No one should grow old who isn't ready to appear ridiculous. John Mortimer

Hideous wind and rain here as I write, so not much different from the UK though, despite little road lakes, no floods. I check on the iPad each night on the weather in different parts of the UK where family live, and in Brugge. Thus have I discovered that Bruges is consistently very slightly warmer in comparison to the UK. Surprising as I expected the opposite. But now, on Sunday morning, snow and ice on the terrace first thing followed by the most glorious, sunny, wind-less, blue skied day imaginable.

Have now bought the splendid Dutch for Dummies and also found a little group which meets twice a week for a couple of hours of Dutch conversation. Bliss. Still can't understand the Dutch spoken by either natives or immigrants [you try understanding Nepalese Dutch!], but so enjoying it. One session's 'leader' [amazingly, no cost to me; all volunteers presiding] gave me one of those squares of letters in which are hidden words to find; the sort of grid beloved of many Primary age pupils! Took me fifty minutes to find them all and a lot of enjoyable effort. Also have to translate a short news paragraph and present that in my own words next Tuesday. Have found two I like, one on decreasing birth-rate in Belgium [OK but not world-shattering] but the other is thrilling for me to discover. The oldest illuminated Bible in the Benelux countries, the Codex Eyckensis, written in the scriptorium of the Abbey at Echternach in the eighth century, and now kept in Sint Catherinekerk

in Maaseik in the province of Limburg in Belgium, has been awarded finance to digitalise its contents and to promote it. This is the sort of news I love to read! I am going to find out where Maaseik is, and later this year, post the foot operation recovery probably, go and find the original which I hope is accessible to the non-scholar. Brilliant project! The illustrations I have seen, courtesy of Google, are just beautiful.

Almost every Wednesday, after the weekly slog to the Markt for the week's fruit and veg [hauled home in my old-lady-bag-on-wheels] I go to the Hotel Martin to meet other members of a group of English and English-speaking women who live in the area. I do enjoy it though a Belgian friend who went with me once or twice, was critical of the apparent lack of courtesy shown as we shout across the centre of the group, all talking at once! I love it more and more as I get to know different individuals. This week, after an early start, I left the flat a little late so, contrary to all my little rules, I hurried. I normally walk relatively slowly partly because of the quite heavy orthopaedic shoes I must now wear, and partly because of the often treacherous conditions underfoot. Wednesday, all was forgotten as I pressed on to the inevitable! In Jan Van Eyckplein, nearby, I tripped so hard that I fell full length, and hands and forehead [which re-bounded against the cobbles, such was my walking speed] took the brunt. Could not believe it as I surveyed the square from the prone position! Swift help came, especially from an elderly lady who had done the same in the Markt two weeks before, and a young man who hauled me to my feet, found me a chair, and, with impressive speed, located and applied a cold compress to the burgeoning lump on my forehead! I felt both silly and grateful and eventually tottered off to see Alice, in the nearby apoteek. [Pictured below, viewed from my guest bedroom. A handsome building.] She reminded me that her enforced weeks in a wheelchair last Autumn because of a broken ankle, had been the result of a similar contretemps with a projecting cobblestone! And she, like many other Bruggelingen, grumbled about the state of the roads here. Eventually, across the road to home, a day inside, coffee with friends,

missed, hot chicken from the Markt for lunch, missed, evening concert in the Concertgebouw, also missed! Though I did, by chance, enjoy that concert in a live broadcast on Radio Klara. Walking slowly is now reinforced as the grazed knee and the king-size, discoloured lump on the forehead gradually diminish.

Saturday morning, to my Mecca; Sarah Pacini on Zuidzandstraat, home of incredibly chic clothes which are barely affordable even in the sales now on. Added
impetus was given because son and wife had given me a generous S.P. voucher for Christmas. Regina, my favourite assistant and now friend, was on duty and nearly two blissful hours were spent in Retail Therapy before I left to go to Sint Paulus my bakery on Vlamingstraat near home. They had been closed for ten well-earned rest days but the lure of the black, seeded bread called Probody was insistent. It is a fab bakery with a huge variety of breads, cakes, croissants, brioches, plus other essentials like cheese, butter, jam and eggs, available. It is one of the lucky aspects of living where I do that the best bakery in town is a couple of minutes walk away. Location, location, location as someone used to say!

And to finish a perfect Saturday went to the Lumiere to see Carol with Cate Blanchett. Most surprised to see a queue as I approached and it took me ten minutes to reach the pay desk. I assume  that the publicity must have mentioned the word, Lesbian, or was it the possibility of an Oscar that
caused the Blue Room in the Lumiere to be almost full when I did arrive? Whatever, it was a superb film with a spare dialogue that spoke of a wonderful director and with excellent characterisation from the actors.