Domestic bliss!

It's been a stormy day today: lots of wind and rain. Housegroup was cancelled because the roads in were dodgy so I've had a housework evening instead. Two loads of washing, lots of ironing, and the dishes have been done. Not so exciting, but good to get out the way.

I watched the final (recorded) episode of the Great British Bake Off as I ironed. I enjoyed the series a lot - the feeling of support between competitors and some fabulous bakes was refreshing. Real feel-good TV.

My own baking on Sunday was less impressive, but I was happy with the finished result once I'd taken away the volcanic overflow:

Sub-zero tourism in Brussels

From Saturday...

The snow had turned to slush and a temperature of -10C meant it wasn't going to disappear quickly. When the sun shone it was surprisingly warm though.

Today we wrapped up warm and:
- visited the Museum of the City of Brussels. It was fascinating to see maps, pictures and models showing how the city had been transformed over the centuries.
- had lunch at EXKi, a sort of fast food chain but specialising in healthier foods... we had lovely warm soup with bread. Later we had coffee in another branch.
- explored the little and grander streets. Andrew popped in to C&A to see an old familiar brand.
- visited the comic strip museum, which was about so much more than simply Tintin. It's also in a beautiful Art Nouveau building.
- after walking some more we popped back to the hotel and I was surprised to find the rugby was still on. We lost.

A cold day in Brussels

We started the day with a lovely big breakfast... then tried to walk it off during the day. It's freezing cold here, and by this afternoon it was -7 C and snowing. We had more than a inch on the roads by the evening.

Today we:
- visited the EU Parliamentarium
- walked to Autoworld, but didn't go in
- walked back down the Rue de la Loi and had cauliflower and ginger soup for lunch
- visited the cathedral
- walked back to the Grand Place and found the Maneken Pis (wearing a top hat and tails)
- ate a waffle in the street to warm up
- walked some more and I lost my bearings looking for Monday's restaurant
- returned to the hotel and fell asleep (it was a late night yesterday after a long week)
- went back out for dinner and ended up in a comfortable, warm bar/restaurant - I had an omelette, Andrew had croque monsieur, we both enjoyed some more beer

There are so many things we can do tomorrow... We'll see what the weather's like but I'm guessing there'll be lots more walking.

HIMP week 3 days 2 & 3

Well, we've had two more busy days...  yesterday was about marketing and branding, then today has been about cross-cultural communication (which has been one of the most interesting topics so far).

Each day starts at 8:30, with a half-hour reflection on the previous day's subjects - today we were sent out for a walk in Brussels, discussing as we went - then it's pretty much non-stop until we go for dinner at about 8pm, probably with a subject to discuss while we're out.  I'm feeling ok so far, despite the lack of sleep, but will be happy when it's all finished.

The temperatures here are getting colder.  This morning it was -9°C and it felt lower still when we went out this evening.  It's supposed to reach -12°C over the weekend.  I'm very much looking forward to Andrew getting here tomorrow evening though, and we'll enjoy the sight-seeing this weekend.

I'm enjoying the Belgian beer too :o)

The New Year Clearout begins

1. I feel very satisfied to have finally started clearing out some of the stuff we've accumulated and just don't need. So far, we've taken 2 boxes to the Salvation Army shop, with 2 more ready to go, and have thrown out countless plastic tubs without lids (among other things). The kitchen cupboard is no longer overflowing... next stop is the dresser in the dining room.
2. We popped into town for an hour or so this afternoon - it's so windy again! It felt good to blow the cobwebs away, but I'll be glad when it all dies down again.
3. We had friends over for dinner this evening. I'd made a beef stew (winter food!) and it was good to be able to relax and catch up with each other again.

Snow, sorted and relaxing

There's snow on the fell tops, which makes for spectacular views on the road to Keswick.

We blitzed the last of our Christmas shopping in an hour and a half. That feels good!

Oxfam in Keswick was particularly productive, as was the toy shop opposite.

Dinner tonight with friends. Their baby is growing so fast, and was lovely to see how relaxed they seem.

The homemade pizzas were delicious too.

Storms, ready for Christmas part 1.

Well, the house is still standing although the "summer" house is losing some of its roof at the moment... Hopefully not in any dangerous way! It's only a small section of plastic sheeting so not too heavy. We'll have a proper look in the morning.

Christmas presents for my family are mostly sorted and wrapped now. I'll be knitting on the way up to finish my gran's scarf tomorrow though.
- Chutney labels written
- Mitts finished
- Gift bags filled

Still to do:
- Finish chutney jars (covers & tags)
- Wrap last presents
- Christmas cards
- Oma's scarf
- pack

Sleep!

(fix summer house roof)

Winter's arriving

Driving to work yesterday morning, the sky was clear and there was snow on the Galloway hills.  The sun was lighting them up, and it was beautiful.

We're in the middle of a storm now - gales and rain woke me through the night (I thought the window might break!) and it was lashing it down this morning.  Now the sun's shining, but it's still very strong wind; the forecast is for at least another day...

HIMP day 2

I think yesterday was designed to ease us in gently (or should that be "lull us into a false sense of competence"?) because they've upped the pace a lot today.  I'm very comfortable with the maths part, but all the accounting terminology just has me reaching for the dictionary!  There's another half day to go, so I hope I manage to keep my head above water...

It's a beautiful view outside the hotel - I've tried to take a photo from my balcony but I can't do it justice:

Imagine tranquil mists over still water...

painting, chatting and good to be inside!

1. I've started my contribution to the bedroom painting
• the walls are mostly green now
• some wallpaper to patch in the corner before painting
• patterned wallpaper still to go on the chimney breast
• very good to see some progress!
2. Good to chat with an old friend on the phone
• an hour passes quickly when there's a lot to catch up on
3. The weather was dramatic this afternoon
• the wind and rain suddenly picked up
• flurries that were so violent they looked like fog!