Allow me to complete my celebration of one full year in a land with 4 distinct and (in my un-weather-prejudiced-opinion) equally wonder-filled seasons. The final act: Winter....with strange and magical white fluff, winter sports on things that slide, walks through mysterious mists and steamy breath on the air, times for being cozy, festive & jolly, and hibernating in-doors....and more.
My Belgian winter passed happily.
There was preparation for Christmas, and welcoming the season of advent:
...with the lighting of candles in my hand-made advent wreath,
...following the transformation of our living room into a wreath-making workshop;
the opening of window #1 on my first ever chocolate advent calendar (I was SO excited!!);
...and the baking of gingerbread cookies,
...with the accompanying transformation of our living room into a gingerbread sweatshop,
...with the help of many little 'elves' to roll & cut & decorate,
...and the unfortunate aftermath of our living room.
There was enjoyment of Brussels looking all cozy and twinkly for the season:
...with lights strung,
...and Christmas markets with mulled wine,
...with skating rinks;
...with antique caroussels that had not only horses, but all kinds of other animals and strange creatures. The coolest caroussels I had ever seen. This one with an ostrich to sit on,
...or perhaps you prefer an armadillo with spectacles?
...or a sea horse or a big-lipped fish? ...Oh the magic!
...the shops filled with scrumptious treasures;
...the Grand Place dressed in a dazzling display of lights;
...and even Brussels' most treasured monument, our rediculous peeing boy, was dressed for the season in a full St. Nicholas costume. A fitting surreal Belgian image: statue dressed in fake beard and preist's hat; peeing.
A visit of a friend brought occasion to do a wee road trip to a nearby city:
I am by the I.
The wonderful land of the sacred bicycle.
The inspiration for our trip was to meet a friend passing through the Amsterdam airport for a few hours for breakfast and a game of 'Take 2' (speed scrabble);
...and while it was a long and satisfactory breakfast, and a rollicking game of Take 2 (though I lost miserably for the first time in a long time), we decided to stay a while longer, saw Anne Frank (above)...and wandered the canals.
Back in Brussels, even in winter the city can pull off a festival or two worth taking in:
This one was my favourite. A free art exhibit, 'by the people for the people'. Art by local artists, open for free to the general public - and available for bartering. At the door everyone gets a pad of post-it notes. Then you wander about, looking at the art - pausing to snack on a croissant or piece of whole-grain bread with berry jam in one of the free snack rooms like this - and when you find a piece of art you like (or don't), you leave a sticky-note comment, or place a bid on it (for example: 2 days stay in my cottage, or 10 English language lessons in exchange for your painting). Fantastic! I loved reading the 'viewer feedback' and seeing other people's perspectives on the art we usually view isolated in our own minds.
A massive miniature doll collection in the exhibit.
And on the streets you find the occasional public art as well. This is a favourite of mine next to an important monument. The 'trees' on the left are made of recycled wooden fruit boxes: former trees, turned into boxes for fruit, turned into trees...which can't bear fruit.
Winter in Europe also has it's down & difficult sides:
...long grey gloomy periods where you're always chilled to the bone whether you're inside or out and you feel a bit like this pigeon: sitting in a puddle with your feathers all ruffled. You wear your scarf and your long underwear indoors and you succumb to trying out fingerless gloves at your computer (which doesn't work).
...and then one day, you notice something black at the edge of your bedroom wall...and pull your cupboard away from the wall to find: GASP!... a mould colony;
...but on other rare and fantastic days, the sun shines through your bedroom window, and you relocate your furniture so you can sit directly in its path and glory in it.
And on other days...on this very special and unusual Belgian winter...there was snow! Lots of snow! So much snow that I had to forget that I was Canadian and it really wasn't that much snow, and pretend along with all my neighbours in the city who really truly believed that it was a
gigantic amount of snow - a crisis, in fact - a reason to miss work, to stay tucked away safely at home, to drive terribly and with great fear, to marvel:
....but it was beautiful;
...And transformed my garden into a marshmallow farm;
...and I made snowmen (mini ones);
...and one Saturday, convinced some brave friends (some first-timers) to accompany me on a cross-country skiing expedition (being the good Canadian that I am, and promoting such snow-related activities);
...and speaking of being a good Canadian - check out those mittens! That's right, getting into the Canadian Olympic spirit...imagining myself in the biathalon;
...which brings me to the very happy ending to the winter with the fantastic, victorious, glorious Canadian Winter Olympic games. I'm seen here celebrating with my Canadian buddy after the men's hockey win. (We ate crepes with maple syrup while we watched.)
But, alas...all good things must come to an end:
...And the snowmen became thin and frail, toppled over...became puddles....winter melted away, and as they do, the seasons turn turn turned, once again....
'The Princess & the Pumpkins'
The best Belgian weekends typically involve attending some kind of obscure festival. This fall, to my delight, I discovered my first Pumpkin Festival.
Well, after wandering around the farmyard, admiring the sunflower crop, going for a hayride, watching pumpkin puppetry, and enjoying a bowl of potage au potiron (pumpkin soup), you flex your pumpkin-carrying arms or collect a wheelbarrow at the entrance, and get down to the serious business for which you came:
To pick a pluck of pretty pumpkins for plenty of palatable pleasures.
My pumpkin collection is down to only 4 fruits as I type (having also bought several more since my penchant for pumpkining first peaked).
