Hello Again!
It amazes us how quickly one adapts to new surroundings. Each day that goes by we become more accustomed to the area and our environment. Tasks that I thought were almost impossible before, are now becoming a little easier. It took me several weeks before I would even dare drive in this crazy road system.
My first solo at the wheel in Europe was on our last trip to Dusseldorf. I figured what the heck...no wagon wheel roads of Brussels, no round abouts.....just keep going straight!!! (More on that later). I have progressed now to where I actually was able to drive to and from Cora, Brussel's version of Super Walmart. Only once did I almost take the freeway in the wrong direction! But thanks to my trustee sidekick, I was able to avoid that fiasco!!
Our first trip to the Cora grocery store lasted three hours! It's an adventure trying to get there...then you have to navigate the underground parking garage.......make sure you have your bags to put the groceries in when you are finished.... figure out that the grocery cart is not going to unlock no matter how hard you pull on it... until you put a coin in the slot!!
Once you have the cart and go inside, you are tantilized with the smell of freshly baked Belgian waffles for sale, with every topping imaginable! These delectable morsels are truly a staple here in Brussels, and they sell them everywhere, even in the subway!! Once passing that temptation, you look left....and zounds!!....in order to get to the upper level where the store is located, you have to navigate one escalator going up and one coming down!!!! The thought immediately crosses your mind of how on earth are you going to hold onto that cart while going up the escalators!!!! We had no idea! Well, "when in Rome".....so we just took a leap of faith and pushed our cart on like everybody else was doing! Much to our amazement, as soon as the back wheels hit the stairs, they immediately locked in place and the stairs remained flat, making it a hands free effort!!!! Amazing!
Look! No hands!!
This is actually the car key, about the size of a credit card. Weird!
One of the stalls at our local market each Friday, this one specializing in African fruits
If I had to say what Europeans specialize in......it would have to be bread!!! They literaly believe that bread IS the staff of life!!! The section of bread shown in the photo, is only one of several. Once you make your selection you can either put it under your armpit unwrapped and walk away, or the more dignified method is to..... remove your desired loaf from the bin.... find the bag whose number matches the bread bin from which you took it... put the loaf into the slicer.... figure out how to start the slicer...then by holding the sliced bread together with your two hands, hoping that it won't fall apart in the process....lift the bread carefully so it doesn't fall apart, up to a metal plate and then slide the cut bread into the bag!!!
So many choices!!!
So many choices!!!
My first attempt to slice my bread in this machine!!
Spent a wonderful afternoon touring the antique markets of Brussels and ended up buying a much needed table to put in our kitchen! The one we use now is actually a table from the church, I'm sure, that a teacher would use for her lesson. Since we have a long and narrow galley kitchen, it was hard to find something that would fit. Who knew that I would find the perfect marble top black iron base table here. I love it!! I also picked up some great old baskets that were used to put hoed potatoes from the field, and picked fruits in. They were absolutely filthy, but a few minutes of hosing them down in the shower did the trick! They now adorn the tops of my kitchen cabinets and look great!
While walking the streets of the antique district, we ran into this charming fellow who was only too happy to have his picture snapped as he cleaned the oysters for consumption!
Our ward meets just one street behind this castle looking building, which used to be one of the old gates through which people would enter into the city. On this particular beautiful day we were beginning our visit to the antique district of Brussels. We always wondered where it was...and all the time it was a stone's throw from the old building that houses our chapel.
Soon after our arrival in Brussels, we made two back to back trips to Frankfurt to meet with the Office of General Counsel and the Area Presidency, where we discussed our vision and plans for an "Ambassador Outreach Program" in Brussels. They were collectively astounded and excited about the fresh ideas that we presented, and which we will be implementing during our service here, with their approval. We were told that the First Presidency desires that we reach out to the highest levels of the diplomatic community, and seek to bring the Church out of obscurity, and further the cause of religious freedom and human rights, in every appropriate way in government, academic and social settings. It sounds exciting!!
The week following our last Frankfurt trip, we were invited to travel to Dusseldorf, Germany, to meet with Elder Frerich Goerts, a recently released Area Seventy, with whom we will be working on EU matters. This was a special pleasure for us, because David had been an exchange student to Dusseldorf while in High School with the American Field Service Program (AFS).
The timing for this trip was perfect since Hella, David's "German sister", was visiting Dusseldorf from her home in the Canary Islands. Also, another sister Monica, whose daughter Ursula stayed with us in Virginia many years ago, was also there. David had literally not seen these girls for over fifty years! What a reunion!! Joining us, was Barbara, the daughter of Ernst Petzold, the brother in the family. The first thing that Barbara exclaimed when we met, was how well she remembered the visits in Heidelberg with Paige and Heather and their dad when they were young girls! She especially remembered that Paige wore American blue jeans....and that she could play "Heart and Soul" on the piano with one finger!! She was so impressed!
Our first stop in Dusseldorf was to visit the "Koenigsalle", which is the "Champs-Elysees" of Germany, and exhibits the most concentrated wealth and designer shops that we have ever seen along this grand boulevard. It was a beautiful summer day, and after weeks of rain, the Germans were out in mass!
Upon the recommendation from a very smart looking woman sitting at a street cafe, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at "Cafe Heinamann", which seemed to be a very popular place judging from the autographed photos on the wall. In order to find this cafe, David was not bashful in getting the Cartier door guard inside the store, to unlock the door for him so that he could ask him for directions to this restaurant. So funny! He didn't realize until after I told him, what door he had knocked on!
(Please forgive my being a computer novice....the "Cartier" photo was here at one time, but somehow it got moved to the end...and I can't get it to go back where it belongs!!! Wo is Me!!)
Cafe Heinamann
Pictured below is the restaurant where we had dinner with the Petzolds
This is what we saw from our hotel window. Evidently the Germans buy a tiny plot of land
and build these cottages and plant gardens. They don't sleep there, they just pretend that they live in the country for a day, but it is right downtown!
With Hella and Monica
I have to explain this photo. We had taken the bus (our favorite mode of transportation here because you can see where you are going, unlike the metro), and when we return it drops us off literally at our front door!!!! Anyway, we had just bought bags full of the most beautiful white mums for our apartment. The bus was packed, but we found a seat facing this rather "large" elderly woman who filled the two seats facing us. Her stoic facial expressions left no doubt that she didn't think we were very cool with all this stuff! Well, in trying to manage these bags, we started giggleing because we were like sardines in a can with all these bags! And all be darned, little by little our seat mate's face started to "crack" a little...and then finally a tiny smile as she scooted over just a little and gestured that I could rest one of my bags at her side. And then the rest of the ride you could tell that she was trying her best not to laugh!! Isn't it wonderful to think you have brought a little ray of sunshine and fun into someone's life!!
Well that's it for tonight! We send our love to our family and all of our dear friends from around the world, and want you to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers each day. May we all never hesitate to share the glad news of the gospel, and bring this joy into another's life!!!!!
Blessings,
The Petersons in Brussels
