Friday 9th August 2019, 1.35pm (day 2,906)
On an uneventful, work-free Friday ungraced by stellar photo opportunities, this seemed to sum things up the best.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: photos
Best feline friend
Thursday 8th August 2019, 11.55am (day 2,905)
Mathilda runs this courtyard area which I walk through when I’m going to the supermarket, so I see her regularly. We’re best buddies and she likes having her picture taken. This can be judged from the fact that today’s appearance on the blog is her fifth, making her the joint holder of the ‘most depicted animal’ award, along with one of the Muscovy ducks. Only a handful of people have made it on more often. But she’s getting old, one can tell. What’s sad is that no one will think to tell me when she dies.
Arrival at St. Pancras
Wednesday 7th August 2019, 10.00am [nearly] (day 2,904)
We went to Brussels by train, and our return journey terminated in the very marvellous St. Pancras station in London; this has featured twice before on the blog, but both shots were portraits taken down in the subterranean sections and neither featured its impressive architectural features. The pink writing reads “I want my time with you”… I can’t detect any subliminal advertising going on here, and this may just be a feel-good message for the sake of it, in which case, further credit to St. Pancras and its designers.
The Abbaye de Villers
Tuesday 6th August 2019, 12.40pm (day 2,903)
This abbey was built by the Cistercians in the 12th century and finally abandoned after being sacked by French revolutionaries at the end of the 18th. Much of it is still basically standing, and makes a truly magnificent ruin. Second picture in a row stood somewhere in Belgium and basically pointing the camera upwards; this roof has a kind of space alien look to it, like we are looking up into the mothership at the end of Close Encounters or Independence Day.
The Atomium
Monday 5th August 2019, 2.00pm (day 2,902)
The Atomium is a 100m tall representation of an iron crystal, built for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. It was supposed to only stand for six months, but was such a good idea that it’s still there, and gives you a pleasingly retro (though slightly overpriced) tourist experience as you go up into the various spheres and tubes. Probably somewhere in these reflections I appear, and thus this is a self-portrait, but let’s not worry about that too much.
The fans of Union St. Gilloise
Sunday 4th August 2019, 4.00pm (day 2,901)
Union St Gilloise FC won 11 Belgian football championships before the rest of the country caught up (that is, before WW2); since then they have become a decidedly minor team in the landscape of Belgian football, but that doesn’t mean their fans can’t have a bit of fun on the first day of the season. And as a photographically-motivated tourist, I have to say, why the hell not.
As good a reason to come to Belgium as any
Saturday 3rd August 2019, 8.10pm (day 2,900)
I’ve always been prepared to state that the Belgians do the world’s finest beer. And it’s very nice to finally come to their country and test this out for real. Has my mind changed? Not in the least.
Clare peruses the world
Friday 2nd August 2019, 1.55pm (day 2,899)
Another bit of travelling begins. First stop, London. Clare peruses possible future destinations in an exhbition at the British Library. This is her 99th appearance on the blog, incidentally.
Today’s walk: the dominant lifeform
Thursday 1st August 2019, 10.45am (day 2,898)
I had to get myself out into some fresh air — the thunderstorms, which have been a constant presence for days, also relented. The sheep seem still to suspect me of some nefarious and unstated crime however. There was a lot of this today; sheep were definitely the dominant lifeform in the region.
Joe and toe
Wednesday 31st July 2019, 2.30pm (day 2,897)
Another day when I didn’t leave the house. Joe will be fairly housebound for a while too, as today he went and had his “Sybil Fawlty” operation; in other words, the removal of an ingrowing toenail (this being what kicks off the fun in the Fawlty Towers episode, “The Germans”). He seemed fairly blasé about it all. But it’s not like he needs any great excuse to put his feet up at the moment — and why shouldn’t he, it’s the summer holiday.
Being 42 