Postscript

I've done so many catchups etc. that I've decided on another name. I wanted to make sure I had put this photo of Germaine Prim-Frohnen with Weese and me on this blog at the Grand Hotel Cravat on the last evening we were there. We were to have gone to Echternach to visit her but she had a bad cold and we didn't to spread germs around. She very kindly made the trip to see us. Germaine and Weese went to school together all those years ago. She is the sister of my best girlfriend in Echternach when we lived there in the 1950s.

Here are three very happy ladies with the Christmas Market in the background.

The TV Interview

Here is the interview Louise, Karel, William and I did on November 21, 2014 at the station in Hasselt - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBvITCIp2Y. It's just over 10 minutes and much of it is in Flemish but the interviewer did a great job translating what Louise and I said. I am very pleased with how it went.

The Catchup Post - Part II

Monday, December 1 - On Wednesday, November 19, we went by cab to the Manchester Airport and flew to Brussels. We took a taxi to the Hotel Metropole which is a grand old lady from times past. The lobby is spectacular, as is the dining room. We were going to be leaving the following morning so we found the best thing would be to get on a Hop-on Hop-off bus for a tour. We had to move quickly because it was certainly the end of the tourist season and things were winding down. Here are some photos of our time in Brussels.

This display is in the Brussels Airport - paper poppies hanging over the moving sidewalk and a display set up on the right hand side with the poem In Flanders Fields on a panel. It was very moving especially since we were going to Flanders the next day.

The lobby of the Hotel Metropole.

The ceiling in the Metropole dining room.

My beer - it was delish.

Louise with creme brulee.

I really liked this building.

The requisite cathedral.

The Atomium - check it out online.

And I couldn't resist this one.

Weese with the peacock and lovely umbrella in the Indian Room at the Metropole where we went for breakfast.

Weese and our stuff waiting for Karel to pick us up to take us to As on Friday.

The Catchup Post - Part 1

Monday, Dec. 1 - Here I am at home very, very happy to have been the guest of so many friends. Even though I came home with a cold, the memories will keep me warm for a long time. (How's that for a cliché, even though true!) This post will be mostly photos which I will add to as Weese sends me more from her iPad. She took some really good ones.

Let's start with some more photos from Chester - our first stop.

Here is Chris who kindly picked us up at the airport in Manchester and took us to 12 Deva Terrace in Chester.

The living room window looking towards the river.

And the river - really very lovely. There were cows over there and people were taking their dogs for walks and we saw rowers. 

This is the view towards the back of the house with the kitchen in the back. The window you can see on the right is one I could see into from my upstairs bedroom in the house next door (right) to see Mom having tea with Belle and Fannie.

Here is a description of the history of this wonderful property. Both Weese and I highly recommend this property.

The inside of Blossoms where we had the place to ourselves and a really good supper.

I love the way the kitchen stacked the fries.

Scenes from our terrific taxi tour of Chester.

The lovely architecture.

And these two photos for my Welsh friends! Chester is very close to the Welsh border and the driver took us "across the border" so I could take a couple of pix with Welsh signs.

That's it for Chester. I will post some more on Brussels next.