Two welcome invitations.

I worked in Brussels for a year and lived near the University in Ixelles. I am afraid I found the Belgium landscape too flat for me! I liked Ghent and Bruges, and then further South to Namurs and Dinant..

I would love to do the street market Greatnan I love the atmosphere in Brussels, it was great during the tapis de fleurs especially as I did it at night.

I would love to meet you out there, absent - there are some lovely coffee shops in Richmond and I love NZ coffee!

That's lovely Greatnan. If we make it to NZ before February, you can have a third invitation too.

Harrigran - you could go to the street market in the week before!

Lovely for you Greatnan I never see my sister on The day because I am the one with DC and GC and spend time with them. This year my babies are going away for the festive season which means I will have a grown up one with DD and SIL either at my home or in Brussels

Thanks, Ella - it is particularly nice for my sister as one of her four sons has cut off contact with her and his brothers without any explanation. He has no children and is an alcoholic , as is his wife.Fortunately, she is on good terms with the other three daughters-in-law and sees all her other three gd regularly as they live locally and are now old enough to drive and drop in to see their Nan.
You can imagine how we comfort each other on my visits. We have always been very close, even though we are totally different personalities. Sometimes she drives me mad, but I still love her dearly and I know I annoy her too (she calls me 'Mrs. Efficiency'). I just wish my daughter in New Zealand had not lost her relationship with her sister, whom she helped so much.

How lovely for you both Gn, and how kind of your nephew.
There is so much rejection of grandparents on here, (by their families) yourself included Gn, that it's nice to be reminded that there are lots of loving, happy families, who embrace the older members and make them welcome

You can look forward to a great Ch******s!

Keep up the cheerfulness, Greatnan. Let's hope it rubs off on the rest of us!

Happiness is a wonderful 'drug' indeed.

Only Ramipril, 2.5 mg, to keep my bp down. Happiness is a very powerful drug!

What pills are you taking greatnan? I'd like some of them. love and peace!

No need for apologies, Kitty - I like thread drift!

Ariadne I think it's the same fair, isn't it. We lived in Repton when I was young and went to the ' Statutes' in Burton which is also part of the circuit.

Sorry, Greatnan back to your topic!

Thank you - I have to plan ahead because the flights fill up quickly. We were going to have lunch in a restaurant, but some of them are already fully booked for Christmas Day!

kitty I was brought up in Nottingham and we used to say the same about Goose Fair!

Greatnan how lovely for you; you have every right to feel warm and mellow.

How lovely for you Greatnan I'm sure you will have a wonderful time.

But, we are not mentioning Christmas yet! We have a street fair in the local town beginning on the 2nd Thursday in November and there is a local saying that you can't think about Christmas until after the fair! That is plenty early enough for me.