Swimming in february?

It has been a bit colder and foggy the last few days, but today we're back to bright sunshine, and warmer temperatures. Last week we had several days in a row with temperatures in the teens, and so we warmed up the pool with a little help from the boiler in the basement, and the boys have been swimming a couple of times, including Malcolm's swim with his friend Simonas last Wednesday afternoon. I've even gone for a dip too. Quite decadent!

We're trying to make the most of the time we have in this house, as we've been searching around to find apartments in this neighborhood, and I'm positive that we won't find anything priced even remotely closely to this house for size and amenities. The good news is that we will definitely be able to find something for less rent, but it will probably be a much smaller apartment, and unfurnished. Still, it shouldn't be too hard to find used things at the many brocantes or street sales, and then there's the St. John's School sale in April, and there's always IKEA.

We've had contacts from two different potential tenants, inquiring about our house in Toronto; both are physicians who will be working at hospitals in Toronto until the summer of 2010, and so are asking for 24 month leases.... we've been talking all along about a longer stay in Belgium, but this would definitely be a step that confirms those intentions... we haven't signed anything to that effect yet, but after six months here, we've found the transition from Canada pretty easy to make, and are feeling ever more confident about a longer stay.

I had a great singing day yesterday, and worked through a bunch of French arias, Dieu qui me poursuivrez from Iphigenie en Tauride by Glück, then O sainte medaille / Avant de quitter ces lieux from Faust by Gounod, then L'orage s'est calmé / O Nadir from Pearl Fishers by Bizet and then O vin dissipe la tristesse from Hamlet by Thomas. I hadn't tried the Hamlet or the Glück for years, and they felt great in the voice; I guess all this French speaking is paying off. Then it was time for a little Schubert, so I did a couple of lieds from Die Schöne Müllerin. According to Bruce, it's good for the voice to mix it up a little and sing different stuff just for fun, to stretch and push the voice a bit and keep it flexible.

Its also important to get a broader repertoire ready for next week, when I have an audition for an agency in Antwerp. They have requested that I prepare two opera arias, an oratorio recit and aria, and a French chanson or a German lied. I think I'll do my Mozart "Count" aria (Italian), and the Valentin from Faust (French), and then do from Thus saith the Lord / But who may abide from Messiah (English) and then some Schubert (German).

But back to last night. As I finished singing, it was nearing six o'clock, so I poured Maggie and myself a glass of Spanish Freixenet sparking white wine, and we sat down to a nice St. Valentine's dinner. The children ate first, enjoying my homemade chicken-noodle soup, fresh yellow peppers and carrots and hunks of crusty baguette. After they had gone to bed, Maggie and I sat back down to a nice leisurely meal that she had prepared, of garlic shrimps, broad white beans in a Spanish tomato sauce. I chose the wine, which was a Torres "Saint Valentin" red, and brought out an assortment of cheeses, followed by a little Vecchia Romana brandy and some handmade artisanal chocolates that I surprised her with from L'Achimie du chocolat, a little shop near the university.

A dinner alone together was really very pleasant, and makes me realize that we haven't dined out together at all, except with the children, and usually at lunchtime. I must make some arrangement to get babysitting for the boys worked out, so that we can go out together and have a romantic evening together every once in a while. It's so important to keep couple-only time in the schedule, otherwise your life ends up being all about the kids, to everyone's detriment.

Speaking of the kids, I've only got another two hours or so before I have to pick up Malcolm, so I'd better get going if I want to get anything done. This weekend we're going to do a communal barbeque with Jonathan and Kristin and family. As well, I've found something very cool that is opening here in Brussels tomorrow, and I have a strong feeling (call it a "tremor in the force") that the boys and I will be going to this exposition at our earliest opportunity...