On our way back to Brussels we encountered a tree!
This was no small tree it cut off four lanes of a highway and both directions of traffic, including our bus for over two hours. The good news? No one was hurt. That tree would have flattened any of the small gas friendly cars on the road and done serious damage to any moving vehicle. On top of stopping both directions of traffic, the other complicating factor was that the tree had pulled down, although did not snap a power line. Traffic ground to a slow crawl as the vehicles inched forward into a “sardine can” formation (if you have ever spent any time in a French or Quebec ski line? If so, you might have an idea what this started to look like).
Finally, a single fire truck arrived to the rescue. This event occurred in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday in crappy weather…so it took awhile to arouse the one truck and crew. After accessing the pretty obvious situation these guys got to work rerouting the car traffic through a forest lane and on to a muddy farmers’ field for a couple kilometers until the next highway entrance. The heavy weights; buses and trucks could not make the detour due to weight, so had to wait.
Over the next two hours the fire crew got to work with the single chainsaw that they had. The chainsaw looked like a steak knife next to a dinosaur. So it took a long time. Nutmeg was impressed that the bus full of capable well-trained macho men offered many opinions but chose to leave the heavy work to the firemen. This event was a big deal on an otherwise uneventful Sunday afternoon. During the two-hour wait there was a fair amount of entertainment as there were visits from the local press, local police, electrical company and a few others like the woman driver who felt it was her “right” to drive on the road and the mini driver who felt the road was clear enough that he could get through…
So how many firemen does it take? At least four ….and many sideline critics.
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What a fitting day to visit the battleground of Waterloo!
February 28, 2010: Driving rain, 4 degrees celsius, 100Km/hr winds – down right ugly – do you get the picture? This trip was optional for Nutmeg, not so much for Ginger but they both decided to go along and learn something. What Nutmeg figured out really quick is to get out of the bus in the driving rain was stupid and she could learn all about the battle inside the comfort of the vehicle. Ginger felt he should support his classmates and stand outside until he totally soaked along with the camera.
Here is a short version of the long version we heard on the bus:
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by combined armies of the Seventh Coalition, one an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and the other a Prussian army (Germany before it was formed) under the command of Gebhard von Blücher. It was the culminating battle of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon’s last. The defeat at Waterloo put an end to Napoleon’s rule as Emperor of the French and marked the end of his Hundred Days’ return from exile.
Napoleon delayed giving battle until noon on 18 June to allow the ground to dry. Wellington’s army, positioned across the Brussels road on the Mont St Jean escarpment, withstood repeated attacks by the French, until, in the evening, the Prussians arrived in force and broke through Napoleon’s right flank. At that moment, Wellington’s Anglo-allied army counter-attacked and drove the French army in disorder from the field. Pursuing Coalition forces entered France and restored Louis XVIII to the French throne. Napoleon abdicated, surrendered to the British, and was exiled to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
The battlefield is in present-day Belgium, about eight miles (12 km) SSE of Brussels, and about a mile (1.6 km) from the town of Waterloo. The site of the battlefield is today dominated by a large monument, the Lion Mound. As this mound used earth from the battlefield itself, the original topography of the part of the battlefield around the mound has not been preserved.
Needless to say for battle historians there are libraries built and waiting to be read on battles such as this one. For Nutmeg, the view of the waterlogged field of clay-based soil was enough to understand that horses and men with cannons had a really hard time getting through. The cavalry attrition rate was over 50%!!!! Nutmeg suggested to Ginger that might not have been a good way to get a promotion in those days…
Waterloo or Waterlogged? Either way it was a tough battle.
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Tags: Travel, Travel Belgium
Nutmeg loves Europe and the UK. What is not to love? There is great history, wonderful art and architecture, fantastic food, endless wine and vast cultures. They just have no idea about showers. Europeans and the Brits love to differ on many things but the dreaded Euro shower is consistent from country to country. In the UK they tend to love hot baths and view the shower as a demon invention, only necessary to serve North American tastes. Broadly used in the UK and other countries is a hand-held shower. What this means is trying to hold the hose and nozzle in one hand while trying to soap, shampoo and shave with the other – please advise if you have perfected this circus trick. The only method that Nutmeg has seemed to find marginally successful is to sit in the tub and use the sides of the bath as a bit of a barrier. Some bathrooms are quite modern, instead of the hand-held the shower head is installed on an adjustable pole on the wall – nice feature to accommodate all heights. The problem? They install a single 12 inch pane of glass as the water barrier. Nutmeg has tried all sorts of contortions but the conclusion is there is NO WAY not to get the bathroom soaked. Hopefully, the hotel has not been skimpy on towels – you will need them all. Hence the dreaded Euro shower.
On the subject of bathrooms. Nutmeg is still wondering why they insist on installing the darn bidet (the use of which started in 1710) and cannot provide a real hairdryer? As Nutmeg’s friend HP Sauce would say “can you really dry your hair with a toaster?”
How can it be Paris eating – buyer beware? Extra charges for bread, expensive bottled water, 15% built-in service charge, “tourist” menus, snooty wait staff…
So armed with that knowledge and a list of Zagat rated restaurants recommended by Saffron, Nutmeg and Ginger venture out. Her suggestions are all fabulous from the outside! The lesson? Make a reservation!! Nutmeg and Ginger are zero for three so far (this might be good news for the Visa balance):
Tags: Paris Food, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants in Paris, Travel in France
No matter how many times you have been to Paris there is always something to do. If you have never been before the must-do list includes; Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Opera, Bateaux Mouches, L’Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame and St Michel. After you have hit the must do list there are endless museums, galleries, great shopping and fantastic neighbourhoods to explore.
Nutmeg’s favourites include:
Tags: Museums, Paris, Travel in France, Travel Tips
Nutmeg and Ginger are staying in the Novatel in Paris, needless to say it is not the Four Seasons nor the Ritz. What is interesting is the coffee service, or lack thereof at breakfast. The hotel serves a breakfast buffet and in an attempt to cater to international tastes, serve everything from croissants and baguette to powdered scrambled eggs. Generally speaking they do a decent job (stay away from the eggs). The two “coffee” waiters for a room of 60+ have the following task; to serve coffee. Nutmeg is amazed how these guys (she has tested her theory on both of them) have the classic Paris waiter attitude often found in street side bistros…. just because you are seated in my restaurant in my section and look like you might want a coffee does not mean you deserve one. When you finally do get a coffee you are so darn thankful you drink it.
Out on the streets of Paris it is good to know the following (because you can be sure your waiter will not help out):
Tags: Paris Coffee Shops, Paris Food, Restaurants in Paris, Travel in France, Travel to Paris
Nutmeg and Ginger are in Paris for Gingers’ school trip. The great thing about Paris in February is the hordes of summer tourists are absent. This does not mean there are no crowds but rather that the crowds are made up of more locals, French tourists and Asian school trips. The weather is pleasant at about 5 degrees Celsius, however, it is not spring so requires a good heavy jacket, hat and gloves. There is no snow on the ground so the ladies are all strutting their boots. Nutmeg, as some might agree has a boot fetish so this is a bit like being in a candy store. The boots cover all styles although there is a higher percentage of the black flat sole, zippered, laced or both. Nutmeg packed light so must be content with the one pair she did bring along.
Tags: Coffee, Museums, Paris, Travel in France
Love it or hate it, February 14 is today. So hug your sweetie or give yourself a special treat. Here is some background:
Saint Valentine’s Day (commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day) is always on February 14 (yes, boys, that is TODAY) to celebrate love and affection. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. Traditionally, lovers express their love for each other by presenting gifts (flowers, candy, cards). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Aphrodite was the mythical goddess of love. Aphrodisiacs were first sought as a remedy for sexual anxieties.
Tags: Aphrodisiac Foods, Food Ideas of Valentines Day, food info, Food Nutritional Facts
Nutmeg is off to join Ginger on a school trip. She really hopes that a school trip in your mid-40’s looks a lot different then it might of in high school. Anyway, watch for updates from the coffee and chocolate capitals: Paris, Vienna and Brussels.
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Tags: Brussels, Chocolate Guide to Europe, Coffee in Europe, European coffee and chocolate capitals, European Travel Tips, Paris Coffee Shops, Paris Food, Vienna Coffee House, Vienna Travel Tips
Nutmeg was convinced when she moved to Calgary that she would never see swordfish or good ahi tuna again. Without disclosing how long she has been in Calgary let’s just say the seafood scene is much improved. There are some very good places to buy seafood now. Calgary will never rival the likes of Vancouver’s Granville island, Seattle’s Pikes Place, Fisherman’s wharf or any of the other amazing places to buy really fresh seafood.
Tags: Blu Seafood and Market, Calgary Area Markets, Seafood in Calgary, Seafood Recipes
