Holiday week...episode 1

We had a week off work, and crammed in as many things as possible, and I had THREE days with no kids! But a discussion of the holidays cannot begin without reference to that bleary week in March, where our holidays were magnificently and decisively cancelled due to a gastrointestinal bug. A few months later, we're ripe as a rotting tomato for a long awaited week off.

Back to the THREE days with no kids. A little last minute shimmying of plans, bribery and begging...and three kid-free days materialised like a mirage on the horizon. I dared not to dream too much, or fantasize too much lest fate should decide to strike again. But, it came, and I had THREE days with NO kids!!! First stop: Ingrid's Bachelorette's Party in Antwerp. Not even a 2.5 hour train delay in the hot sun could dampen my spirits, I was almost giddy with the relief that I didn't have grumpy kids to look after in the smelly train. Anyways, Ingrid's party was fantastico! Ingrid's an old friend from violin/band camp days and it's my good fortune that she ended up a 1.5 hours drive from us.

The party was hilariously fun, a bit too much sangria and schnapps at 3 in the afternoon will do that. My highlight, was eating dinner with only one mouth to put food into. My hands, clothes, hair stayed clean. The menu was Thai fish ball curry with a lime cucumber salad. I'm so obsessed by this dish, I have to make it soon. The sour lime, the almost bouncy fish balls, creamy curry sauce, soft aubergine, I can't stop thinking about it. Thai food ROCKS. I'm wasn't the only one fighting (but pretending not to) to lick the bowls clean.

The next day, Douwe joined us and we wandered round Antwerp with Ingrid and Tom. When you're on holiday, everything's charming, romantic and intriguing, especially if you have the freedom to wander without toddlers. But I think that Antwerp really was all that. And I'm quite sure that Ingrid and Tom were fantastic hosts (although they could have housed us in a shed and we'd have been quite content, sleeping through the night without babies waking us).

Lounging at a park festival (no kids!)

Dinner on the last night was DIVINE. Thai, again. The piece de resistance was a Beef salad, that's always good, but this one had toasted rice powder through it which was a surprise which lifted it beyond 'good' to 'so-happy-I-want-to-cry'.

Finally a big THANKS to the babysitters, Hylke, Akemi, Dirk & Lilian, without whom this weekend would not have been possible!