A busy week... part one

I've been meaning to post more often, but in fact I've been very much occupied with the children and logistical problems with food, laundry, activities, registering for school, opening bank accounts, etc. It's been my practice each night, while travelling in Europe on previous occasions, to write in my blog (version 0.1, otherwise known as my little black notebook), but this time I've hardly filled a dozen pages.

I've inserted a link to Maggie's blog (www.maggiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com) as she's been posting more regularly than I have been. I have tried to make sure that she doesn't have to wait for the computer to check email, make posts, etc., as for her, this visit to Glons is her first one, and she's most likely feeling a bit disconnected and disoriented. For me it's my third visit here, and very comfortable and familiar.

We've been enjoying the generosity of the Cloes family very much; last Sunday we were at the grandparents for a garden luncheon with the whole family. Maggie went over early to help prepare the cold dishes; I think she's learning lots about la cuisine Wallonais, if I've phrased that correctly. We had a great time; the kids climbed up into the hazelnut tree to gather nuts for their appetizer, and both boys had a great time with the other children. The sign for the party to end was when the rooster got fed up with so many people in his garden, and started in on a number of us, including me, with his spurs! Mami Close stood up to him, though, and things settled down.

What else has been going on? Lots! We also checked out JR's new house, which is in fact a couple hundred years old, but is being renovated. It was really cool to see how they build houses here. They are completely of stone or brick, with very little wood. The amount of insulation is considerably less than we would put in a Canadian house, as you can see by this photo; the fibreglass is a couple of inches thick, no more. Then again, I remember walking around Glons in February with a sweater on and no jacket, so the climate doesn't really require the same heating and cooling systems that we need in Canada.

Another really interesting difference is in the electrical wiring. The wires are much smaller in guage than in Canada, and they are run completely in little ribbed plastic conduits. They are arranged apparently arbitrarily in the walls, and even in overlapping patterns on the floor; JR told me that the floor will be poured after all circuits are completed... I get the idea that if there are electrical problems, one could most likely fish another wire through the existing conduit. If you've done any construction work, it's kind of neat to see how they do things differently in another country.