Fun in France

A Chateau we visited on Sunday morning - Mik caught the image in the lake also.
Wine tasting - after this one we totally filled up the car to the brim...

Our little home for the weekend - a sweet little cottage in a country village...

Picnicing at Versailles

Back ... in Oman

So why did I only blog twice in the last three weeks?

Because of previous posts one is likely to assume that the silence has been due to unhappiness – but au contraire mon ami – this time, it has been due to major busyness – and a bit of writers block really - normally it is evening time when I am able to write and well, wanted to spend every possible moment with mon cheri - haven't I? I have had, I think the most happiest 3 weeks in a long long time. It was a wonderful feeling to move into a house that we own again, and it really feels like home – we feel like part of the community now and Mik is in major fix it mode - kinda necessary really - another story for another blog. I even spoke Dutch by myself (without Mik for support) with the Fokers (dog breeders – they do not speak English), when I dropped off and picked up F&F last weekend. We went to Loire Valley in France for the weekend and I even dusted off, what little French I could muster too! The Fokers even complimented me how well I was speaking too – very proud!

We moved into our new house, with all the big furniture being moved on the 13th of this month and around either side of that we have been moving anything that could fit in the car ourselves. Tell you what it has been a mission – that and Mik putting up fencing to allow the doglets to roam around in safety and putting in a doglet door (one for large cats actually – that I am sure Picasso would not make it through) so they can come in and out during the day as they please. And the timing is impeccable as Mik tells me it is minus 1.5 degrees in Huldenberg this morning. Me? Yip made it back to Oman – day one today of my second rotation. Luckily it has cooled off – phew – it is only 30 degrees now when I go and come home from work – during the day it is only reaching 35. I got myself a car this time so I can roam a little bit further than office and hotel.

Speaking of roaming, today someone told me they found a good wine called Goats do Roam. I said “I think you mean Cote du Rhone sweetheart”. “No seriously,” he said “it is called Goats do Roam from Australia I think?”. “Aha’” says I, “surely, that is something the Aussies would do”. But tonight I find on the room service menu – there it is and it is from South Africa! Just a sec and I can let you know if it is any good ... a novelty wine I think! It’s a bit harsh – but then I have been a bit spoilt lately.

Photos soon to follow from weekend in Loire Valley – we went with our French friends who live in Leuven and we had a wonderful time – absolutely knaffed on Monday but would not trade it for nothing. Between us we brought back slightly over our limit per car load – 90 L of wine! Yip we had a great time!

Red State Update: Sarah Palin Picked As McCain's VP

Even though I promised myself that I was not going to blog anything political, I had to do this one. "Sarah Palin is gonna make a terruffic VP!"

Broadening the mind is healthy

Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Broad wholesomeness and charitable views cannot be acquired by vegetating in one tiny corner of the globe.
Mark Twain.

Borrowed from Di at http://womanwandering.blogspot.com/

Muscat from the Hotel Window

I am now back home, day 2 of time at home. The last weeks was a wirlwind as my friend and collegue arrived and we spent time cathing up and seeing a little bit around. As we were both working we managed to visit some restaraunts, the mall, and the market (sooq) at the Muscat port. Belgium has really chilled off, the days are around 15 degrees and the autumn is here for sure. The leaves are changing colour - I am frozen after being in the desert for three weeks.



Sue & Ronaye at the sooq...