SimonG 🇨🇦🥈

Gave in. It's cold damp and miserable. I've turned the heating on. 😏

I've spent a couple of evenings watching "Les Sentinels" on blu-ray. Somebody from the family had seen the English version and thought I might like it. Sort of, superheros meets Great War storyline. Looks good. Plot a bit thin, but the sound 😐 it's so muffled I needed the FR subtitles.

Out for a walk. The left side of the road has recently had the trees cultivated leaving a massive hole in the landscape. The right side took the brunt of yesterday's storm. Trees down all the way along that section.

Yay. That's the power back on.

It's not even 10h and that is already a foul day. I'd thought about getting my walk in early before the wind really got going, but nah. It is pissing and the storm is already picking up. Getting everything charged and candles ready for tonight And no, Victor, I'm not driving to the bank for you 😁

When Americans say Make America Great Again, which epoch are they talking about ? The one when it was previously great. I'd also be interested in whom they blame for it's demise, because haven't the GOP provided the majority of its leaders for their entire history ?

I think I'll stick to walking in the countryside.

I've been drinking snowballs. Think they've given me a cold 😊

I've just been watching a YouTube about American boomers not being able to retire. Debt ! Utterly riddled by debt, often medical. No pension schemes. I'm a boomer and I'm lucky enough to have a Gov pension plus a state pension (meagre as it is). Listening to these folk. Wow. And they vote for it.

It used to be promoted answers and sites. Now it's the dreaded AI résumé. I don't want a cobbled together résumé, what I want is a lengthy review written by humans who have actually tried running in the damned shoes.

And if it does happen, millions of Americans will watch. I reckon they'd even pay to watch.

The moon is here. William the conqueror at Falaise

My parents appear to have kept every letter and postcard I ever sent them. For someone who failed English O level twice (3rd go ✅) I appear to have become quite eloquent the moment I left school. Mind you I was crap at French but now live here.

Well that was a fun twenty minutes with my Santander app this morning. I've had an account with 'them' since before Abbey National became a bank 😁 Now, suddenly they're not sure that I'm the person they opened the account for. 🤔 Upload this, that and take a selfie.

It would have been my mother's 92nd birthday today. Her face is on the family calendar, as a reminder. Strange, to not be making a call or sending text messages. I still visit the house, but to clear it. Anyway, some things won't change. "Do you fancy a bottle of red ?" 😍 Happy Birthday 🎂🍾🎉

At Arques la Bataille and the sun is trying to make an appearance

Fingers crossed for the weather. This afternoon I'm off to visit the ruins of the Château d'Arques la Bataille near Dieppe. It's Heritage Week-end. Lots of things to do and so little fuel with which to do it ⛽😉

I went to see "Pressure" at the cinema yesterday (VF). An entertaining D-Day film about weather and Met guys. What I found gripping, despite knowing the outcome, was how close it was. The 'pressure' on the teams to interpret the data, and on those who had to make the calls. Worth seeing.

In England, at my parent's house. More clearance work. I managed to fill my car with blu-rays and CDs. Took 5 caddies to get them into Thames Hospice at Maidenhead 😊. On the short drive over I was amazed to find that even plastic boxes could smell of 'them'. The lingering scent of nostalgia 😊.

Half five and it's dark outside 😕 Off to England, now that Shuttle prices are back to sensible. Going to the folks' house with my brother. He's been doing the M25 once a week getting stuff sorted. I feel guilty for not doing more. Probate was granted within a week. Need to "vide maison".

St Jan's Kirk in Maastricht and the view from the top.

The brewery at Val Dieu Abbey. Loved the beams. Great chunks of timber straight from the tree. Not, neat and tidy.

One of the things I appreciated travelling by train out of Liège was the fact that my train ticket put a cap on the station car park charge. 7,20€ for the day. Pretty reasonable for a car park 300m from the station. I'd have paid a lot more in Arras.

Finished where I started. The abbey of Val Dieu in Aubel.

Give it a go 😁

Lunch break. The brewery is just round the corner

Today I'm starting the home trip at the ABMC Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle

Really enjoyed my day in Maastricht. Had a downpour at lunchtime and then it brightened up. The beer was better than I was expecting, the market was on, so I bought cheese, I visited more churches than you could shake a stick at. Found the ramparts and the station is so, not, Chatham 😁😁

Only been in Maastricht ten minutes and I already prefer it to Köln. It's grey but warm enough. First thing to get used to : the bikes 😍

Today it's grey, but for the moment still dry. Off to Maastricht.

Walked across the Rhein this afternoon. Hard going, came back on the bridge. 😁

Made it. Far too warm for trousers 😁

Never been on one of these. Off to Köln for the day.

The state of this. The reconstructed castle at Vianden. They say it's the most visited site in the Duchy. Easy to believe

They give you a Simon beer afterwards and this 0 is actually nice. More lime and ginger but does have a hint of malt as well. I'm going to be buying this later at the supermarché

Up in the château there are small museums about beer, tanning and the liberation of 44.

Have driven down to Wiltz in Luxembourg. I'm not fussed on pils but discovered the Simon range last year. They don't have a shop but kindly sold me some glasses.

There was a photo exhibition in the Museum of Wallon Life. A reminder of how many women worked at the mines. It was them that would push the trolleys filled with coal. La Houilère, became a local symbol.

Not far from my hotel is FN Herstal. It's a big place. But you can't just pop in and buy a crate of rifles. Outide on the wall was is an interesting plaque. In 1966 the female workers demanded equal pay for equal work. Men trembled. Especially in an arms factory 😉😉

Usually this is a great place for walking in the forests. Much of which have gone.

I think they do intravenous as well as bottles. Belgium Peak Beers

Just driven out to Belgium Peak Beers. The surrounding forests have been devestated by fire. Hectares now are blackened fields of nothing.

So yesterday on arrival in Herstal I began where I intend finishing 😍

The new plaque to the 49th CEF (Loyal Edmonton) unveiled in Zonnebeke this afternoon. It commemorates their part in the Canadian assault on Passendale in 1917. 30 members of the regimental family attended, many with relatives who fought here.

Yes. Worth the read. If you remember Neighbours, much of the language will be familiar 🤣