Bessie and the Pig Butts

I know what you're thinking... that would be an awesome name for a band. (Feel free to use it, as long as you give me free tickets to one of your concerts once you go on tour.) In this case, though, I was referring to something else. There is a lovely winding road that we find ourselves on quite often. There isn't much on it other than fields, trees, and the random house or two. And Bessie.

Bessie is quite the catch in the Bovine world. We noticed weeks ago that she was in a small field, all alone, separated from her peers. We also noticed that Bessie has some bling. At first, she had three red duct tape "bracelets": one on a front leg, and one on each back leg. Then over time, she has reduced her blingage. Now she is down to just one on her right ankle. It's a very sassy look, but it does make you wonder. We have several theories on this. The most popular is that she auditioned for that "Happy Cow" commercial in the US, and is waiting on her call back. She doesn't care to mingle with the common folk due to that fact that she is on the brink of stardom, hence the private quarters. As all hip actresses know, you have to be on top of the latest fashions, and bling is all the rage. She is just experimenting with a new look. Another less popular theory is that she was a bad, bad cow and has been sentenced to three weeks hard time. Each week she serves on her sentence means one less bracelet. Soon she will be free. Hopefully she has learned her lesson and will not return to her evil ways. Poor Bessie.

Across the road from Bessie are the Pig Butts. No, this is not their official name, but it seems to fit. I was convinced that they were some mutant breed of cattle and hogs. (Hog butts didn't have the same ring to it, so I took some poetic license.) Think of it as a bacon cheeseburger on legs. It's a brilliant marketing strategy, actually. I don't know why McDonald's didn't think of it sooner.

I asked around and was told that they are cattle bred specifically for better meat. People have been known to mess with me at times, so I also googled it. Turns out that they were right. They are a breed called Belgian Blue. They took some Belgium cows and bred them to some from the United Kingdom, and this is what they came up with. They are also referred to as "double muscled" cattle. Gee, I have no idea why. They are bred to result in very lean meat, and that would explain the fantastic steak you can buy here. You don't even have to tenderize it. So now you know the story behind Bessie and the Pig Butts. I'm sure this is information that were lacking in your education about Belgium. You are a better person for having learned it. Trust me, this could come up the next time you are playing Trivial Pursuit.

Royse Feesten in Gruitrode

This weekend was the annual Royse Feesten in Gruitrode. In the background is the Commandary. I'm told that it's not exactly a castle, but was a major stronghold in this area. This festival celebrates life here in the middle ages, and gives you a little glimpse into how they carried on in day to day activities. There were lots of demonstrations, and activities that you could take part in. Brandon's favorite part had to be the cannons. They fired off several different types, and let me tell you...they were LOUD! They even had one that had a lot of small barrels and one fuse, and was essentially a middle ages machine gun. The whole area was set up like a medieval town, and the people were all in character the entire time. There were tents where the women gathered and cooked over open fires. There were tents for the blacksmiths, seamstresses, dining halls, and many other things. People were in each area, demonstrating and displaying their crafts. In the back section were the tests for the knights. You could peek into them and see how they used to live. The tents were really well made, and the top braces could be used to hang things like weapons, or clothing that needed to be dried. Everything was set up inside the tents just as they were living in them hundreds of years ago. It was really fascinating. Everyone there was so friendly and was more than willing to answer any questions. Brandon got to try on a mail shirt, helmet and ax. (Some people refer to it as chain mail, but that is redundant, because mail is actually a series of little rings of chain woven together to make an armour material. So saying chain mail is actually saying chain chain.) It was really heavy, but they said that this is one of the lighter ones. Can you imagine how much weight these people had to lug around, just to stay alive? This gentleman was making molds and pouring melted silver into them. They appreciated what they had so much more back then, because it took so long to make each item. There was another section where you could try your hand at some activities from that time. We got to shoot crossbows, toss hatchets, and shoot longbows. (I'm not naming any names, but SOMEONE hit just a hair below the bulls eye with the cross bow on her first try. I'm just saying.) It was a lot of fun and a get way to spend a beautiful afternoon. If you find yourself in Gruitrode, Belgium this time next year, I would recommend you stop by and check it out for yourself. You will be happy you did. Where else can you learn so much about history hands on in one afternoon? Here's the official site for the festival if you want to read more about it. http://royse-feesten.be/

Rommelmarkt

Ahhhhhh, I am getting back to my southern roots. What does one do early in the morning on a such a fine Saturday? Why go to a garage sale with friends, of course! Only in Belgium, it's called a rommelmarkt. The name alone makes it sound so much more glamorous, doesn't it? The concept is the same, though, and if you are willing to do a little walking around, you can happen upon a great deal or two. I am proud of myself for showing great restraint, and making this single fabulous purchase. It's an antique tailor's iron, and I paid 2 euro for it. (I'm patting myself on the back as I type this.) I returned home with my prize, revealed it to the family, and watched the hubby's eyes roll back in his head. "Why did you buy that?" he asked. "Because I liked it," I replied. It's OK. This is sort of a routine that we go through when I go shopping. I tend to buy unusual things that I find interesting, and he wonders why I do it. When I first moved here, I went to an antique market in Tongeren. I happened upon this pigeon timer and loved it on sight. I don't know why. I guess it's the history behind it and the fact that it was something that was really used. I'm a sucker for something with a story. Anyway, I bought it and brought it home, and the hubby looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Why do we need this?" he asked. "Because I liked it." was my response. And so the ritual of my Belgium bargain hunting began. I did a little research on the Internet and found one of these for sale in an antique shop for $400. That made the hubby happy. An investment is something that makes sense to him. (I wouldn't sell it, but we'll let him have his happy dream.) Slowly I am starting a collection of interesting things. I only have a few rules: don't spend much money, make sure it will fit in the house, and only buy things that make me smile. I like to think of it as a treasure hunt.

Whiplash Driving

There is something about this place that I find very confusing. Belgians are, on the whole, very laid back people. They are very polite and low key. They take around two hours to eat a meal. They ride bikes around town to run errands and enjoy the countryside. They love to sit and have a nice leisurely chat over a cup of coffee. Then you take the same relaxed, easy-going people and put them behind the wheel of a car. Every last one of them becomes Mario Andretti. (And they had to be somewhere 10 minutes ago.) It's the craziest thing! I am starting to think of driving here as a form of whiplash. You just can't look everywhere you need to at once. They don't go in for a lot of stop signs here, because that would just slow things down. Instead, they give you yields signs at intersections and round abouts. You slow down just a little bit and then floor it. "Keep on Chugging" seems to be the motto here. But bear in mind, that while you are yielding to the vehicles that are coming at you quickly from every direction, you also have to watch out for the bicycles and pedestrians. There are LOTS of those, by the way, and they have the right-of-way. Every street in town (and most in the country) has a bicycle path on each side of it, so now you are looking both ways for two lanes of motor vehicles, and two lanes of bicycles. Now add to the mix the fact that lots of people also drive scooters, and they also travel in the bicycle lanes. Now add the locals who don't think that you are driving fast enough, and zip around you in two seconds...even when there doesn't seem to be any room to pass. Whew! It's a learning experience. You can tell the people who have been here a little bit. They are the ones who can drive around town, look in every direction at once, and carry on a normal conversation at the same time. I now understand the popularity of all the go-cart tracks here. These casual, laid back Belgians have a need...the need for speed!

Holy Cowpies, Batman! 5,000 Visitors!

Wow! I just hit 5,000 visitors for my blog today. I know, it's hard to believe that anyone who accidentally stumbled upon it would actually return, but apparently someone did. I started this thing to keep the parents and friends up to date on our activities after we moved away, and never expected to keep it up over a month or two. As of September 1, it will officially be one year! Will wonders never cease? (Technically, I did change the blog from Alaska to Belgium after we moved here, but it still counts!) In honor of this occasion, I would like to suggest that the hubby spring for a lovely suit of armor like this one. It's just the thing I need for the front entry way. I don't know if you recall, but I had mentioned that I needed one just after we moved in to our house a couple of weeks ago, so this shouldn't come as any surprise to him. If he gives me one dollar for each visitor to this blog, that should just about cover it. I don't think that's asking too much. Do you? It seems perfectly reasonable to me. Now where does one go about finding a suit of armour.....

This Stuff Doesn't Happen to Martha Stewart!

Today was Jessica's first day of school. Wow, how great is that, right? She was ready early, excited about the bus (taxi) ride to school with her friends, and raring to go. Then things started to slide down hill. Painfully. We noticed that the bus was a little bit late, but it's the first day, and that is expected. Then the call came. It was a friend on the bus. They had missed our stop and had no plans on coming back. This is no big deal for normal schools, but when your kid goes to HS an hour away in a different country, it starts to become a bigger deal. Let's just say things were a little tense for about 20 minutes. Thank goodness for calm thinking friends who know who to call in these situations. The bus showed up and Jess was finally on her way. Big sigh of relief. And then...the phone rings. "Hi, is Brandon sick today?" "Uh, no, why do you ask?" "I was just wondering if he was coming to school today." Crap. Turns out I had misread the email about school. I thought they were off Monday and Tuesday, but that was the Kindergartners and First Graders. Brandon was late for school. Ugh. We hadn't even heard the bus come for him, probably due to the earlier turmoil. A good Mom would have probably made a special treat for the first day. She would have laid out his clothes and cooked him a healthy three course breakfast to start his morning off right. Maybe even have snuck a little note in his notebook to make him smile later on in the day. That didn't happen here. We ran around in total chaos while he got ready quickly and then drove over to school. Head hung low, I slunk into the classroom and explained the reason for Brandon's late arrival. Luckily she understood. Ugh. Double ugh. As punishment for my being such a bad Mommy today, I tackled the dreaded lime green upstairs hallway. I am pretty sure that you could see this hallway from space. The kids pointed out that we didn't need to turn the hall light on at night, because the walls glowed.

I started at 10:30 this morning and finished at 3 pm. That will give you an idea of how many coats of beige paint it took to cover the lime green walls. Lots. More than lots. At least it's done. I hope tomorrow goes smoother. This sort of thing never happens to Martha Stewart. Of course, she did end up in jail. It could always be worse. Then again, there is always tomorrow...

Sunday at Hoensbroek Castle

It wouldn't be the weekend without some kind of new adventure, so when we got a day with no prior commitments, we headed out to explore. With sunshine and blue skies for motivation, we headed to the Netherlands to see Kasteel Hoensbroek. Just inside the castle walls is a lovely little cafe.
Another lunch at a castle? Is someone getting a little spoiled? Why, yes, I am. Let's face it, if someone said you could eat a delicious lunch on a cobble stone terrace beside a castle, would you turn it down? Didn't think so. A full kid is a happy kid. Especially when frites are involved.

Hoensbroek Castle was actually built in five periods, beginning in 1375 and ending in 1725. With each stage, it grew just a little bit more.
Every castle needs a princess.

This is the main hall of the castle and was built in the 17th century. The portrait over the fire place is of Anna Catharina von Schonborn. The chandelier was beautiful, and the detail in the flooring was very impressive.

This room is the Hoensbroek family dining room. There is another, more formal dining room in another section of the castle.
This portrait is on the ceiling of the dining room, and is of Venus, the goddess of love and fortune.
I think my favorite part of the castle is when we climbed up the medieval turret. It has a tiny, circular stairway, just about shoulder width. From the top, you have a fantastic view of the castle courtyard. If you are claustrophobic, you might want to give this climb a pass, but if not, it's very cool! If you head down another staircase, you end up in the dungeon. Apparently their bathrooms were pretty basic. This is medieval indoor plumbing.

Here a lovely map of the castle. If you can read Dutch, you can find your way around quite nicely. This is the castle school room. They have just about everything that you could need inside the castle walls, from a school to a chapel.

In all, it was a fantastic day. It's so interesting to be able to wander around the castle and see how the Lords of Hoensbroek used to live. If you are interested in more information about the castle, their web site is http://www.kasteelhoensbroek.nl/html/?me=2&su=0&si=3. If you click on the tab on the top left of the page, you can choose English.

One Rocking Weekend!

This weekend has been VERY busy, to say the least! Friday was Brandon's first day of school, and we had an Open House there at noon with hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. We met his teacher and the rest of the staff there and had a great meal. Then it was on to KB for more fun. Each year they hold a Friendship Day, where we invite our landlords and other locals who are a part of our lives here in Belgium, and celebrate with great food and fun. It's an awesome way to get to know them better, and everyone has a super time. The fellows at the chow hall put on a great spread. They had barbecue chicken, ribs, potato salad, beans, and the list goes on. Of course, there was lots of beer. It wouldn't be Belgium without it.

There was karaoke, face painting and a bouncy castle for the little ones, and a dunking take full of officers and Senior NCO's. One of the highlights of the evening was the live band made up of our airmen. They were fantastic! We wrapped the evening up with a beautiful fireworks display. (The only one who didn't enjoy it was the poor deer who ran running for his life at the first explosion!) Saturday brought a day of running errands and then another party. Our neighbors put on a great Barbecue Saturday night. More fun and great food! (And yes, beer!) Whew! Is it any wonder that we slept late this morning? I'm tired just writing this all down! It's early yet today, so we might just fit in another adventure. That is, if the boy ever gets out of bed!

B Diddy & The Princess

Yes, that would be a great title for a movie, but for now, it's just the kids. Thanks to Tim, Brandon's new nickname is "B Diddy", and along with a new nickname, comes a new pose. The UFC pose is out for now and the B Diddy pose is in. Times, they are a changing. Today was Brandon's first day of school, and he headed out pretty early this morning. Jess gets to relax until Monday, and then it's her turn. Jess is a little harder to get pictures of lately, because she's been doing her own thing with friends in the area. (How quickly they dump you for younger and cooler people to hang out with.) We've been continuing our bike rides along the canal, taking advantage of the nice summer weather while we can. It won't be long now til fall. We are still settling into the area, and learning more each day. The kids and I took a nice LONG drive yesterday. It entertains us to try to pronounce the names of the towns that we travel to. We've found it's easier to give them nick names, so Bocholt is now "the Bah", Opglabbeek is "the Op", Gruitrode is "the Grrr",... well, you get the idea. You can't imagine the stories we made up about the town of As.

I will share a little tidbit I recently learned about Leonidas chocolate. (They are the BEST, by the way! We got addicted to them when we were living in Peer.) Did you know that they didn't originate in Belgium? In 1910, a Greek fellow names Leonidas Kestekides got a Bronze Medal for his chocolates at the Brussels Universal Exhibition, and the Gold Medal at the International Exhibition in Ghent in 1913. This (and the fact that he fell in love with a young lady from Belgium) made him decide to settle permanently in Belgium and open a few tearooms. It was very successful, and has been a family run operation ever since. So when you dig into a box of those famous Belgium chocolates, give a nod to the Greeks as well. It was a team effort!

Sites on the Canal

We seem to travel along the canal almost daily now. Some days we ride our bikes. Some days, like yesterday, we walk along the paths with friends. We like to mix things up. On Friday, Jess was out doing her "teenager thing" with a friend, so Brandon and I rode our bikes for a while and ended up back at Da Boot. It's a cafe on a big boat that is moored near the red bridge, and is a lovely little place to eat. He and I enjoyed a nice lunch followed by ice cream for him. Poor Jess missed out on this one, but I'm sure there will be many more excursions like this in our future. There are lots of things to see along the canal. This sign tells a little bit about the area. If I read Dutch, I'm sure I would find it very informative. As it is, I enjoy the pictures and the maps. It does tell you what kind of fish are in the canal. There are benches here and there along the paths. Often, you will find a local sitting there in the shade, eating a sandwich and and enjoying the solitude. There are always lots of interesting boats along the canal. Most of the time, they are just passing through, but occasionally, there are some tied up along the canal. This one kind of reminded me of a pirate ship. Brandon spotted a huge mushroom on the side of the path. It was about the size of his head. He is convinced that it is a deadly mushroom cap from an episode of Psych. (I can't explain that one, you just have to watch that episode.) The summer is winding down. Only a few days of freedom left and the kids will be starting a new adventure called SCHOOL! Woo hoo! (Oh, sorry, was that out loud?) I need to buckle down and take care of business myself. I have to get out and buy some paint so I can paint over that lime green hallway. (I can't explain that one either. Some things are just to strange.)

Maynard the Deer

Listen, my children, and you will hear
The interesting story of Maynard, the deer. Maynard flew in from the U.S. of A.,
And insisted the garage was the place he must stay.



We coaxed and we pleaded, and he finally came out,

Into the yard where he frolicked about.

Maynard suddenly stopped and pricked up an ear.

What was that sound? Just what did he hear?

Oh, no, my dear Maynard! You are were right to be wary!

A hunter is here and he looks very scary!

He drew back his bow and took steady aim.

Maynard was sure he did not like this game!

"Oh, woe is me," Maynard said with a sob.

"The last thing I want is to be a deer shish-ka-bob!"

The hunter felt sorry for Maynard, and so

He took out the arrows and then let the deer go.

Poor little Maynard was allowed to roam free.

He now has a limp, and a scar on one knee.

I heard him exclaim as he rounded the bend,

"You have not seen the last of me! This is SO not the end!"

In Bocholt, Exercise = Indulgence

OK, class. You may thank Grandpa for today's history lesson. (He pointed out that I was severely slacking in my blogging lately.) The skies are blue and there is a little nip in the air, so Brandon and I headed out this fine morning to enjoy a walk around Bocholt. Bocholt's original name was "Bucolt", which means beech, and dates back to the later 12th century. As in all towns in Belgium, the church is in the centrum (center). The church here is called St.-Laurentiuschurch. Loosely translated, St. Lawrence Church. This church became famous in 1910. It seems that due to the huge population growth in this area, Bocholt decided that they needed a larger church. They hired an American engineer named Weiss and an Italian constructor named Morglia to resolve this problem, and the best solution involved moving the church tower 9.4 meters. This had never been done before, so it was quite the feat. It also earned the nickname of "De Torenkruiers" ( the Tower-porters) for the inhabitants of Bocholt. Needless to say, Bocholt is very proud of this achievement, and you will find a statute and museum commemorating the event in the Gemeentehuis, which is the local government building or courthouse. This is Bocholt's Bibliotheek De Prisol, which is the local library. It's a beautiful building, and I will probably go in and pretend that I can read Dutch, just so I can check out the architecture. I'm sure that they will be suitable impressed with my vast Dutch vocabulary of approximately 5 words.
This statute is beside the library, and commemorates a military event in Bocholt. I'm afraid I don't have any information on it yet, but I hope to find out more about it soon. In any event, it's a beautiful statue, and I just thought that I would share it with you.

As a reward for our strenuous physical and intellectual exercise this morning, Brandon and I stopped at the local bakery before heading home. I'm sure that you will agree that this treat was well deserved. (I wish computers had smell-o-vision so that you could truly appreciate the experience.) A kind gentleman helped us order our fresh baked goodies, and for that we will be forever grateful. There were so many things to choose from, so we just picked out a few basics for today. I arranged them neatly on this cake plate just to take this tempting photo to share with you, then the kids and I devoured most of them. If Russ asks, we had a healthy, well balanced and nutritious breakfast. Yea, right. Like he would believe that!

Still No Rest on Sunday

Sunday is a day of rest in Belgium, but not for us. Most of the boxes are unpacked, but things are everywhere. I apologize for not posting any new pics lately, but I just haven't taken any in the last few days. I did take a lovely break yesterday. The hubby and kids baked me a fabulous birthday cake, and took me out to eat for dinner. We live a short walk away from a fantastic little pizzaria. (I know that Belgium is famous for beer, chocolate and waffles, but these people can REALLY cook some fantastic food. It's a wonder they are all so thin. I'll weight 500 pounds by the time I leave this place!) Anyhoo, Jess and I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese, Brandon got a Margaretta pizza (cheese), and Russ got one with ham and salami. I really couldn't tell you what was better, and trust me, I tried every one's. They were all delicious! Did I mention the rolls with garlic butter spread? See my problem? The food is just too good! Now feel free to go and get a snack, because I'm sure that if you weren't hungry before reading this, you certainly are now!

It's not just the unpacking that has kept us busy. There are lots of thing we have to do to get settled here. One of those things is order Mazut. It's a very heavy fuel oil that is used to heat the houses in Belgium. I called a local company to arrange for delivery. The lady I talked to spoke very good English, so things were going pretty well until she asked for the name of my street. I gave it to her and she paused for a minute. "Could you repeat that?" she asked. I tried it again. She was very patient. "Could you spell that for me?" she requested. I spelled it out and she said, "Oh, you mean..." Let's just say that the way she pronounced my street and the way I pronounced it were not even remotely close to each other. "Uh.......yeah. That's it," I replied. In my defense, my brain was saying it correctly, but my mouth just won't follow along. (I apologize. I did not mean to butcher your language. ) Yesterday, the hubby and I made a purchase at a store that required us to give our address for a warranty. I am feeling much more confident with my street name, so I say "I'll handle this." I tell the salesman the name, and receive a confused stare. "Could you repeat that please?" he asked. Why does this seem to familiar? I tried it again, and he said "Could you spell that please?" Can anyone say 'deja vous?' If my street name is that hard to pronounce, do I even stand a chance with the rest of the language? Oh, well. I refuse to give up. I can say "please" and "thank you" in Dutch. I think that is not to bad for now. They are the magic words, you know.

Settling In...

They delivered all of our worldly possessions on Wednesday, exactly 3 months after they were packed away in Alaska. Some time between picking them up there and delivering them to us here, the number of boxes seem to have greatly multiplied. Apparently shipping boxes belong to the same family as rabbits. They can not be left unsupervised for any period of time. There are hundreds of them. As I am unpacking the boxes, the phrase that keeps coming to mind is "What the heck was I thinking keeping this?" In a few days, this will all be a foggy memory and we will be settled in. For now, I am heading back to the thousands of boxes (darn, did they multiply again?) to work on unpacking and organizing. Wish me luck. If you don't hear from me in a few days, send reinforcements. The boxes may have won.

Cruising the Canal

We are lucky enough to live near a canal. There is a lovely red bridge over the canal, for walkers. This is the view from the top of that bridge. The tallest boat you see is a cafe called Da Boot. It's family owned, and they make a very nice cappuccino there. (Not to mention, the view is spectacular.) Here you can see the red metal bridge. Barges travel up and down the canal daily. Locals come out to fish for bass off the banks. There is a path on each side of the canal, and occassional bridges for you to get to the other side. You see everyone from little kids to great grandparents out there, biking and walking along the paths. Everyone smiles and nods as you pass them.

OK, you do get the occassional stare, but you have to expect that when you are in a foreign country. We are a bit of an oddity here, and the locals are curious.

We walked about 5 miles down the canal and back last night. It was very relaxing. (The goal was to be so tired when we went to bed, that the blow up mattresses would be very comfy.) We met some locals, and Jess and I were invited to jump on board a barge and travel the canals...but I'll save that story for another day.