{"id":11506,"date":"2018-12-26T17:13:33","date_gmt":"2018-12-26T17:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/?p=11506"},"modified":"2019-02-14T14:52:36","modified_gmt":"2019-02-14T14:52:36","slug":"tuesday-25th-december-2018-a-merry-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/?p=11506","title":{"rendered":"Tuesday 25th December 2018 &#8211; A MERRY CHRISTMAS &#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u2026 to all my readers. And I&#8217;ll refuse to make any comment about Crewe Bus Station toilets, because regular readers of this rubbish will recall that I make the same remark almost every year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812267.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812267.jpg\" alt=\"night hogeschoolplein leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a>While you admire a photo of the buildings of the Hogeschoolplein, taken during my evening stroll tonight, let me tell you about my Christmas Day.<\/p>\n<p>Or, rather, starting off with yesterday night&#8217;s affairs.<\/p>\n<p>t wasn&#8217;t that much of an early night &#8211; being in bed at something like 01:00. But I had no intention whatsoever of leaving my bed when I awoke at 04:30. Nor at 07:00 either.<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812268.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812268.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a>While you admire the Town Hall, or Stadhuis, last night I was on a crowded railway station waiting for a train called the something-or-other express. At the time it was due to arrive, a train pulled in, but this was called by a different name, so I didn&#8217;t go for it. And neither did a few other people. Our train didn&#8217;t appear so after a while I went to find someone to ask about it. They told me that the train that I had mentioned &#8211; that was our train but it was now known by a different name. Eventually I tracked down one of the station supervisors and told him of what had happened. There was a similar train due in in three hours time so I asked him to make sure that the other name of the train would be called too so that there would be no confusion. He replied that he couldn&#8217;t arrange for an unexpected train to stop in the station regardless of the circumstances &#8211; and was then called away to attend to someone else. I eventually caught up with him and explained that he had misunderstood the situation. The train wasn&#8217;t unexpected at all &#8211; it was simply a question of the name. Anyway, the train did stop, the name was called and we all climbed aboard. It was a double-decker so I went upstairs, and we set off. By now our train had transformed into a bus coming from Southwest London near where I lived once upon a time in Wandsworth. We went around a square something like Trafalgar Square and the bus was swaying dramatically about and everyone was gasping. It turned out that there had been a heavy snowfall, the ploughs had shifted the snow into banks at the side of the road and our bus was driving up and down over these snowbanks.<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812269.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812269.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights grote markt leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a>09:00 was a much more realistic time to come to my senses (such as they are these days) and from then on the rest of the day was spent in gentle leisure. I didn&#8217;t do anything.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch was nibbling on bits and pieces here and there, and straight after lunch I started to make tea.<\/p>\n<p>I fried some onions and garlic, added the tempeh cubes that I had bought, and when they were fried, put them in some water with a stock cube and some frozen veg. They were then left to simmer for an hour.<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812270.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812270.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a>I had a shower too and washed my clothes to date. I need to keep up-to-date with my clothes.<\/p>\n<p>Following that, in accordance with usual procedures just recently, I ended up having a crash out on the bed.<\/p>\n<p>Later on, the lazy day continued, with a pause for tea (and there&#8217;s plenty left for tomorrow) followed by half of the Christmas pudding in a creamy soya sauce.<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812271.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812271.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a>Round about 22:30 I went for an evening walk into town.<\/p>\n<p>To admire the Christmas lights, see if there was anything going on and to stretch my legs. There were a few more people around than yesterday but still not the crowds that you might expect.<\/p>\n<p>By midnight I was back here loitering around again and by 01:00 I was in bed. One of the quietest Christmas Days that I&#8217;ve had.<\/p>\n<p>But I don&#8217;t care. It does me good to relax every now and again.<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812272.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812272.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights grote markt leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight  town hall stadhuis christmas lights grote markt leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812273.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812273.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight  town hall stadhuis christmas lights grote markt leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812274.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812274.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight  town hall stadhuis christmas lights grote markt leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812275.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812275.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight  town hall stadhuis christmas lights grote markt leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812276.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812276.jpg\" alt=\"night christmas lights bondgenotenlaan leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight christmas lights bondgenotenlaan leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812277.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812277.jpg\" alt=\"night monseigneur ladeuzeplein library leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight monseigneur ladeuzeplein library leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812278.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812278.jpg\" alt=\"night monseigneur ladeuzeplein library leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight monseigneur ladeuzeplein library leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812279.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812279.jpg\" alt=\"night monseigneur ladeuzeplein library leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight monseigneur ladeuzeplein library leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812280.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812280.jpg\" alt=\"night  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight  town hall stadhuis christmas lights leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812281.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812281.jpg\" alt=\"night christmas lights mechelsestraat leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight christmas lights mechelsestraat leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812282.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812282.jpg\" alt=\"night hogeschoolplein leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight hogeschoolplein leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812283.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812283.jpg\" alt=\"night hogeschoolplein leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight hogeschoolplein leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812284.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erichall.eu\/images\/1812\/1812284.jpg\" alt=\"night quo vadis muntstraat leuven louvain belgium\" height=\"204\" width=\"300\"><\/a><br \/>\nnight quo vadis muntstraat leuven louvain belgium<br \/>\n<br clear=\"all\"><\/p>\n<div class='watch-action'><div class='watch-position align-left'><div class='action-like'><a class='lbg-style1 like-11506 jlk' href='javascript:void(0)' data-task='like' data-post_id='11506' data-nonce='33c4e809a2' rel='nofollow'><img class='wti-pixel' src='https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Like' \/><span class='lc-11506 lc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class='action-unlike'><a class='unlbg-style1 unlike-11506 jlk' href='javascript:void(0)' data-task='unlike' data-post_id='11506' data-nonce='33c4e809a2' rel='nofollow'><img class='wti-pixel' src='https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Unlike' \/><span class='unlc-11506 unlc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <div class='status-11506 status align-left'><\/div><\/div><div class='wti-clear'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2026 to all my readers. And I&#8217;ll refuse to make any comment about Crewe Bus Station toilets, because regular readers of this rubbish will recall that I make the same remark almost every year. While you admire a photo of the buildings of the Hogeschoolplein, taken during my evening stroll tonight, let me tell you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[162,8630,44,4507,3371],"tags":[1673,12140,8160,813,8632,1302,891,10855,212,2560,8194,12139,10934,5918,12141,11967,12142,462,12136,7096],"class_list":["post-11506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-belgium","category-condo-gardens","category-dream","category-eric-hall-2","category-leuven","tag-belgium-2","tag-bondgenotenlaan","tag-christmas","tag-christmas-lights","tag-condo-gardens","tag-crash-out","tag-crewe-bus-station","tag-dekenstraat","tag-dream","tag-eric-hall","tag-grote-markt","tag-hogeschoolplein","tag-ladeuzeplein","tag-leuven","tag-mechelsestraat","tag-muntstraat","tag-quo-vadis","tag-shower","tag-stadhuis","tag-town-hall"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11506"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11713,"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11506\/revisions\/11713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesguis.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}