The Summer of 2016 - Part 2

We flew from Reykjavik to Brussels on June 23rd. Then made two train connections to arrive in Lille on one of their hottest days of the summer. Alas, for the rest of our stay, it was drizzly, grey, sometimes cold, and generally unsettled.

That didn't stop us from having a great holiday there. The time with family was one of the best parts of the vacation. We met our grandson, Alec, for the very first time. He is the happiest toddler imaginable, loves being outdoors and is going to play soccer for France some day. His favourite pastime is throwing or kicking a ball. Lucy continued to learn to knit while I was there, working on a garter stitch scarf and doing a good job of it. And Apolline wanted more than anything else to go to the park at the end of their street to demonstrate her athletic skills on a really great selection of playground equipment the town has provided.

 

We celebrated Canadian Grandfather's birthday with a visit to an Asian fusion buffet style restaurant, Dazya, in downtown Lille. The girls were thrilled to have the all-you-can-eat option with so many choices, including an ice cream bar! The décor was lovely and food was very good - not like North American buffets where quantity often trumps quality. We had a great time.

 

 

And, later that day, a casual supper with snack food appetizers, pizza, Cookie Monsters

 

and a pretty raspberry tarte!

 

 

A quick drive (15 minutes?) took us over the border to Belgium to pick up cases of beer at St. Bernardus.

 

 

And, of course, there is no sense in driving to another country and not getting a goodly supply!

 

 

Prayer Hut

 

At the crossroads on the way back to France, we saw this little hut. Curious, I got out of the car to peer inside. There was a tiny room with a shelf holding a candle and, on the back wall,  a large ceramic tiled mosaic picture of the Madonna. We assume it was built long ago for farm labourers or passerbys to stop and pray. Apparently, they can be found around the countryside. I tried researching the origin of the little buildings but have not had any luck.

 

 

Canada Day

 

We had a backyard Canada Day party with family and friends. The husband from the other family at the gathering is Quebec born while his wife grew up on the French Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The family is, in fact, in the process of moving there to live. We had adult and child tables, small Canadian flags, maple leaf face tattoos, serviettes, paper plates, lapel pins, etc. Lot of food, wine, and beer and a good time had by all. 

 

 

Meanwhile, back in our Canadian backyard, the foxgloves were in bloom and Movita Beaucoup and Derek were maintaining the lawns and gardens for us.