19 Dec 2015

THE END OF MY FIR TREE PART 2



The tree before





and now decorated

Here is the story The end of my fir tree

18 Dec 2015

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

1.


On Monday we had to leave the Sunrise Resort Hotel in Hurghada, which had been home to us for 2 weeks.

The morning we spent at the swimming pool and watched the animation team perform, then we packed our suitcases and went for lunch. We said good-bye to all the people we had met, and promised to come back next year.

The luggages were put at the entrance and I took the last view on the beautiful Christmas tree ! The bus which picked us up to bring us to the airport was a very special one. A modern looking bus, but as soon as you sat on the seat  it fell into sleeping position. That provoked screams of surprise, complaints and then laughter ! All seats were looking normal, but then they fell back. So we were all hanging or laying or sitting in our seats. The guide excused himself for the bus, and promised to get it repaired, but that will be for the next load of tourists !

2. The check in at the Hurghada airport earns an extra post ! It was hilarious, you only could take it with humor or you would have gotten a heart attack of anger ! We had to show our passport 5 times and take off our shoes 4 times. We also were body checked after the scan which hadn't said a peep but apparently the all in black dressed woman with a black scarf, looking as if she had just swallowed a glass of vinegar, loved to touch women from top to bottom.

Finally we made it into the airplane and had a smooth flight back. Mr. G. picked us up at the airport.

3. The first day at home I felt strange. It was cold and gray and looking out of the kitchen, I saw the empty space where our fir tree stood (see post below), how sad.  My suitcase contained bathing suits and T-shirts. What a difference from the day before. Finally I pulled my courage together and emptied my suitcase, threw everything into the laundry and was exhausted.



After all this beautiful Christmas decoration in Egypt, our living room looked so cold and empty. I took out the advent wreath and put four candles around, at least a little something. The rest will follow another day !

4. I had missed aqua gym 3 times so I went to recuperate one lesson. I met some other people and the teacher was a young man. He wore a Father Christmas hat and that looked quite funny. He wasn't as good as my usual teacher, but it was nice. After that I did some very necessary shopping and then went home.

5. I went to my painting class to celebrate Christmas, because next week there are the Christmas Holidays.



The entrance of the retirement home where we have our classes was nicely decorated.



Jeanine, one of my class mates had baked these Christmas cakes called "Buches de Noël" which means "Christmas logs".  They were absolutely delicious. I had the honor to eat baby Jesus.



Here we are celebrating, the one in black is Jeanine who had made the Christmas logs.

In the afternoon I went one step further in my Christmas decoration, I carried the box from the basement to the living room !



more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.


17 Dec 2015

THE END OF MY FIR TREE

Once upon a time a little boy, our son got a small maybe 30 cm high little Christmas tree, as gift from his primary school. I suppose that this had happened in 1979. We planted it besides our house.

The little tree grew and grew and became a beautiful fir which protected our garden from drafts and also hid the view into the yard.



It looked very decorative



Our neighbor also had a fir and they grew together. While I was on holidays in Egypt, the neighbor had asked the city to cut down his fir and offered it for decoration in the town of course not by generosity, but he had heard that if firs could be used as Christmas trees they cut it down for free.



Mr. G. heard the noise and went outside to ask the city employees if they could cut our tree too ! Which they did and as our tree was more beautiful than the one of our neighbors ours was chosen



and it was cut down ! My neighbor fortunately took pictures.



Now our garden looks so empty and I am really sad. This fir didn't disturb anybody except dear Mr. G. who was afraid that if ever there was a strong wind it would fall on our house ! He was the only one in the street who thought so ! Now I am asked all the time why we had had cut this tree ? Difficult to explain, as I don't understand neither.






The only consolation is, that our tree now sits in the middle of the first round about in Waterloo on the main street. It's not yet decorated and I am waiting to take a picture ! Maybe I should sign it.

PS. Meanwhile it has been decorated see here



Linking to What happens in your surroundings this week ? and Warm heart Wednesday

16 Dec 2015

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY









Putting up Christmas tree in my hotel in Egypt a Muslim's country

more participants here

15 Dec 2015

RED SEA HOLIDAYS LAST DAY

For the last two weeks my world was in Hurghada/Egypt at the Red Sea. We only went out once to Hurghada center otherwise we spent the whole day at the beach and afternoons and evenings when it got dark already at around 4 pm in the Hotel lounge.



Swimming in the sea



or in the pool (I never did)



Watching the animation team dancing



Overlook on the beach



and Hourghada from far



Diver's boats, they went away early mornings.



and of course we also spoiled ourselves, Nicole had a hair cut, manicure and pedicure and I only pedicure. They were such a funny couple that we laughed all the time and joked with them. But they did a very good job ! Nicole taught the girl a French love song which started with "Mustafa, oh Mustafa" and she wanted to learn it because her husband's name was Mustafa ! She learned it very quickly !



Evenings in the lounge



and our luggages besides the huge Christmas tree ! and then off to the airport.


more participants here

13 Dec 2015

RED SEA HOLIDAYS - THE END

After a delicious supper we went for a coffee to the lounge and stayed a bit there, but then we were so tired again that we went to bed ! I wanted to watch a movie, but I fell asleep !

The morning was gorgeous, sunshine and warm, but then around 11.30 am dark clouds suddenly appeared and it got very cold.



Everybody left the beach and went inside or into the lounge ! It was our last day !

Now I have to pack my suitcase and tomorrow at 2.30 pm a bus takes us to the airport.