dinsdag 25 november 2008

The first snow in Limbourg …

When we have planed our weekend in Belgium we did not expect that the weather will be like this. Snow, that’s what we got when arrived in to the small village Limbourg. We just entered the house at … number 1, took the luggage up in bedroom when started to snow…”Grate” we though, hoping that the next day we will be able to reach the start points of some walking routes.

The house was exactly like on the pictures: the kitchen and the sitting room down stairs, the bedroom, bathroom and the toiled up. Small, cozy, clean and just perfect for three of us. It was situated just in front of the church with the tower bell informing us what time it was by one bell every half hour and number of bells at whole. Despite the bell, we were sleeping very good…

Limbourg is a small city near Verviers in the province Liège. The old part is located on top of a hill which is surrounded by the river Vesdre. Old houses made from stone briks, small streets, little castle and city walls remembering the time that the people inside needed to be defended from the enemy. The surrounding is mainly hilly fields and the forests. A lot of places to make nice, long walks.

On Saturday we have visited dam on Lac de la Gileppe. We did not have idea that something like this exists in the neighborhood. Thanks to the “guide” we found in the house (in French) we figured that it was only few kilometers away, so we packed Fuyo, the gloves and the scarf and we went…we have a good walk, took some pictures, beautiful place and so quiet that you could almost hear the snowflakes falling.

On Sunday, just before w left we went to Solwaster, the tiny village in Ardennes to have a walk in National Park Hautes Fagnes Eifel. Stunning nature, the hills, the stream with the freezing water, and trees heavy from the snow…

Hard to go home when there is so much to see and three of us enjoy the time…but now is time to plan the next trip…so many places to choose from.

dinsdag 4 november 2008

Master of disaster…

Or I should rather say mistress… this time it is not me but Fuyo. First of all, she has destroyed the mattress which was her bed. I ask my aunt to repair it and she did a very good job. And for what ??? … After 4 days Fuyo has already eaten a big hole in one of the corners and took 1/3 of the sponge out. Secondly, the beautiful wicker basket that we bought for her in Poland, survived downstairs only two and half nights. Now, it is laying on the attic waiting for the better times and Fuyo to grow up… The last but not the least ware my warm, thick, woolen slippers … died today.

But well it’s not that bad… I know dogs that can eat and bite more valuable items… f.e. a remote control, a cell phone, a laptop battery, new shoes, a bank pass, a well prepared minced meat for dinner for 6 people, a sugar bowl full of sugar, a picture (without the frame) and many, many other…

Who?? Me?? NEVER… I am not guilty.

zondag 2 november 2008

The last hours of my holiday…

Sunday, dark and cold outside but at home warm and the dinner is ready…
This is the last day of my official holiday this year… I went home, to Poland. I should rather say to my mum, because since couple of years it feels that going back to the Netherlands is going home…

As usual for me it was busy time and one big attempt to divide time between those members of my family that I would like to visit. It did not help that in the weekend the time has been turn backwards and I gained one hour extra…

The usual things that I am doing while in Poland are: shopping for cosmetics and food which I like and cannot get in NL, shopping for presents and shopping for books (this time I have bought pretty nice collection). In general, I would also go to the hairdresser and the beauty center but because I was doing the unusual things (later in the story) simply I did not have enough time to do so…

The unusual what I did was “the back in time trip” to Borowiec, the place where my grandmother lives and place of my childhood holidays. Peace and quite that the perfect words to describe the place. There are four houses, four sheds and the hunter’s castle. The road ends there and there is a big forest around, nothing more and nothing less. The first grocery shop is 4 km away and there is no bus or other transportation going to this place… what you can hear there is rustle of the trees, the birds singing, the barking of the dogs…and your own thoughts. I loved it and next year want to go for the whole week, just to walk, read, work in the garden, make the jam-jars, pick the mushrooms and rest from the everyday hectic and busy life…


The hunter’s castle...

Back to basics…

Road to the end of the world…