• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

belgianwaffle

  • Home
  • About
  • Archives

Archives for 21 December, 2007

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig

21 December, 2007
Posted in: Travel

Our flight from Brussels to Dublin was delayed by two miserable hours, one of which was spent in the airport and one on the tarmac at Brussels Airport.  While at Brussels airport, a kind man with the most extraordinary socks admired our children.  He looked vaguely familiar and I asked had we met but he said he thought not.  We chatted on, he was pleasant to the children.  He looked v. familiar.  Did he live in Brussels? No.  Some further discussion revealed that he was “in the grocery trade”.  And then I recognised Supermarket colossus Senator Fergal Quinn and I tell you what, come the next senate elections, he’s going to get my vote – he was both pleasant and unassuming.  No, I have no idea what his politics are, it just shows, it’s still worth kissing babies in politics.  We met lots of other people we know and lots of them knew him as well so in the end we had  a big group of people chatting together around our fratchety children.  Alas, though everyone said how lovely they were (tactful people), nobody had any occasion to remark that they were well-behaved because we were not.  The plane offered us the traditional helping of MEPs (Prionsias de Rossa and Avril Doyle both looking a bit grumpy) and, of course, Commissioner McCreevy sitting up the front looking a bit self conscious, I thought.

Anyway, they were obviously all a bit peckish as the flight was two hours delayed with the deeply unwelcome result that those in the middle of the plane had a choice of crisps or shortbread for lunch.  We arrived in Dublin airport crabby and hungry and the purchase of two sandwiches for the scandalous price of 9 euros only abated one of these problems.  I am not a fan of Dublin airport but I will say for them that the presence of Santa dispensing sweets in the arrivals hall certainly built up a bit of good will.  We knew he was the real Santa because he knew we were going to see Grandma and Granddad.  Imagine.

However, all that was yesterday and today has been a much better and more peaceful day.  And we don’t have to travel again until Monday when we get the train to Cork.

Happy Winter Solstice.

Francoise

21 December, 2007
Posted in: Princess

Following an admirable tradition thought up by the Dutch Mama, soft toys in our house are called after their donors.  The Princess won a giraffe at the fair and we asked the stall holder his name so that we could pass it on to the giraffe (suitably feminised as the giraffe was definitely a girl).

“Francoise” said our girl “what a strange name”. Her father and I protested that it was a classic French name.  “Like Manon”.  She shook her head.  “Or Sophie.” “No, but”, she volunteered hopefully, “we have two Imanes in our class”.

Primary Sidebar

Flickr Photos

More Photos
December 2007
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Nov   Jan »

Categories

  • Belgium (147)
  • Boys (983)
  • Cork (239)
  • Daniel (715)
  • Dublin (512)
  • Family (642)
  • Hodge (50)
  • Ireland (952)
  • Liffey Journal (7)
  • Michael (691)
  • Miscellaneous (71)
  • Mr. Waffle (670)
  • Princess (1,143)
  • Reading etc. (603)
  • Siblings (246)
  • The tale of Lazy Jack Silver (18)
  • Travel (220)
  • Work (204)

Subscribe via Email

Subscribe Share
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
© 2003–2025 belgianwaffle · Privacy Policy · Write