I came here to write after a speedy re-evaluation of the theme of my photography exhibition in September.The organisers want photographs now for posters and brochures and my gardening tale was a work-in-progress, capturing the growing season and the relationships between gardeners on Antwerpen's allotments so ... a fast rethink and the obvious slapped me in the face, gently. I have folders full of hours and days spent out on Flanders Field.
The morning has been spent working on image selection in the lounge around an excitable Miss Three who was noisily delighting in the fact that Gert's kids are here; around Gert, housework, requests for information from others and all that stuff but here I am, almost 3pm and the mail with attachments has been sent back to the organisers.
Brussels with Ms V was truly fabulous. We spent 2 nights and most of 2 days talking and laughing, wandering and laughing some more.
She earned my undying gratitude by metro-ing me over to Waterstones, an English bookshop with a branch in Brussels. I almost died when I discovered Christina Lamb's Small Wars Permitting - Dispatches from Foreign Lands on their 3 books for the price of 2 table. I've had that book on my 'must have' list for so long and it is as good as I expected it to be.
Jessie begins both social orientation in Flanders, and studying Dutch language next week. Life will kick up a gear for her, with all of us needing to fill out some kind of appointments book so that we know where we are when. I've got a big job coming up mid-March, with a European-wide audience to satisfy and Gert is busy with work too.
Our first guest flies in in April and we head up to Paris to meet Jessie's friend. It looks like I'll be in London that same month, taking a few photographs for a book.
May is Berlin and the wedding, July we're hoping to head into France. September we already have rumours of friends flying in and I've put Rome, Istanbul and New Zealand on my 2008 to-do list.
The days are getting longer and the chill is slowly leaving. It feels like 2008 is finally arriving, even if we're already 3 months into it.
7 comments:
So you're schedule is getting filled and with nice and "exotic" locations. It will be a very interesting year on this blog, I can tell.
Lol, let's see it Manic. I guess the blog title will change to something like 'The year I spent lost in Europe'.
oh,,, the schedule sounds great.. and don;t forget to think about Spain on a quick trip in Nov... and to the US as soon as you can!!!
Enjoy your beautiful weather. WE have over a foot of snow today and had no electricity and an ice storm here for 3 days!! Horrible.. but Hawaii next week!!! Yea!@@@@
Your travel schedule sounds so exciting, definitely an advantage of living in Europe! Mine is far less glamorous: possibly a quick trip to Wanaka in June for our 5th wedding anniversary and, if I'm lucky, a dash over to Sydney & Melbourne to visit friends in October. Enjoy it 100%, it sounds like the world will be your oyster this year :-).
Lol, and America too, ML. I think I'll have to wait for that ... I can't find anything under 1500euro for the NZ trip and Gert has to come too, so family and friends can check him out.
And Spain ...
Our weather is a little grey today, no snow though. Haiwaii sounds like the cure :)
WANAKA, oh I do love Wanaka, Inge! I once camped on the shores of the lake, between the poplar trees, close to the lake edge in a small round tent. It was bliss. I'm sure you will love it if you haven't already been. I used to live down the road in Cromwell, about 60kms away ... Wanaka, Arrowtown and Queenstown were favourites places to wander when life in the tiny town got too much.
Let's see what is possible with regard to my list of destinations. Istanbul and Rome depend on work I pick up, London and Berlin are certain, NZ is waiting on news of this inheritance ... but it's so nice to make a list of what I would like 2008 to be.
The travel sounds wonderful, especially after a day trapped in a lounge trying to meet a deadline with excitable children and busy adults breaking your concentration.
Brussels was lovely. Like a pitcher of margaritas. Which is probably why I feel hungover, even though I didn't drink. That sad, after Christmas feeling...
I know what you mean, v-grrrl. We laughed a lot and all without alcohol. Here's to your last week in Belgium for a while ... :(
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