WRITER CRAMPS (Main)

UK ROUNDTRIP YORK - JEDBURGH - EDINBURGH

2013-05-24T06:00:00.000+02:00

York, way to Hadrians wall

The morning started with a nice breakfast and then we left the hotel at 7.15 direction Edinbourgh in Scotland. It was quiet cool and very windy which made the temperature even more unpleasant.

Hadrians wall

Our first stop was the Hadrians wall, very impressive when your think that this wall is over 2000 years old and was built by the Romans. The landscape was of outstanding beauty ! This patchwork of different greens and yellows was just amazing.

After having taken enough pictures of the wall, we returned to the bus just in time to avoid a shower. In fact we were quiet lucky, the sun came out when we were outside and it started to rain when we got back into the bus !

Next stop was the Scottish "Border" with a guy in a kilt playing backpipes and against some money allowed to take a picture of him. I didn't like at all the fact that there was a "border", after all I was in the United Kingdom ! Apparently there was Scottish money too, but I haven't seen any.

We then made a stop at Jedburgh for lunch, there was not much to see besides the Abbey, but I found a nice red beret which I bought because the scarf I was wearing was not warm enough, it was as cold as in winter ! I also bought a thicker scarf. We left Jedburgh for Edinburgh and arrived there at 2 pm.

Our guide took us for a walk through the city and explained some historical buildings.

We went up to Edinburgh castle from where we had a very nice view over the city.

We saw the Pub where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, because it was cold and she had no money to pay the heating for her flat. Today she probably could pay the heating costs of whole Edinburgh.

To finish our tour we went to the graveyard which was quiet special as people were living in these houses and had a nice view on the old gravestones. There were many creepy stories about this graveyard.

After such a long day we had our supper in the hotel and I am just able to write this post and will then fall into my bed half dead ! Tomorrow is a day off and we will make a tour through Edinbourgh of our own. So we can rest a bit and go later to visit the town.

FROM LONDON TO CAMBRIDGE AND YORK

2013-05-23T06:00:00.000+02:00

Our room in the hostel was perfect to spend one night, but we had some difficulties with the bunk bed ! It was quiet hard to get to the "first floor" because there were no steps or a I wanted to sleep in the upper bed, but I was to tall ! So Ilona had to sleep there. Each time she moved I thought I was on a ship and the waves were schaukeln me to sleep.

Today it was a very tiring day ! We left London at 6.30, after having a coffee on the parking. We are a group of people from a little everywhere, so far I know that there are 2 South African ladies, a few Malasians and some Americans.

The weather was dry and it was not so cold and we arrived in Cambridge around 10 am

First thing we did was taking "punting" boats and were pushed around like in an Gondola from Venice. The weather was a little grey, but it didn't rain and we enjoyed the ride on the rive Cam very much, We saw quiet a lot of the famous Univrsities and it was a real interesting ride.

After a walk through the town we returned to the bus and continued our way to York.

We had our lunch in the coach driving towards York where we arrived around 2.30 pm.

and visited the very beautiful old center.

We stopped at an old Pub under which had been discovered a Roman bath. It was very interesting to see !

We arrived around 6.30 at the hotel Ibis, very tired and had to wait for ages to get our dinner ! Also Internet connection had a horrendous price, 5 £ for one hour. Trying out Internet connection I suddenly found myself connected to Skype Wifi, which I didn't even know.

So I was able to write at least a little report about our first day of travelling !

UK ROUND TRIP FIRST DAY - LONDON

2013-05-22T06:00:00.000+02:00

After a nice trip without any problems we took the Eurostar train in Brussels and not even 2 h later we arrived in London.

I had looked on internet which tube to take to our hostel and we found it without any problems. Public transports in London are just great even I with my non existant orientation sense found the way ! I turned out that the bus we had to take at London Bridge stopped right in front of our hostel.

Our hostel

We had just put our luggage in a locker because it was 11 am and our room was only available at 2 pm, that the fire alarm started howling that it hurt our ears, we had to go outside and 3 min later firemen arrived and checked what had happened.

Then arrived a second truck. I found that rather funny, the other guests laughed too, but Ilona was worried about our papers we had left in the locker. But 10 min later we could go in again, apparently a washing machine had caused steam and the fire alarm went off. What a "warm" welcome !

After this "shock" we went to London's city center, walked along Oxford street, had a look into the beautiful "Liberty house" store, where cars covered with flowers were hanging from the ceiling.

We walked through Carnaby street and then I wanted to show Ilona Covent Garden. I don't know why, but I mixed it up with "Camden Town" which is completely in another direction and rather far away from the center.

But it was very nice, because it's quiet a special area with lots of tatoos and piercing shops, very fancy clothing and lots of Punks and Gothics walking around. We had coffee there and then took the tube and the bus back to check into our hostel and got a room in the 4th floor with bank beds ! I think I once slept "on the first floor" of a bed when I was about ten, so I insited to sleep up there 60 years later. Ilona was happy because she didn't like to sleep "high" ! I just wrote this post and then we went to bed.
Tomorrow morning our bus tour starts at 6.30 am !

A ROUNDTRIP THROUGH THE UK

2013-05-21T06:00:00.000+02:00

While you are reading this I sit in the Eurostar the train which goes through a tunnel under the sea and takes me in not even two hours from Brussels to London !

And from there we start our Bus tour which takes us around the UK. My friend Ilona and I celebrate our 70th birthday and have offered ourselves this trip !

These are all the places we will visit !

From tomorrow on I will write a little every day of what we have seen, a sort of travel diary. Of course depending on Internet connections !

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

2013-05-20T06:00:00.000+02:00

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of May 18. If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

Feeling much better and nearly "normal" (if that is possible) after my Bronchitis, I finally had the courage to do the laundry so that everything is clean for my round trip through the UK. The whole week I just couldn't do anything. I also filled in the fridge for Mr. G. and bought him enough different pasta plates to heat up in the micro wave while I am gone.

As the sun came out in the afternoon, I could even work a little in the garden. I also prepared my little notebook which I take along on my trip, so that I can write everyday what I have seen, as a sort of diary.

My friend whom I know since I was 8 arrived in Brussels with her 15 people family to celebrate her 70th birthday, and she called me that they had difficulties to arrive at the Hotel because in Brussels center the "Gay Parade" was going on with around 80.000 people !

On Sunday morning I went to their Hotel, to meet her mother ! Meanwhile she is 90 and of course we wanted to see each other. She had known me so well as a little girl. I was more often at her house then at home, because it was such a lovely funny family and my friend had a little sister and a baby brother which of course was very interesting for me !

They all stayed in the Hotel Metropole which was built in 1895. It was the best and most luxury hotel in Brussels and many celebrities stayed there, like the Shah of Iran, Prince Bernard of the Netherlands, the Crown Prince of Spain and many other royalties. A few American presidents, Johnson, Eisenhower and Hoover where also amongst the guests. Placido Domingo and even Einstein liked this hotel. It was also the hotel where famous actors stayed.

Of course it had been renovated and refurbished inside, but it still looks the same as it was shown in some movies amongst them a James Bond.

The entrance Hall is full of marble and mirrors and the light quiet dim, so that my pictures are not the best.

And then I met the woman whom I know for such a long time. Her character hasn't changed a a bit and she was still the same. We had a lovely time together, digging out old childhood adventures, talking about my parents and old neighbors, while having a cup of tea in the beautiful lounge. Time flew by so quickly and after two hours I returned home from my excursion into the past.

In the evening we went to Brussels to join the whole family for the Birthday supper. The restaurant was near the Grand'Place just at corner of the Queen's Gallery.

It was a very cozy place

The meal was great very good French kitchen, with seafood or Capaccio as starter and then fish or roasted duck as main course, then cheese and "Sorbet" ice cream. We laughed a lot and had a lot to tell, I had seen her 3 children last time maybe 20 years ago, and besides her oldest grandchildren (25 and 21) I had never seen the youngest ones of 7, 8 and 2.

And here we are celebrating her birthday and we remembered that we celebrated our birthday for the first time when we both were 8 !!

Great Grandma despite her 90 years enjoyed the meal and participated at all conversations. As the way to the hotel was a little long for her on the cobbled streets, she sat in a wheelchair which normally she doesn't need. Her youngest great grandson was pleased that his great grandma was also sitting in a buggy ! The oldest great grandsons took over wheelchair and buggy and made a race through the Gallery with both of them. That was so funny we laughed to tears !

It really had been a wonderful birthday celebration.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

2013-05-17T06:00:00.000+02:00

Saturday's Photo Hunting is here

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. From warm spring weather we returned to winter again, with rain and cold temperatures around only 10°C (50F). Impossible to continue any garden work. So I stayed inside and only went out to pick up my neighbor at hospital, where she had got her monthly eye shot. The poor woman had gone with her daughter in the morning for a check up and had been diagnosed a tyroid cancer ! But she is very brave and fights and made me laugh the whole way back, describing all the examination with a lot of humor !

2. I started with feeling an oppression in my chest and didn't feel well at all. I felt hot then cold, then both together and finally went to bed with a thick pajama and a jacket and was still feeling cold.
I woke up coughing and it was worse. The whole day I swallowed pills against a cold and took coughing syrup, but it didn't get better.

3. Finally I called our doctor and he came immediately. He knows that if I call it must be something serious. I hadn't seen him for such a long time ! His diagnosis was : Bronchitis ! Now I was really worried because next Tuesday I go on my long planned trip through the UK. But he comforted me and prescribed antibiotics and said that I would be OK to go on my trip ! We know each other since we moved to Waterloo some 38 years ago, when he was a very young doctor and had just started working. Next year he will retire.

4. Mr. G. came back from Italy and looked good, at least he had got some colors although he never lays in the sun. Of course there was a lot to tell and finally despite his reluctance to go to the Garda Lake to visit his sister and some friends, he was now happy about his holidays. And they had very good and warm weather.

5. My son sent me some pictures from the "3 generation" holidays together.

The men still friends since the 50th have changed a little bit ....

But the dining room is still the same even the rifles are still hanging on the wall

It seemed so strange to me to see my little Grandson Toby, playing at the same places and the same games as his father did 37 years ago. It was just feeling like yesterday.

Above left you can see the three generations, besides it's our friend cuddling Toby the same way she once did with his dad. My sister in law and niece also behaved the same way, except that our niece was a young girl then and Daddy didn't play with an Ipad ! Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture showing us as a young family at the same place ! My DIL after a few days joined them for a long weekend, it was too hard for her to be separated from her little son.

Maybe next time I will go with them if we all go and not only the men !

Now I am waiting that I get well again !

ZZZ...ZZZ...ZZZ...

2013-05-16T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

Did you know that zzz ... zzz ...zzz is an "onomatopoeia" (what a complicated word) ! It phonetically imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes. In this case a sleeping object or subject ! Onomatopoeia (don't make a knot in your tongue) includes animal noises such as "oink", "meow", "roar" or "chirp". They are not the same across all languages; they conform to some extent to the broader linguistic system and they are part of. Hence the sound of a clock may be tick tock, or tick tack, or tique taque etc. Only zzz..zzz..zzz is international and in all languages the same !

To show you some examples of "zzz" the best one is my cat Arthur.

But there are many other human examples too !

Sleep well !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2013-05-15T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants here

FONDATION FELON SOLVAY PARK - Our World

2013-05-14T06:00:00.000+02:00

Only a few km far from home we have a beautiful park, the Solvay park, with its beautiful castle.
The park is huge, 91 ha (227 acres)

A part of it contains the "Fondation Felon"

where the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon put more than five hundred works, in the farm of the castle of La Hulpe. This charming and characteristic building in the middle of the marvellous Solvay Park is home to more than forty years of creation.

But we didn't visit the foundation, for that the weather was too sunny, we just walked around the farm through the woods and fields.

Everything looked so green and fresh ! It's spring !

On the flat areas of the park a kite competition took place and we watched them flying.

We walked inside the farm and looked at the old stables and coaches which were standing there.

Lots of people had the same idea as we had and after our long walk we had a drink in the part of the farm which has been converted to a restaurant.

On our way back we watched the ducks and huge carps (real monsters) and the atelier where children built little kites.

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

2013-05-13T06:00:00.000+02:00

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of May 11. If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

(42.8 F !)

When I woke up on Saturday and looked at the temperatures, I depressed ! On top of these wonderful spring temperatures it was raining cats and dogs outside !

I had a morning skype chat with Ilona and we were both not in the mood to do anything special on such an awful day. I throw the laundry in the machine and then went shopping, my fridge and freezer were empty like my wallet, and the worst I had no catfood anymore.

After that, I felt exhausted and comforted myself with some little murders in my favorite crime series on TV and the rest of the day I spent with making photo collages and put things together for my forthcoming roundtrip through the UK.

In the middle of the night when I went to the bathroom I got a shock, I thought Mr. G. was standing there, but it only was his bathrobe, which I had washed and hanged on the door frame ! I had to laugh about myself.

On Sunday was Mother's day, which nobody could miss, as everywhere I saw advertising to celebrate Mothers. I even got a card in my supermarket, as if I was the mother of all employees. I also got a lot of wishes through comments, although I am only mother to one son. It really has become a big business !

When I was a child, I made a gift for my mother at school (terrible things) which she bravely used for a few days, and then I didn't see them anymore ! My father never thought about offering her something, because he said that she is not his mother but his wife. When she returned to Germany, I sent her flowers through Fleurope.

My kitchen had a Mother's Day look, I had to make my coffee myself and serve breakfast to the cats, who refused to open their food cans themselves and disappeared when they had eaten. I folded the laundry put everything away and returned to my Blogwork. I had to put the heating on and this in May, otherwise I would have turned into an ice cube.

Despite the rain, I had go to the Garden center to buy some more bark for our front yard. For once I had to wait for a "strong" man to lift up 2 x 40 kgs bags and put them in my car. When I was younger and wore mini skirts men were quicker ! Now I have to find somebody to unload them ! I will stalk some male neighbors for this purpose.

While I was waiting in the shop my son called me to wish a happy Mother's Day. He enjoyed warm weather and sunshine in Italy ! But honestly I wasn't jealous, I know this place too well !

My oldest friend, (I know her from when we were both 8 years old) lives near Cologne but wants to celebrate her 70th birthday in Brussels, where she has the best memories of her Teenage life. We not only where neighbors in Germany but in Brussels too. She returned to Germany and I stayed here, but nothing broke our friendship. She comes with a whole court of 17 people in total, from Mother, siblings to children and grandchildren ! This will be next weekend and I certainly will serve as guide to those who don't know Brussels.

In my favorite Indian shop I found a beautiful necklace in semi precious stones and a black varnish box decorated with nacre for this special day. I love the gift bags made by Indian women and the gift bag made by street children.

I ended the day in company of Inspector Barnaby (the nephew) in Midsomer and together with Dominique, who had come over, assisted to some murders. I think it's quiet amazing that there are still some population left !

MOTHER's DAY

2013-05-12T05:50:00.000+02:00

FRIDAY's FAV FIVE

2013-05-10T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. My week without Mr. G who is on holidays in Italy, started with garden work !

I went with Dominique to buy more flowers to plant into the pots standing on the bark in front of the house. We then had a little lunch in our favorite Greek restaurant and started both working in our yards in the afternoon.

and while from time to time I made a little break, Oscar, the robot mowed the lawn ! How pleasant to watch without doing nothing !!

When I had finally finished, I was quiet happy with the result !

I even found a new use for an old plastic cat basket, put earth in it and used it as pot on our little grave yard where all our animals are buried.

2. The weather was beautiful and I met with a friend I hadn't seen for a long time to have lunch together.

We choose a nice restaurant where we could sit outside, unfortunately we were not the only once who had the same idea. The place was packed, the service lousy, I had to call the waiter several times and the food was not good either, quiet unusual as I am not belonging to difficult clients. I can't even say that I enjoyed lunch together with her very much, as she only talked about her different booboos, and nothing else. She has changed so much and had really become an old grumpy woman.

3. Two of my flower pots had broken because of the unusual cold weather and I had to buy two new once. Instead of continuing my garden work, I landed up at Nicole's whom I had met in the same store !
She was together with another friend and we had a coffee and lots of chats together in her flat. As besides the cats nobody had to be fed, I stayed there until 7pm !

4. Her neighbor Simone (86 !), called me for help with her computer, she just had learned to use it, but had mostly forgotten everything and panicked because she couldn't read her emails. I helped her out explaining again, and she was very happy that she could use her computer again.

As I was already there, Nicole too had a problem. She had no internet connection ! I checked, and indeed there was no WiFi connection ! She had this already before so we took the laptop and wandered around in her flat and yes, sometimes the WiFi worked and then died again !

We put it back on her desk, and ... it worked !

Then suddenly while she opened Firefox, it didn't work again ! And then we found out the most strangest thing ! When she put her hand besides the computer, Wifi was off, when she took it away it worked again ! Have you ever had a case like this ?? It was really incredible, and she just intended to call a technician of the Internet connection service ! When we had checked several times with our hands, we bursted out in laughter and now she knows why her Internet connection didn't work !

5. Together with Nicole and Ilona we had decided to go for a walk through the La Hulpe Park which is almost an annex to Waterloo. So we met at 2.30 and started our walk through the woods !

A friend of Nicole came along too so we finally were 4 plus Charlie the dog of course. We had a lot of fun !

There was a kite competition going on in the huge park in front of the castle.

After a long walk through woods and the park we stopped at the little Restaurant to sit down and have a drink. The place was packed, it was sunny but still a little cool.

At 5 pm we were standing in front of our cars, hesitating what to do now to end this nice day and I had the idea of my life, being on holidays in my house, I invited them all for a Pizza (which I always have in the freeze) !

We first had an aperitif and Dominique came over too, brought another pizza and chocolate mousse and we had a very funny time. Charlie the dog inspected the garden, the cats didn't bother, Charlie is a good dog, he first sniffed in the whole house, met Arthur who just opened an eye and continued to sleep on the cat tower. The others had a look on this sweet monster and then disappeared. It was the first time that Charlie came into our house, and he behaved perfect with my 4 cats !

Finally around 10 pm they left and I thought what a wonderful day it was, especially because this morning we had no plan at all !

A "Y" BREAKDOWN

2013-05-09T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

I never realized how important the letter "Y" is in the English language, until the day when the Y key on my keyboard started to have difficulties !

At the beginning I hammered on the Y-key until a capital Y showed up in my text. No difficulties with the little "y". After a while I couldn't type a capital Y not at all anymore. So please check all my comments and you will see that after a point (.) my "y" was not in capital letter. It didn't bother me that much because I thought people could think it was a typing error. But then the "Y" key gave up its soul completely and I was without Y ! I asked myself why ?

In this text only there are already 13 Ys I couldn't have typed without counting the Y letter standing alone ! If I want to write an email to you : My keyboard doesn't work anymore, and I have to buy a new one, I would have typed :

M keboard doesn't work anmore and I have to bu a new one

I could have written my posts in German or French, because a "Y" is seldom used in these languages, but then you would have to use the Google translator, which gives the most funniest results in translations. Once I sat on my computer and the cat was typing according to Google's translation.

Therefore I gave up, and went to buy a new one.

I asked Pookie to make the presentation of my new wireless keyboard, but she was very uncooperative, it was not interesting at all for her and not even useful as a bed !

But now I can write without any problem : You look tired, do you have a yucky yellow fever ?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants here

OUR WORLD - AIX EN PROVENCE

2013-05-07T06:00:00.000+02:00

I was on a visit staying with my friend Claudie in the South of France, we had to go to Aix-en-Provence to empty her daughter's flat, as the university year is finished.

It is a beautiful city some 30 km (19 mi) north of Marseille, in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Read more here ...

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000+02:00

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of May 4. If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

Saturday morning I escaped Mr. G's travel fever, he makes me think that he goes on a expedition to the moon, instead of going simply to Amsterdam by train and from their with son and grandson by plane to Italy on holidays ! But for somebody who isn't used to trains and trams and buses (which he has to take) it becomes a gigantic worry ! How can a man change that much ? He never cared before about travelling !

In the afternoon while he took a nap (he hadn't slept during the night) I started with my garden work !
I went to the garden center a little outside Waterloo, where I always buy my plants for the flower pots and the garden. There were so many people there, that I forgot to take pictures, choose around 40 petunias and begonias and some earth and returned home !

I still cannot understand that lots of people love garden work and even do it as a hobby ! For me it is an awful chore I have to do once a year, unless I would move to an apartment ! After having put nearly 26 plants in the pots, I had enough and stopped !

Then started the big comedy in the Italian way (I don't need to go to a theater) while I gathered all his stuff he packed his suitcase ! Finally it was done and I was exhausted and collapsed behind my computer to rest !

On Sunday morning we drove to the Bus station and I went with Mr. G. to the Midi Station

I don't have to explain anything about this picture, it shows it all !

After having left him in the station, I went for a walk through the market ! The sun was shining lots of people there, and I had a well earned drink in a café sitting in the sunshine and chatting with other people !

We have a big community of Moroccans living in Brussels. Most of them were already born here and I wonder if they ever had been in Morocco ! I noticed that since wearing scarfs at school is not allowed anymore, there are more and more Moroccan women wearing scarfs and long dresses, what they haven't done before. They liked to dress like Europeans. I have been several times in Morocco and never seen so many women in this clothing, they were even wearing mini skirts in big towns ! I doubt very much that they are all muslims ! It seems rather like a protest to me !

The park around the old tower of the city wall was full of people who lay on blankets on the grass and enjoyed the sunshine.

I like riding in the bus, because it takes me through old Brussels municipalities, where fortunately the old houses are still standing and haven't been demolished in the 60th as so many beautiful mansions in the center of Brussels.

I also saw a group of scouts entering the Bois de la Cambre which is a huge park with woods in Brussels.

After lunch I continued my garden work !

After a couple of hours I was KO and happy that I run out of plants !

I took a nice relaxing bath and without looking at the watch I ate my supper ! My life as a "merry widow" has started !

I look like Arthur after this weekend !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. When I came back from France I found Mr. G. in a terrible state of travel fever ! He will go together with our son and Toby to Italy which in itself is a very nice idea ! But he worries so much about the train, the tram, the weight of his suitcase etc etc, that he doesn't sleep and when I had solved nearly all his problems, he always finds a new one ! I try very hard not to become a nervous wreck ! Poor man, when I think of all the travels we had done together without any travel fever !

I had brought these nice curtains from France and now my rooms looks much lighter ! (and I see the people walking by better too ! ) Cat Rosie loved the little bobbles and started to play with them, but she stopped when I shouted at her !

2. While Oscar was mowing the lawn (again) I assisted to the inthronisation of the new Dutch King. Besides the fact that my grandson is half Dutch, and half German with also Italian blood I love watching Royals !

The new King and Queen arrived in the church, which isn't a church anymore. It was not a religious event.

Their 3 little daughters were so brave and cute and really already behaved like Royals ! Grandma Beatrix the ex Queen distracted them and it was so touching to watch them.

of course I sat besides the Royal Grandma !

The new Queen is very sympathetic and very beautiful too. She is from Argentina is very warmhearted and cheerful. They both are very close to the population.

Charles and Camilla were there too, and he was probably thinking if one day he will be coronated too !

And the whole population celebrated with them and the orange color was everywhere !

3. To take a break from my travel fever plagued Mr. G. I went to my friend Ilona !

The weather was quiet nice and we could sit outside and have our Indian tea. It's useless to say that she loves cats too !

4.

My keyboard went on strike when I wanted to use the letter "Y". In the English language this is very annoying. I had to buy a new one and found a very nice one in white and wireless ! With all the cables which are connected to my computer at least I have one USB key connection more.

And as misfortune seldom comes alone, I lost my mobile ! I tried to call it, it rang somewhere once in the house, but then was dead as probably the battery ! We turned the whole house upside down, looked in the most unusual places, like the fridge, but we couldn't find it. Mr. G. started to worry again, because he couldn't call me when I am somewhere especially now that he will be away, so I bought a new one, and exactly the same as the one which is hiding somewhere in the house !

5.

Oscar the lawn mower had to be moved into the garden shed.

I feared that it could be stolen, because the shed is unlocked and such a robot is quiet interesting to steal !
I found a nice chain especially for this purpose and attached it inside the shed on a ladder ! I am sure everybody will see if a burglar wanders around with a long ladder and a robot attached to it. Our shed is so full that I didn't find another solution, but for the moment it's OK

CAREFUL WITH X !

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

Raking my brain to find something to write starting with an X there was a big void in my brain !
I could have written about Xavier, a neighbor but besides climbing on the roof of his house and insulting people he hasn't done anything. The firemen had to get him down and bring to hospital. That's really to short for a story.

Therefore I did what I always do when I don't know something, I google !

The result was surprising ! From the X-Files which I have never watched I found a lot of links to X films. As I am not a sex hungry porno person, I skipped this possibility to write about men who need that to make them working.

There was also the Xerox printers, rather boring and for X-mas it's not the season and also a lot of links to Xanax drug information, which I disliked too.

Finally I found out that X is a rather negative letter. It tells you that you have an XL size or even XXXL ! Somebody who cannot write has to sign with 3 times X. If you are born under X in France, it means that your mother gave you away and doesn't want that you ever learn her identity. Anonymous letters are often signed with X and if you meet a Mr. X you never know who he might be.

In maths the X is a horrible thing to understand at least for me ! Or do you understand that x + 2 = 28
and 2x = 28 or 0/x = 0 where x is not equal to 0 ? So far in my rather long life I never needed that for shopping !

The only positive X I found are the kisses you send to someone through sms or in comments. There is only one difference, some write xxx and others oxoxo !

And herewith ends my knowledge about X !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2013-05-01T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants here

OUR WORLD - On the trail of Paul Cézanne

2013-04-30T06:00:00.000+02:00

I was staying with a friend at the French Riviera, one day we decided to go to Aix en Provence, where Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) had lived and painted. He was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th-century Impressionism and the early 20th century's new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism. Both Matisse and Picasso are said to have remarked that Cézanne "is the father of us all." read more here ....

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000+02:00

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of April 28. If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

I was still in France half of the weekend. Early morning we got a phone call from the restaurant Mafana neay Hyeres, that the cow had fallen down from the exposition wall ! Claudie and I quickly drove over there to repair the damage. Claudie was better then I in hammering stronger nails so I was just the supervisor.

We noticed that more people had left little messages in the "Golden book" and checked the other paintings before driving home again.

The so beautiful weather had turned into rain and it was rather cool ! But nevertheless Claudie wanted to show me the Salins-d'Hyères an area of salt marshes along the coast. They are one of the most remarkable natural areas of the Mediterranean shore.

These saline were operated from 963 AD to 1995 for the production of salt.

That's how they should have looked ! It's also a paradise for birds, but I didn't see any !

There was a kite competition going on despite the rain ! We looked a bit, and I took this picture of Claudie, her daughters and the boyfriend who hid behind the car.

Claudie's daughter Mélissa took these pictures of me, while I was walking back from my photo shooting ! It was so awful, that we decided to drive back and rather have a drink at the Sanary beach.

There the rain had stopped and the sun came out !

Her husband had prepared delicious Doner Kebabs which we ate with big appetite !

and the boyfriend who is a baker had brought these very yummy little cakes he had brought for me so that I could taste his work ! They didn't last long in the box !

Then came the moment to say good bye, and Claudie drove me to the airport in Marseille. It was still raining and cold ! My flight was smooth and I could work on my photos.

Mr. G. was waiting for me in SUNSHINE ! It should have been the other way around, as the French Riviera is rather famous for its good weather !

From my four cats only Rosie showed that she was happy and took a nap, while I rested for a while and watched TV while Oscar the Robot mowed the lawn ! Nature had changed, the grass had grown and flowers were blooming ! It seems that spring has finally arrived !

I unpacked my suitcase and went early to bed ! What a wonderful break I had in my routine life ! Tomorrow I will certainly be full of energy !!

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

2013-04-26T09:05:00.001+02:00

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. After having gathered everything to take along to Ollioules at the French Riviera, and packed my suitcase, Mr. G drove me to the airport to be there at 7 am. With pleasure I said good bye to the cold weather, took the plane and 2 h later had arrived in Marseille, where Claudie picked me up.

Before driving home, we stopped in Aix en Provence a beautiful old town where her daughter studies History of Art at the University. We strolled through the old city and went to her flat where we had a picnic. It's located in center of Aix in a very old house (picture on bottom left) with thick walls and a view on the charming little street.where the painter Cézanne had lived and died.

On the way home we stopped in Sanary at the beach where we had a coffee and enjoyed the beautiful view on the sea.

2. Claudie's daughter had her first painting exhibition and we spent the morning by preparing the paintings to be hanged up. Dad armed with a hammer put the nails in the frames and I helped to choose which painting should be exposed.

Here I was in my element ! I love to prepare exhibitions and have done quite a lot in Art school, for myself and for my painting class. It took us 2 h before we were satisfied with the result. Then we drove home to dress up for the event which started at 6 pm.

3.

The owner of the restaurant with Mélissa the artist and lots and lots of people arrived. The Restaurant was located just opposite the beach.

She got flowers, and drinks and sandwiches were served. A local Newspaper journalist came and interviewed her. It was just great and the poor girl was overwhelmed by the success and so many people !
We were all exhausted when we came back late, just had supper and went to bed !

4. We had to drive to Aix en Provence again to empty Melissa's flat as her university year finished.

We gathered the last things made some pictures as souvenir and she said good bye to the place where she had lived for a school year.

Then we bought a well earned sandwich and sat on the fountain in the middle of the townhall place. I was so amused by the little city buses, and first thought it was a private mini bus, but not at all the streets in Aix are so narrow that they have to use such little buses ! It was the same with the garbage truck unfortunately I didn't have my camera on hand, it just looked like a normal one only in "toy" size !

5. I had always wanted to visit one of my favorite painters Cézanne and was so happy to finally see his paining atelier which was on the hills surrounding Aix.

The way from the center to his atelier was very badly indicated but fortunately I had taken my beloved Madame GPS along so we found it rather quickly but the house number of the street was wrong ! Shame on Madame GPS !

Finally we found it and entered through a little door into a wonderful garden with the Atelier.

His painting equipment was on display in the room he finished his paintings and also had this beautiful view unfortunately now interrupted by the roofs of the houses.

We had been told to go a little further to see the place where he used to paint, which was extremely difficult to find, which I found a shame, we were not the only once who walked and walked asked twice for the way and finally arrived.

No wonder that he had chosen this place ! The view was just stunning ! Paintings of young artists were exposed there now always changing and lots of artists go there to paint. It is an extremely peaceful place and you can listen to the silence ! The blooming bushes, flowers and trees made an extraordinary parfum floating in the air.

We stayed there for a while and then drove back to the center of Aix had a nice cool drink before we went home.

Cézanne' paintings

A WONDERFUL PAINTING EXPOSITION

2013-04-25T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

I am actually at the French Rivera staying with Claudie who had been with us in Waterloo last week.

In the morning we had our coffee outside and rested a bit before we went to the Bar/Restaurant where Mélissa her 21 year old daughter had her first exhibition.

What a work ! Fortunately I was able to help her as I am used to prepare expositions, but still we worked for two hours choosing the colors preparing and her Dad hang them on the wall !

and here was the final result Mélissa and I were quite satisfied

The visitors arrived at 6 pm and there were quiet a lot !

Drinks and little sandwiches were served, and the owner of the restaurant posed with Mélissa..

The exposition was a full success and really wonderful !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2013-04-24T06:00:00.000+02:00

more participants here

On holidays in the South of France

OUR WORLD - Gaasbeek park

2013-04-23T05:00:00.000+02:00

The Gaasbeek castle is surrounded by a very beautiful and big park ! you can spend hours in there

The wood looked as if it had snowed

But it was a carpet of these little flowers

Fishing is allowed and picnics too

And especially for kids there is a little zoo !

While you are reading this I sit in the airplane taking me to the South of France to spend a week with my friend Claudie.