Salam Vazaha! {Madagascar : People}

We've come back from Madagascar after a two weeks trip exactly three months ago.

I haven't had the courage to go through the thousand of pictures I've took up until recently, and by this time, it's too hard to repost this as a diary. I don't remember what we ate which day, how many km we drove the day after or exactly what we saw. So I'm going to report this in a different way, with a lot of pictures and very few words, and I'm going to start with people. 

Because people, this people, I clearly remember.

p.s. It's also too hard to do any kind of post production, mainly because I can't do post production, so the pictures you see here are exactly as I took them with my camera.

The number of kids popping up from every corner as soon as we stepped down the car, or even drove by, yelling "Salam Vazaha!" (Hello Foreigner!) was what impressed me the most. They are the friendliest and even if shy, curiosity drove them to see us. In some towns they were more accustom to see tourists, or foreigners in general, but in some others I really felt a little out place. Not because of anything they did, don't get me wrong. I've never, in fact, felt in danger or risks of any kind. Any. The truth is I've never been in such a poor country, and as much as I think I'm aware of how the world goes, my privileged life doesn't allow me to completely understand. I could have taken way more pictures, but I really wanted to also just look at them. Because look at them! Could you take your eyes away? 

Two Years

three houses lived in

one house bought

seven countries visited together for the first time

twelve Netflix series

fifty four plane rides combined

one hundred forty three nights apart

five road trips

five films at the movies

five friends hosted

countless discussion over new furniture and cabinets colour

two new jobs

seven hundred twenty eight very thriving, full, happy days

Lately I’m on a high of love and gratitude and so I intend to stay as long as possible.

Because it’s easy to be heavy and hard to be light.

and becoming better at being each other’s spouse must be what makes it light.

I definitely made an excellent choice.

The Future is Europe {Brussels}

At the end of August we went to Brussels for a weekend. It's really easy flying aways for just a couple of days from Manchester and it helps having friends scattered all over the world! 

We started the trip with an evacuation from the boarding hall that brought a 4 hour delay on our flight. 1 hour flight. 4 hour delay. because somebody smoked in the airport bathroom. 

Anyhow, by 3 o clock in the morning we were at our very sleepy friends house, he was so kind to arrange a taxi for us , by that time we missed the last bus to town, and surtout wait for us!

We were lucky enough to have sunny and warm days until the very last hour there, and we were able to walk around the whole time.

Being a Political Science alumni I was eager to walk by the European Institutions, but I guess being an old and grumpy and (almost) British grownup let the magic fades away a little. Do we still believe in this? Who does? If there was a referendum like in the United Kingdom in all the other countries , what would win? I never thought brexit had a chance, and yet here we are. 

There was a lot of food involved in a two day trip. Street food fish that tasted like gourmet Michelin restaurant, huge roasted pork shank for dinner, and infinite chocolate and waffles store windows to stare at.

 

Belgium is the country of Tin Tin, and he is everywhere: the walls graffiti reminded of him and even people just walking around!

People standing in line to take a picture of a little pissing man. 61 cm of bronze that officially symbolise the sense of humor of the people there, and, according to Wikipedia, their independence of mind. A pissing man. OK.

Goodbye Brussel! Goodbye Parliament! Always in the hope that YOU will BE the future.