21 Apr 2017

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE - FIVE ON FRIDAY

Here is EDEN HILLS SATURDAY PHOTO HUNT

1. The week started a day later because of Easter Monday and we arrived around 5 pm from Amsterdam to Waterloo. It took us a little more than 2 h which wasn't bad. I thought there would have been much more traffic because people went home from a long weekend but apparently not in our direction.

2. When I opened the shutters the next morning it snowed ! I immediately wanted to return into my bed and close shutters and eyes !



Even cat Arthur could hardly believe what he saw ! Instead I decided to put on my fleece jogging and be in a bad mood the whole day. I thought this dammit winter was over and now it starts again with temperatures below 0°C !

3. Fortunately School holidays were over so at least I could go to aqua gym. This time we had a young girl who did the exercises with us and I found her much better than our regular one, because she let us make the exercises on the rhythm of music. Our usual teacher also puts on music, but I don't know what it is it sounds as if the notes are played backwards, and somebody makes primate cries or you think somebody gets strangled. Sometimes there are a phrase which is impossible to understand. At least I understood "I have money, I have money etc etc always the same scream. We decided to ask him to do the same as the girl when he comes back.

4. For the first time I went to the Bois de Hal,  to see the blue flower carpet, although this happens each year, I didn't know !! I had been to this wood before but never to see the bluebells.

The Bois de Hal is also named ‘The Blue Forest’ – thanks to the beautiful purple carpet of bluebells, which usually bloom around mid-April, but this year they were blooming already beginning April and these were the last days.  There are also giant Sequoia trees and even without the blue carpet it is a beautiful wood surrounding Brussels.



It looks stunning when you walk through the wood !

5. Painting class has started again too, but we were all not very motivated. For chatting of course, because we hadn't seen each other for 3 weeks !There were lots of things which had happened.

Nicole had discovered a new Restaurant called Soho,I really don't know why.It was supposed to have a huge buffet with all kind of international food. There was Chinese and French, because when I wanted to take a few shrimps, there were frog legs laying just besides. Except the frog legs I tried a little bit from everything, the salmon was delicious and probably everybody would find something to eat. What I didn't like was the inside of this huge restaurant which looked like a canteen of a company. It wasn't cozy at all I would rather call it functional.



At least I tried it, and now I know that I certainly won't go back if I am not obliged too !




more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.




















19 Apr 2017

18 Apr 2017

EASTER IN AMSTERDAM

In my part of the world we celebrated Easter this weekend, together with our son and family in Amsterdam - Ijburg. Unfortunately the weather was awful and we couldn't go out very much.

The house was nicely decorated with an "Easter tree" and of course tulips every where. It's the season now for the famous "Tulips from Amsterdam"

On Sunday morning after breakfast Grandson Toby started to look if the Easter Bunny had brought some eggs !



The decoration with an egg artistically painted by Toby



I had brought this Easter bunny

Then he started searching, first outside, but there were only some chocolate eggs which we had to pick up quickly because it started to rain and wet Easter eggs are certainly not so good.



But then he found a big parcel ! Inside was a Lego "Nexo Knights" ! Was he happy !



He immediately started to put these little things together and in no time it was done ! I couldn't believe it ! He is 6 and that thing was for 8 to 14 years old, in my case it would have taken the rest of my life to put it together. Now don't ask me what it represents, when I was a child we were afraid of monsters, and today kids love them !



He also likes to help in the kitchen and decorated the breakfast eggs.



My DIL had made Easter Bunny head pancakes, which I found very cute, Toby helped rolling the croissants together and even the rolls had the shape of an Easter Bunny ! I had never seen that here in Belgium.

In the afternoon we tried to go to the beach. They live close to the sea. It must be very beautiful there when it's warm and sunny. There is a huge terrace outside and you can look over the sea.








It was also very cosy inside and nicely decorated a lot of people had there Easter Brunch there.

This part of the land is quite new. It had been "stolen" from the sea. In 2014 a new phase in construction began, new groups of houses were built and the land is being extended to accommodate a series new buildings.

When complete, the neighbourhood will have 18,000 homes for 45,000 residents and should also include employment for 12,000 people. As well as homes, schools, and shops; leisure centres, restaurants, a beach, and a cemetery are planned.



The new part of the beach

If you want to read more about Ijburg it's here



more participants here



16 Apr 2017

HAPPY EASTER !


I am in Amsterdam searching for Easter eggs with my grandson Toby !