about those in autumn. Right now, I don't really need any artificial light, except in the mornings when I get up at six to go to work and the curtains are still closed, although outsite the sun is shining. Well, not this morning, because we finally got the rain we have been waiting for for so long.

I'm busy planning my upcoming trip to Deal, and getting a bit nervous about the whole thing.Trains and rooms are booked, payed and confirmed. I'm trying to organize the little time I will be there, meeting and spending time with my friends, a visit to Deal castle, a bus ride into Kingsdown and/or Canterbury, the pubs where I want to have a drink or a meal, the shopping in High Street, and ... very important ... a possible meeting with blog friends! I'm so looking forward to this. But more about that later. In the meanwhile, enjoy the above photo of a very pretty English rose from my mother's garden.

Sun, friends, drinks and sightseeing – part three

After spending two hours on the terrace of La Chaloupe d’Or it was time to show B. and P. some of the sights around the Grand’Place. When P. asked me to tell them about the beautiful houses which line the square, I was slightly lost for words. In fact, I think I’m more knowledgeable when it comes to facts and figures about the Loire Valley castles. Shame on me! The next time I volunteer to show foreign visitors around Brussels, I will have to do some preliminary research.

Just a small section of the Grand'Place.
The flag on the right is the official flag of the city of Brussels.

However, I was able to tell them the story of Serclaes, one of Brussels’ heroes, whose statue is located on one of the square’s corners. P. seemed slightly upset when I told them how the poor man had been murdered and mutilated by his enemies. This didn’t stop my new friends from caressing the statue’s arm though; a tradition which according to the legend is believed to bring good luck. We had to get in line to do so, while a group of Japanese tourists took turns posing in front of the statue. I don’t like it when someone runs into my pictures, so it’s only natural and polite to wait when other people are shooting photos.

 Japanese tourists taking turns posing
in front of the statue of Serclaes.

Then we moved on to the Galérie de la Reine, a 19^th century masterpiece which was commissioned by Leopold II, the second king of Belgium. B. and P. were very impressed by this serene and elegant 19^th century shopping mall! Another thing they were impressed with were the prices of the exclusive shoes and the famous Delvaux handbags that were for sale in the gallery’s luxury shops.

Galérie de la Reine.

Next on the list was a mandatory walk down the rue des Bouchers. A narrow pedestrian street with restaurants on both sides; restaurants that sell mediocre food at rip-off prices to gullible tourists who are charmed by the set up and the thought of a nice meal al fresco. I showed my guests three restaurants where I know you can get excellent food for good value. I don’t know whether they have taken my advice and had a meal in one of them or not.

Finally we walked up to the Saint Michael and Saint Gudula cathedral. On the way we came across the statue of the legendary Don Quichote and the composer Béla Bartok. P. asked me whether Bartok was Belgian. I admit that I didn’t know the answer, but was nevertheless quite certain that he wasn’t. I even suggested that I thought he was Hungarian. As soon as I got home I googled the composer’s name and was happy to read that he was Hungarian indeed.

Saint Michael and Saint Gudula cathedral.

We shot some photos of the cathedral, which is sitting on a hill, overlooking the Grand’ Place and the city centre. While we were walking up the steps to visit the interior in order to admire the spectacular glass-stained windows, one of the cathedral’s bells rang, marking the time: 6.30 p.m. Just when we arrived on top of the stairs, the big wooden door on the right, the only one that had been open, was shut in front of our noses. Too late!

Disappointed, we walked back in the direction of the Grand’ Place, where we said goodbye, with B. and P. returning to their hotel and me taking a cab to drive me home. The next day my new friends intended to visit the Atomium and maybe Manneke Pis’ wardrobe. And maybe they would return to the cathedral during opening hours to visit the interior.

The taxi ride home was pleasant, quick and refreshing as the driver had turned on the air conditioning. When I got home I kicked off my shoes and took a closer look at the beautiful photo book with kind inscription my friends had given me and the card that came with the pecan nuts.

My friends from Georgia.

B. and P., if you are reading this, thank you very much for your company and the presents. I've spent a memorable afternoon in your company. Enjoy the rest of your French tour and have a safe flight back to Atlanta! If you have changed your mind about having your photo on my blog, please let me know and I'll remove it right away.

Sun, friends, drinks and sightseeing – part two

Upon my arrival at the Grand’Place last Saturday afternoon around 2.15 p.m. most of the seats on the terrace of ‘La Chaloupe d’Or’ were taken by people finishing a light lunch. I wandered inside and found the place deserted except for a few waiters who were waiting for their orders by the bar.

I went out again hoping that by three there would be room on the terrace for me and my American friends B. and P. I took another stroll around the Place, this time venturing into the open gate of the city hall. It was very hot in the enclosed courtyard, with the June sun heavily beating down on the white stone walls. There were two elegant fountains, representing some ancient god – Neptune by the look of it and the presence of the water spouting fishes.

Neptune? Your guess is as good as mine!

The door in the left wing was open with a red carpet leading up the steps and the chandelier in the hallway brightly lit. The stroller that sat at the bottom of the stairs indicated that there was a baby in the wedding party I had seen on the balcony.

At quarter to three I decided that it was time for me to return to the Chaloupe D’Or hoping to find a table for me and my guests. I was in luck and secured a small table near the railing; in the shade of the red and green parasols that covered the larger part of the terrace. I ordered the house specialty, called a ‘Golden’, which basically is a cocktail containing Campari, white wine, soda water, ice, a slice of orange and a slice of cucumber. I watched the people on the terrace and listened to their conversations. Once again, I was struck by the multitude of languages I heard around me.

The terrace of La Chaloupe d'Or on Saturday afternoon
while I was waiting for my friends.

At the same time I kept an eye on the passers-by. B. had sent me a photo of him and P. and I was pretty confident that I would recognize them, especially as B. had told me that he was very tall and really stood out in a crowd. I hadn’t sent them a photo of myself, but was wearing my green scarf (the one I’m wearing in my profile picture) for them to identify me. This turned out to be a bad idea, in view of the heat. I had therefore attached the scarf to my handbag, hoping it would help my guests to find me.

And all of a sudden they were there. I recognized them immediately. They looked just like in their picture. I waved to them and they joined me at the table where I was sitting. It didn’t take long before we were happily chatting away. It was as if we had known each other for years. They told me about their eventful journey, their plans for the rest of their stay in Europe and the reasons why they – especially B. – were taking this trip down memory lane.

We ordered a second round of drinks and sat on the terrace for well over two hours. It was very hot, but the drinks were refreshing and from time to time a cool breeze brought some welcome air. I gave them the macarons and a small map of Brussels that had I picked up at the tourist office and that showed the main points of interest. Then B. opened his bag pack and took out a beautiful hardcover book containing an amazing collection of stunning photos of the US and … a bag of freshly shelled pecan nuts.

P. suggested I should use the nuts to make a pecan pie. I’m afraid though this is not going to happen, as yesterday my mother and I opened the package and ate almost half of them. They are soooooooo good!

Sun, friends, drinks and sightseeing – part one

We had a lovely long Ascension Day weekend here in Belgium. The weather was warm and sunny most of the time, with just a few light overnight showers; the kind of showers that don’t even leave a trace on the ground.

Saturday was particularly hot. Maybe it was to oblige B. and P. who flew in from Atlanta and were visiting Brussels on Saturday and Sunday. I suppose temperatures into the high 20-ties and 30-ties (Celsius, that is) are not unusual in Georgia.

I’ve known B. and P. ‘virtually’ for several months now since B. stumbled across my blog while he was looking for information about the Phalsbourg area in the French Lorraine. He lived in Phalsbourg in the fifties when his father worked on a nearby US military base. The base was closed down recently and turned into a power plant, and B. was planning to visit it, as well as some of the places where he had lived and played as a teenager.

He sent me an e-mail asking me a lot of questions about the public transport, hotels, restaurants and other places of interest in the area. I tried to help him out as much as possible, but failed to give him the information he was looking for regarding trains and buses as, although I’ve visited the area on multiple occasions with my friend, I’ve always enjoyed the comfort of travelling by car.

Over the months we exchanged several e-mails and little by little B. and P. developed a keen interest in Belgium. And then, one day, B. sent me an e-mail announcing that they would spend a few days in Brussels on their way to France. His exact words were: “… and don’t faint, we will be visiting Brussels too!” Well, I didn’t faint, but was nevertheless surprised that my blog had ‘lured’ people into visiting Brussels. Maybe I should tell the Belgian tourist board about it and ask them to pay me a small fee for my contribution to the Belgian tourist industry?!

One of the gilded statues
adorning the historic buildings of the Grand'Place.

So, last Friday night, B. and P. arrived in Brussels, after a long and eventful journey. However, when we met on Saturday afternoon at the Grand’ Place they looked very well rested and keen to discover Brussels. I arrived well before the agreed time of 3 p.m. to take a few photos for the blog and to buy my friends a little welcome present. My first idea was to get them real Belgian chocolates by THE best Belgian chocolatier ‘Corné’, but quickly decided against, as it was far too hot. I’m sure the chocolates would have turned into one sticky mess by the time my visitors got back to their hotel in the evening. I therefore bought a batch of 'macarons'.

The chocolates I didn't buy.
Sorry B. and P.!! Just blame it on the weather.

The Grand’ Place was very, very busy. With tourists from all over the world wandering around, admiring the gilded facades, shooting photos having lunch or simply sipping drinks on the many sidewalk terraces. It was funny to see how everybody was mostly walking with their heads in the air to take in the beauty of the historic buildings. I heard all kinds of languages being spoken around me: English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, … It was amazing. I almost felt like a foreigner in my own country.

A few cars were parked in square, which is a 100% pedestrian zone. Judging by the little flags that were floating from the car’s antennae reading ‘Vivent les mariés’ (Long live the bride and groom) they belonged to a wedding party. I hung around for a while hoping the happy couple would soon emerge from the city hall. Imagine my surprise when all of a sudden they appeared on the balcony on the first floor of the building. This privilege is normally reserved for royalty. The last royal couple to appear there were Prince Laurent and his wife Claire. Prince Laurent is our king’s second son and somewhat of an ‘enfant terrible’, who always seems to find himself in rather controversial situations due to the political stands he takes, while he is supposed to keep a low and neutral profile.

The young couple enjoying a rare royal privilege.

I guess the couple that appeared on the balcony last Saturday were personal friends of the mayor’s, whom were therefore given this ‘royal privilege’. But, whatever the reason, the crowd in the square loved it and the bride was clearly very pleased with the attention she got.

(more to come)

A 'blind' date

No, before you start imaging all sorts of things; you’re wrong!

But I'm nevertheless a bit nervous, because this afternoon, I'm off to Brussels to meet blog readers from the US. B. and his wife P. have been reading my blog for several months. They had been planning a trip to France for while and after reading my blog posts on Brussels and seeing the photos of the Grand Place, they became intrigued by our little country. And so in February they decided to include a short stay in Brussels in their program.

They arrived last night from Atlanta after a very long journey, including a transatlantic flight to Paris, a long wait at CDG high speed train station and a train ride that took them all the way to Lille, where they had to change stations and trains to finally arrive in Brussels. The taxi ride to their hotel only took ten minutes and was apparently the easiest part of the trip.

When I talked to B. last night on the phone he sounded exhausted but relieved that they’d made it. Although he still wondered how they did it!

La Chaloupe d'Or at the Grand Place
where B. and P. and I will be meeting this afternoon.

I hope they have had a good night’s sleep and are not too jetlagged to enjoy their first day in Brussels. We’ll be meeting at the Grand Place at 3 p.m. for drinks at the Chaloupe d’Or, followed by a visit to our famous Manneke Pis, the notorious rue des Bouchers and the beautiful and elegant 19th century Galérie de la Reine. I’ll also give them some pointers on other things to visit tomorrow and nice places to have dinner. They will be in Brussels till Monday, before setting out for France.

It’s extremely hot and sunny today. I hope that won’t spoil the fun, especially as violent thunderstorms are predicted for later today.