Trip to Antwerp

Hi. Long time no blog. I’ve been so busy.

Last weekend David and I went to Antwerp. We’ve been there several times before as David used to work there and still has ex colleague Belgian friends there (maybe one less since this weekend 🫤). For the first time on entry to Belgium we had to go through the non European passport section, since we left the EU. I said to the security man as he checked my passport that I still felt European. He shrugged and smiled and said “of course you are, we think of you like that” 😊 so that was a nice welcome.

I wish I could say the whole trip was nice but many many things went wrong. David’s bag went to Belfast not Brussels labelled under the previous customer’s name in the queue in front of us. The BA lady did this using the new self service bag drop machine for us. What a cock up. Not impressed. The bag is still in Belfast having been identified as David’s not the other lady’s a whole week ago. Of course he’d packed all sorts of valuable vital things he never usually puts in a checked bag, of course!

I won’t bore you with the rest of our sorry saga. But I thought I’d show you a few pics. It was cold, very cold, and sunny. Not snowing as it was in the UK. Of course the snow disrupted us getting home too.. but we were glad to get back after all the dramas.

Truth be told I probably didn’t really have time to go away as I’m currently at the business end of a house sale and flat purchase with my Dad. Nothing was happening with either but of course it suddenly all kicked off, just before the already busiest time of the year meaning Christmas. I also got calls about this with pressure while I was away.

So if I’m not waffling much you know I’m reading boring legal documents, trying to be a responsible grown up and parent to my parents which just feels wrong and I still want to be their child. The roles are very well and truly reversed now.

I cannot fault the food and drink in Belgium. Love the Belgian beers each with their pretty matching glasses and coasters; the art of beer.

I want to walk through this little magic door and all my problems disappear 😊…

Sorry I don’t seem to have taken any pictures of the food. I must have been so hungry I gobbled it up fast! I do like their shrimp croquettes and I had a good fillet steak. Also something called scampi in garlic butter I thought might be what we call scallops but it turned out to be very juicy king prawns that were really delicious (in the US I guess these would be jumbo shrimp, but shrimp to us are tiny things).

So glad we’re not going away for Christmas. Home safe and sound and cosy in our house. I do hope you’re not working as hard as I am at the moment, my schedule seems quite relentless but I’m remembering to count my blessings too! Must try to breathe and enjoy Christmas! 🎅🏻🎉🎁 It’s been a challenging 6 months Xx