I keep complaining about the freedoms we lost when I should concentrate on the fact we are alive. You see, living in Luxembourg was bearable because you were in the middle of Europe with a couple of hours drive to major European cities and flights of all budgets connecting to the rest of the world. Also with the ability to shop for groceries in Belgium and toiletries in Germany we took full advantage of free movement. When all that was over, Luxembourg was left with the empty streets, bad weather, expensive supermarkets and snobbish people.
Even more different is the life in Arlon, Belgium, at the border with Luxembourg a former province which once belonged to the country Luxembourg and which the federative government of Belgium keeps forgetting. Its people enjoy the benefits of working in Luxembourg with the ones of living in cheep Arlon, but once the borders were shut, they had to face the Arlonais reality.
No or fewer food deliveries, no free face masks sent by post, not so many Covid-19 tests, no freedom to drive (in Belgium driving has to be limited to supermarkets or hospitals and going out should be limited to two km around the house, while in Luxembourg it seems that everyone can drive or bike everywhere), interacting with the locals who have no knowledge of English nor German.
For me the first trip to the supermarket was like I just moved to the area, I did not know the packaging of everyday items, I did not know the way products were arranged in the aisle and everything seemed so chaotic.
So, on the eight week of isolation we took full advantage we have a dog and a kid under 5 years and we drove to the woods and to Belvedere and because it was sunny we spent a lot of time in the garden and on the terrace.
From the woods
The Belgian de-confinement plan. Waiting patiently for it to be over so we could meet again.
It's such a privilege to walk under the cherry trees.
I might have not given the impression, but you see I am alone even without lockdown. Because I've lived in Ireland and Romania, I have different tastes in most things. And one of those things is shoes. I love Irregular Choice shoes and own a few pairs. I also buy coloured snickers from Sipet de Sidef in Romania and painted shoes from Dogo in Berlin. So when I first arrived here, 8 years ago, no one even knew what coloured shoes are, let alone what Irregular Choice is. So to find a pair of IC shoes on a window of a SH store in Arlon...well that means I am not alone :)
OMG Dalgona Coffee. If you are in lockdown and you are between 15 to 45 years old you must have encountered somewhere online this challenge, to make Dalgona Coffee, which is nothing more than something we called NesFrappe, back in the day. It was whisked instant coffee with milk and ice. And going back even more, in communist time Romania, coffee was sparse, but we had instant coffee. And one of the customs when you had guests was to mix instant coffee with sugar and whisk it till it became whiter, using a spoon, then you will put hot water and had a sort of a coffee. Growing up I liked to whisk the coffee, so much so, I always eat it like that and not put hot water.
So seeing influencers in our days whisking instant coffee with a KitchenAid, is something to put a nostalgic smile on my face.
Do you believe those are tulips?
Granted we didn't get to go to the Netherlands or even to Floralia Brussels this year, but we found so many tulips in the city and I think I've photographed all. We stopped the car for these ones :)
First BBQ of the season
My windowsill office and with the Romanian Blouse I'm making for my daughter. I think by now I love more to document how to make a blouse than actually making it :) It will be a child blouse, different from an adult one, made from hemp and embroidered with red thread. Once it's done I will of course show it to you :)
After at least three years, I've rediscovered jeans and they became my go to outfit for walking Luna. I don't know why I've stopped wearing jeans, but now I want a Levi one, bootcut.
The news of the week was the distribution of free face-masks in Luxembourg, as they became mandatory in public places and places where one cannot keep the 1,5m distance from another person. Well, as we work in Luxembourg, I got an e-mail that even we got masks, I'm not sure it was from the government or the company, but as I haven't checked my mail box in 8 weeks now, I can't get them.
In Arlon the budget would not allow for the authorities to distribute free face-masks, but the fabric ones were made by the local associations and made available in exchange for a donation of 3 euro. If you do not have 3 euro you can still get a mask. I liked this local spirit and for sure I will buy at least three as they are funny and different from the medical ones, still haven't found the time to see exactly where can I get them from :)
In the picture is St. Donat the patron saint of the Belvedere church wearing a locally made mask.
That's it, the eight week. As I'm writing this I'm already at the end of the ninth week. If you want to keep in touch you can find me on Instagram @mademoiselle.ralu
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