About Me

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Antwerp, Belgium
Welcome to the new, and improved version of Heaven in Belgium. I am Jientje. "Jientje", like the boys name Gene, followed by "chu"? "Gene-chu", that's how you pronounce my name. Yes!!!!That's it!! So now you know huh? I am an addicted blogger. I was born and raised and am still living in Belgium. Yeah, the "this-is- Tuesday-so-this-must-be-Brussels" kind of Belgium .. There, you see? Maybe you couldn't find it on the map, but at least I'm trying to change that a little by sharing lots of pictures. I really love to cook and create new things, like this blog for instance. I am a mother,a grandmothe and a wife too! They say I'm a traveler, and a photographer. Well that's just what they say, I love to make pictures, but I am far from professional ... If my English is not perfect, that would be because it's my second language. I do hope you'll forgive me any possible misspellings or strange vocabulary ... Now, as a result of all of the above, I get way too little sleep and my days are always much too short!

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Heaven is in Belgium

Saturday, March 31, 2012

From the Archives ...

This collage was posted about a year ago, on March 26th. It looks like we had some very nice weather then? Today it's cold and gray, (no rain though) and there is no way we will be able to eat outside this weekend. But hey, I should not complain. We've had some gorgeous Spring weather the past two weeks as well, and nobody can take that away from us, can't they?
I hope you'll have a good weekend as well, no matter what weather!


This one was taken today. Project 366 # 91

Friday, March 30, 2012

Friday's Fave Five, Shop Till You Drop


Friday again, already the next to last day of this beautiful Spring month! Time to look back on what has passed and share some highlights of the week. Time to join Friday's Fave Five, hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.


1. We had our annual day trip with my cooking class. Lunch at the Villa Christina was divine, and the plates looked like paintings as you can see on the top left of my collage. I particularly enjoyed the scallops with pea puree and a bell pepper compote.

2. Lunch and a day out shopping for clothes with my friend Nana. The clothing style advice I got at my daughter's color style home party was very interesting and has opened my eyes. I did find out however that it isn't always easy to find what you are looking for once you know exactly what (not) to wear.

3. A photo walk with my photography class at the MAS museum site in Antwerp last night. After the walk we returned to the class and viewed each other's pictures. It was very interesting to see everybody else's photos from the same location.

4. One of my fellow class mates and his sister treated us with hot coffee and chocolate after the walk. That was very considerate of them, since we were all cold and shivery after the walk. It was the best cup of coffee I had all week!

5. A lot of quality time with my hubby this week. He worked from home this week, and it was so nice to spend some extra time together!


Project 366 # 90

This is the last picture I took last night. I was rather in a hurry, because we were on our way to the car. Turns out to be one of my favorites from this photo walk.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Walk Along With Us

This is a little impression of the photo walk we made last Sunday. This is the nuclear power plant at Doel.


Turn around and look behind you, this is what you see... Beautiful isn't it?


Now come along, and walk with us.


The harbor of Antwerp is on the left hand side as you continue down that road.



Project 366 #89


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

All Wrapped Up ...

Project 366 # 87

A cup of coffee, good company and a healthy breakfast ...
Is there a better way to start the day?
There is a good way to continue it though.
Same company and a delicious lunch!

But I was so wrapped up in the conversation that I forgot to take a picture! Ha!

Monday, March 26, 2012

My Weekend in Pictures


Monday again, the weekend is over again. Time to look back and share some of the highlights from it.


The weather has been beautiful all weekend. Lots and lots of sunshine, blue skies ... We were spoiled, it almost felt like Summer and it's still only March!

Business as usual at the weekly market, and after that we had our lunch outside in the sun. We had the first melon of the season, although it looks good on photo, I must say it was rather tasteless. I should have left it in the sun for a couple more days I think?

In the afternoon we were at my daughter's to help her with the preparations for a lady's night with some colleagues of hers. We had clothing style and color advice in the evening.



Sunday breakfast was held outside in the sun for the first time this year. I made eggy bread or French toast with fresh fruit salad and yogurt.


Project 366 # 84

In the afternoon we drove to Doel to see what kind of effect Spring and beautiful weather have on this doomed abandoned place. I want to make a photo book on Doel, so I want to make as much photos as I possibly can .
After our photo walk in the village we drove around to make photos of the famous cooling towers of the nuclear plant of Doel.

Project 366 # 85
After that it was time to start supper. We had grilled pork chops with peas and a mustard tarragon cream sauce.

Project 366 # 86
The rest of the evening we watched television with our cat on our lap! We watched the Ultimate dance Battle.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Sorry

Project 366 #83

Struggling here to get this 366 project going. This is my straight out of the camera shot for today. Sorry folks. Too busy to blog today. Not sure if I'm going to make it tomorrow either.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Sea


But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Khahil Gibran



Project 366 # 82

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Sea

Project 366 #80


There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.


Victor Hugo

Monday, March 19, 2012

My Weekend in Pictures



On Saturday my husband needed to deliver some paperwork in Kortrijk, which is an hour and a half drive from where we live. I decided to accompany him, so we left kind of early Saturday morning. I waited in the car and read the paper while he went about his business.

We decided to make a trip to France afterwards, since we were already halfway there. I wanted to see the Opal Coast, the French beach. By the time we were there it was past noon, and we were getting rather hungry. So we drove to Wimereux, a small town nearby.



We found a nice little restaurant called Chez Mimi.



I had sea food as a starter,



and here is my husband fighting with his shrimps!



We both ate skate as a main course.



The apple pie I had for dessert was delicious!


Project 366 # 79

We wanted to go on a photo walk afterwards, but it had started to rain, so we returned home.
In the evening we watched the finals of the Voice.

There's not much to report about our Sunday though. We slept in, and stayed in all day, working on my photos and blogging a little. I made venison with parsnip pancakes for supper. After supper we watched the Ultimate Dance Battle.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Rain, Go Away !

Project 366 # 77

We had a day out and made a trip across the border to France yesterday, but by the time we were ready for a photo walk, it had started to rain!

Today it looks like it's gonna rain again.

Project 366 # 78

Friday, March 16, 2012

Friday's Fave Five, the Theatre


It's Friday again! This means it's time to look back on the week that has passed and share the highlights by joining Friday's Fave Five. This meme is hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.




1. Eating outside for the first time this season! We've been eating outside three times already this past week. It's still very early in the season so we enjoyed it even more!

2. Quick service at the photo shop. This time I had to take my Big Guy to the photo shop to get the sensor cleaned. I got it back only a few hours later instead of the three day wait like they had first promised!

3. Spring cleaning on my patio. We cleaned the tiles with the pressure cleaner. I can't believe how fresh and tidy it now looks. We bought some lovely Primula's at the weekly market to add a splash of color.

4. My husband had a sudden longing to go to the theatre. We haven't been to the theatre in years and we didn't even know if there was a play going on or not. Half an hour later we were the happy owners of the last two tickets. It was completely sold out but two people had cancelled their tickets and we got them! We had a wonderful evening at the theatre and laughed till our bellies ached!

5. New shoes! My husband and I both had traded a pair of old shoes for a coupon of 12.5 € last week. This week we used the coupons to buy us both a pair of new shoes. Now there's a good deal if you ever saw one! Aren't they lovely?


Project 366 # 76

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bike City, Less is More

I saw these two bikes in my neighborhood when I went grocery shopping.

Zooming in ... this is what made me smile ...

Project 366 #75


"One car less" it says!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

At the Theatre

It was an old fashioned theatre, I thought it was rather photogenic.
We were there early, so I had some fun with my baby camera while we were waiting.









Project 366 # 73

Monday, March 12, 2012

My Weekend in Pictures


Inquiring minds want to know " what did you do this weekend? " This meme is hosted by Gattina and it helps you remember what you did during the weekend.

As always the weekend went by much too fast and I'm glad I took so many pictures. We did not have any special plans but to just go with the flow but some unexpected things made the weekend memorable!


The weather was a bit gray and dull on Saturday, but Sunday was a very warm and sunny Spring day. We went to the weekly market Saturday morning and we had to hurry home because we forgot to take an umbrella. I bought some Primula's to add a splash of color on my patio. After lunch we did some shopping. I had two coupons of 12.5 € each we had gotten in exchange of two pairs of old shoes, so we went out to buy new ones. Here are mine, nice huh?

Around four pm we had coffee in a tea room in our neighborhood. We had not been there yet since it had new owners, and the pancakes were delicious.
That's when my hubby got an idea. "I want to go to the theatre" he said. I said "you must be kidding, we don't even know if there is a play or not?"
Half an hour later we were the proud owners of the last two tickets for a comic play. It was all sold out, but two people had canceled their tickets and we got theirs. We were very lucky, don't you think?



We had salmon with a beetroot rösti and cucumber sauce for dinner.

I had my little baby camera in my purse and took some photos of the performance.

The play was about a family party for the sixtieth wedding anniversary of the grandparents.

It was hilarious, we laughed till our bellies ached!


Sunday breakfast, always a treat...

I had gotten up early and baked blueberry muffins ...

... and made a strawberry banana yogurt trifle.

In the afternoon we did a Spring clean up on our patio. Removed dead plants and cleaned the tiles with the pressure cleaner.

My hubby always finds ways to tell me that he loves me, isn't that sweet?

We had our tea outside on our patio, enjoying the warm Spring sun.
After that I practiced with my camera some more. I have two assignments for photography class that need to get done. I made a portrait of my husband and made some abstract compositions for the other assignment. After several takes, this is the result ...

Project 366 #72


By then it was time for supper. We had scallops with endives as a starter and pork with salsify in a cream sauce. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures!
The rest of the evening was spent watching television. Or rather ... sleeping, because I fell asleep in front of the television set! LOL!

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