Pilgrimmage to Vodelee
learning about an integral part of Kristy's family heritage
03.07.2009 - 03.07.2009
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a beginning stint in Ireland
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It is indeed the 3rd of July and yes I haven't thought much about the 4th of July, mostly because we are far, far away in Belgium today. What should have been a 4-5 hour journey turned into a 9 hour trip of detours, poor directions--thank you google maps!--torrential downpours and traffic jams. But now we are in Flavion, Belgium cozying into our guest apartment. After arriving at 9pm, we met Valerie, her girlfriend Anne and their two children Rafael and Lola (I hope I spelled all the names correctly!). Valerie's sister, friends and their children were there, so it was quite a warm welcome. Valerie and Anne showed us around their home and guest apartment that they were rebuilding due to a fire last year. It is beautifully made of a grey stone that seems to be quite common in the construction of houses in this area. We also have a giant window in our bedroom that overlooks the street. Their house is set in a small village in the countryside outside of Namur.
After our arrival and and exchange of hellos and cheek kisses we all headed out to dinner, which turned out quite interesting since I only know how to say "merci" and "wi". I tried some tasty croquettes filled with cheese and some "American Steaks" which grandma, I think you know from your childhood as raw hamburger. I only had a spoonful since I still had all the news reports and everything running through my head saying "don't eat raw meat!" It wasn't bad though. By the end of the meal, however, I learned a few more phrases and had some laughs at my horrible French pronunciation. This also allowed me to get a picture of how it is for Kristy on a daily basis in Germany.
Posted by globestrol 30.07.2009 12:57 Archived in Belgium
