On the Monday after we got back from Amsterdam we decided that a rest day was in order. It was all a bit tricky, as we thought that Tuesday would be a good day to visit Le Quesnoy. However, Guy had told me that the French trains were not going to be running on Tuesday due to une greve. And you all know what greves are by now! Le Quesnoy is in Northern France. We asked a man at the Brussels Midi Gare what he knew about the strike, and he said he had heard the rumour too! So that was all the info we had. Although Wednesday was leaving things a bit late we had little choice really. Perhaps we should have bitten the bullet and gone on Monday, tired or not. Hindsight 101.
Anyway, Monday was fine. We really did just potter, and I finished a book that I wanted to leave for Louise. And at night we watched a DVD. In the time I was there we watched a boxed set of Audrey Hepburn movies - Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Paris when it Sizzles and Funny Face. I really liked them all! Did you know that Audrey Hepburn was born in Brussels? Well there you are then. And have you ever seen such a thin waist?
Anyway, on Tuesday we went to the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, housed in a beautiful art nouveau building. It was really good. Rather then just looking at the instruments, the headphones you have burst into life when you stand in front of each instrument and you can hear what they sound like.
We also went to the Beaux Arts Museum and were pleasantly suprised to discover an exhibition by Alfred Stevens. In fact, I don't think I had heard of him before. He was born in Brussels in 1823 and died in 1906. His paintings are exquisite! He painted historical scenes, but also specialised in painting women, especially ladies of style and fashion!
And so to Wednesday. I had been looking forward to visiting Le Quesnoy since I found out I was going to France. It has a really interesting connection with New Zealand due to a New Zealand Division capturing the town and releasing the people from the Germans, just a week before the end of the First World War in November 1918. To this day Le Quesnoy continues to mark the important role that New Zealand played in its history. Streets are named after New Zealand places, there is a New Zealand memorial and a primary school bears the name of a New Zealand soldier. The Germans had held Le Quesnoy for almost the entire war, from August 1914 through to its liberation on 4 November 1918.
The New Zealanders scaled the ladders they set against the old walls of the town and took the remaining Germans as prisoners. Some of the boys in my class at Papatoetoe Intermediate made a really good Power Point about it. I had never heard of Le Quesnoy before teaching French, but it comes up in the teaching materials we got from the Ministry of Ed, and I found it really interesting. So, we were all set to go. And without waxing any more lyrical, there was a wildcat train strike in Belgium! We had heard nothing about that - not even a rumour! So we couldn't go. I was gutted. I won't go on about it. It doesn't matter - it's just a place, and I've been to plenty. I could in fact go by myself another day and I have been looking into that. It's a really easy day trip from Brussels, but to go from Poitiers would involve an overnight stay. Which is fine in principle. The travel is no problem, but all the accommodation is at least 8kms, and mostly more, out of Le Quesnoy. Some of the places even say on the website - No public transport. A car is essential. But I will keep looking. Or I could make sure I go there when I come back to France next time! Yes, that's a good idea! :-)
So Louise and I weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves. In fact we ended up doing a bit of retail therapy, but I was so far gone that I made some pretty bad calls. Anyone want a patterned smock top that makes one look like an oversized pregnant carpet bag?? We got to see the Mannekin Pis again and he was wearing the strip of one of the local football teams.
And we had a wonderful gaufre - a genuine Brussels waffle. Yum! It was quite nice just wandering round really.
And on Thursday morning I got the train back home to Poitiers. I had a hair appointment and an epilation in the afternoon - my hair was certainly very needy. It was going grey for goodness sake! How did that happen?
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