Today was a big day. I drove to Grande Place in the city of Brussels. It is just 20 minutes from our house but I felt like I was driving in New York. Brussels is a crazy place to drive. There is construction around every corner and people everywhere crossing the street wherever they want. It doesn't help that I am driving a car that they don't even sell here with license plates from Indiana. Yesterday a man was driving very close behind me and got out of his car at a red light to say, "You drive from Indiana, America?" He thought this was very funny. I was scared to death. Other people just stare at us. Anyway, without the GPS I would not be able to go anywhere. There are no straight streets and each is labeled in Flemish and French. I have got to learn one of those languages.
The girls and I had fun at Grande Place. There were lots of tourists and many street performers. The city is getting ready for the Flower Carpet, a huge display of flowers placed on the floor of the Grande Place in a design similar to a French tapestry. We went to watch the beginning of the creation that will be completed on Thursday afternoon. The picture above is of the work being started. You can click on any of the pictures and they will get bigger. The other pics are of our bike ride to the forest and Maria on the computer.
The Place looks so beautiful! Too funny about driving with your Indiana license plates.
ReplyDeleteMartha B.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIt's Kelly here - the other American in Belgium. Thanks for writing to me on my blog. How did you find it?
I live in Limal - probably 15 minutes from your location.
My children will be going to a public school in Court St. Etienne. They teach in French half the day and English the other half. My husband is French and my children went to a French School in the US, so they are fluent. I would prefer a school closer to our house, but the other French/English school is completely full, so they may transfer next year. Where are your kids going to school? I saw on your blog that you have 3 girls. 2 of them look close to my girls' ages - almost 10 and almost 8. I also have a little boy 5 and a baby girl 9 months. We should get together in a couple of weeks when I can drive again.
Does your husband speak French or Flemish? What brought you to Belgium?
Here's the translator website:
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.com/translation/kleine
Hang in there. They say it takes at least a year to really settle in.
Kelly