ICE AND FOG

REALLY INTERESTING WEATHER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. WE HAD A LOT OF FOG AND WITH ALL THAT MOISTURE IN THE AIR AND THE TEMPERATURE IN THE 20s, THE WATER JUST STUCK TO THE TREE LIMBS AND FROZE.   BUT NOT LIKE WHEN WE GET AN ICE STORM IN NEW ENGLAND.  

REAL LIFE IN BELGIUM

I'VE HAD REQUESTS TO SHOW WHAT MY EVERYDAY LIFE IS LIKE HERE IN BELGIUM.  WELL, SURELY IT'S NOT ALL TRAVEL AND NEW PLACES.   MOSTLY IT'S THE MUNDANE CHORES OF EVERYDAY LIFE; LAUNDRY, MEALS, DOGS, ERRANDS AND FOOD SHOPPING.     WE HAVE A GOOD SIZE FRIG BY EUROPEAN STANDARDS BUT NOT AS LARGE AS WHAT WE ARE USED TO IN THE U.S.  SO I TEND TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE 2-3 TIMES A WEEK.    I WENT BRIGHT AND EARLY ONE DAY DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON TO TAKE SOME PHOTOS.    HOPE IT'S JUST AS ENTERTAINING AS MY USUAL POSTS!! 

WE HAVE TWO SUPERMARKETS TO CHOOSE FROM;  DELHAIZE (which is owned by Food Lion) AND CARREFOUR;  CARREFOUR COMES IN ALL SIZES, "CARREFOUR PROXY" which is small-convenience size store; "CARREFOUR MARKET" which is a mid-size grocery with most items; and "CARREFOUR PLANET" which would be more like a Super-Walmart type store; 

AN EMPTY PARKING LOT AT 8:30 A.M.;   YOU'D ACTUALLY SEE EVEN FEWER CARS ON A SUNDAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.  A LITTLE INCONVENIENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GET ALL YOUR WEEKEND CHORES DONE ON SATURDAY - BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS SUNDAYS TO REALLY BE SPENT WITH FAMILY AND MAYBE GETTING OUTSIDE AND HAVING FUN!

A TASTE OF HOME.   I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE ONCE TO GET FRIES FOR MARK.  I'LL ADMIT I WAS A BIT GUN-SHY ABOUT GOING IN BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF FRENCH BUT IT'S EASY TO ORDER  "GRANDE FRITES".  THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE KIOSKS THAT YOU CAN USE;  JUST TOUCH THE ITEM ON THE SCREEN THAT YOU WANT TO ORDER, PAY WITH YOUR BANKCARD, AND TAKE YOUR NUMBER AND WAIT FOR IT TO POP UP AT THE COUNTER!  

NO LOOSE SHOPPING CARTS FLOATING AROUND THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOTS HERE.   EVERYBODY PUTS THEIR COIN IN, RELEASES THE CART, AND RETURNS THE CART TO GET THEIR COIN BACK.   GOOD SYSTEM AND IT REALLY WORKS. (Randy has a funny story about his first experience with these)  

A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THE SELF-SCAN OPTION.  BUT THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE U.S. IS THAT THERE IS STILL A CASHIER AND THEY DO RANDOM CHECKS OF YOUR ITEMS.   

THEY REALLY DO CARRY ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING  

THEY HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE ELECTRONICS SECTION

THESE ARE THE GARBAGE BAGS YOU HAVE TO USE.  EACH TOWN HAS THEIR OWN WITH THE NAME OF THE TOWN ON EACH BAG.  EACH ROLL OF 10 IS 10 EURO;  AND YOU CAN ONLY BUY YOUR TOWN BAGS IN A STORE IN YOUR OWN TOWN.   SO THESE SAY WATERLOO AND I CAN'T USE THEM.   IN FACT THE STORES WHERE I BUY THEM YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THEM...."AVEZ VOUS DES SAC POUBELLES?"  (another funny story Randy has to share).

A SMALL SECTION OF THE BEAUTY DEPARTMENT;  BUT DON'T EXPECT TO FIND  THINGS LIKE TUMS, PRILOSEC, ADVIL, TYLENOL, ANYTHING FOR ITCHES, ETC.   ALL THOSE THINGS ARE AT A PHARMACY AND THEY ARE NOT ON THE SHELF, YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THEM!  (AND THEY WILL BE IN SMALL QUANTITIES...NOT EVEN 30 TABLETS)

OKAY, BEAR IN MIND THAT IT IS THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON....THERE WERE NO FEWER THAN 9 REFRIGERATED CASES FULL OF ALL DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF FOIE GRAS  ANOTHER 5 CASES OF SMOKED SALMON!  SURELY THE FRENCH CULINARY INFLUENCE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN BELGIUM.

AND THE BELGIUM INFLUENCE......CHOCOLATE...I COULDN'T EVEN CAPTURE THE WHOLE AISLE IN ONE SHOT!

THEY DO HAVE A GOOD SLICE TO ORDER DELI BUT ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE OPT FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THESE PREPACKAGED DELI MEAT.   IT'S QUITE GOOD.

THEY DO HAVE A DECENT CHEESE DEPARTMENT HERE AT CARREFOUR BUT I HAVE BECOME A CHEESE SNOB NOW THAT I HAVE FAMILIARIZED MYSELF WITH THE YUMMY LOCAL CHEESE SHOPS!   

KIND OF STRANGE BUYING MY EGGS IN A NON-REFRIGERATED SECTION;  NOT TO MENTION I'M USUALLY LOOKING FOR EGGS WITHOUT FEATHERS STUCK TO THEM!!   

THIS IS JUST THE SHELL-FISH SECTION.  THERE ARE 4 MORE SECTIONS THIS SIZE FOR REGULAR FISH.  NOTICE THE MACHINE IN THE FOREGROUND.  THEY PLACE THE FISH IN HEAT-SEALED FOIL PACKAGING.  GOOD PACKAGING.

WHAT MIGHT I BE SHOWING YOU HERE??   THIS IS THE HAM AISLE!!!    THEY LOVE THEIR HAM HERE.  BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HAS HAM OR AS THEY SAY, JAMBON.  PROSCIUTTO, BOILED, BAKED, BACON, PANCETTA, EVEN WEIGHT WATCHERS.

PASTRIES!  YUM!

HERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T SEE IN THE STATES!!   PICK UP YOUR FRESH BREAD ROUND AND PLOP IT IN THE SLICER, CLOSE THE LID AND IT AUTOMATICALLY SLICES IT AND SPITS IT OUT DOWN BELOW!   

THE PATHETIC AMERICAN SECTION!   

THE VERY THOROUGH WINE DEPARTMENT!   THREE AISLES WORTH.   I THINK THE ONLY AMERICAN WINE I CAN GET IS GALLO....   :(     

PLENTY OF OLD EL PASO BRAND FOR THOSE MEXICAN CRAVINGS BUT  WHAT THEY DON'T HAVE IS HARD TACO SHELLS!   I DID HAPPEN TO FIND SOME AT A SPECIALTY GOURMET FOOD STORE NEAR BRUSSELS.

DON'T FORGET 2 AISLES OF BEER FROM AROUND THE WORLD.    WELL....ALMOST....NO AMERICAN BEER;  CLOSEST WE CAN GET..CORONA;   A LOT OF BELGIANS LIKE THE "TRAPPIST" BEERS WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE MONASTERIES DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.   RANDY'S NOT A BIG FAN.  HE LEANS TOWARD VEDETTE AND JUPILER;  ME?  I KINDA LIKE THE RASPBERRY OR STRAWBERRY BEER!   I KNOW....PATHETIC!

COKE HAS A HUGE PRESENCE - YOU DON'T SEE PEPSI AT ANY RESTAURANTS;  

WELL, THAT'S IT!    IN BETWEEN ALL THOSE FUN EXCURSIONS TO BEAUTIFUL OLD CITIES OF EUROPE I SIGHTSEE AT THE BRIGHT AND SPARKLY LOCAL SUPERMARKET!  A LOT LIKE HOME BUT SOME FUNNY DIFFERENCES TOO.

CHRISTMAS 2012

JUST A FEW PICTURES FROM CHRISTMAS.   IT WAS PRETTY LOW KEY.   JUST US AND THE BOYS.    BRIAN IS JUST HERE FOR TWO WEEKS AND MARK HAD OFF THE SAME TWO WEEKS.   THEY'VE HAD FUN JUST HANGING OUT TOGETHER, WATCHING MOVIES, PLAYING COMPUTER GAMES, PLAYING BILLIARDS WITH DAD AND PLAYING WITH THE DOGS.  CAN'T ASK FOR MORE THAN THAT.

BRIAN'S FIRST DAY BACK - SHOWING DAD HIS NEW iPHONE 5.  NEWTON WAS VERY EXCITED...."IS THERE A DOG TREAT APP?"

FRESH CHRISTMAS TREES WERE AVAILABLE AT ALMOST EVERY STREET CORNER AFTER THE FIRST WEEKEND OF DECEMBER.  THIS TREE IS PROBABLY 7' TALL AND IT WAS ONLY 23 EURO!  AND BOY DID IT SMELL GREAT!  THE PINE SCENT WAS SO STRONG FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS.

NOT AS MANY ORNAMENTS - BUT WE BROUGHT SOME FROM HOME.  UNFORTUNATELY SOME NICE ONES WERE BROKEN WHEN WE WERE OUT ONE AFTERNOON - THE TREE FELL OVER.   RANDY IS SURE THE DOGS BROUGHT THE TREE DOWN - BUT I THINK IT WAS TILTING ANYWAY - IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.

THE BOYS GOT CAP GUNS IN THEIR STOCKINGS!   NEWTON ISN'T A FAN!

THE SUN MAKING AN UNUSUAL APPEARANCE!