48 hours in Brussels - something a bit different

What can you do in 48 hours in Brussels?

(Ok - to be exact we actually had 2 and a half days but you get the general idea).

Brussels is a city we've visited many times before, so we felt a bit like we'd done all the obvious bits already. This time around we wanted something a bit out of the ordinary, so we planned to visit The Smurf Experience at the Brussels Expo on one day and The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History on the other.

We started off by checking into a hotel which was the most centrally located we'd ever had in Brussels. We wanted the advantage of seeing the city at night while being able to walk back to the hotel (note to future self - cobblestones are a nightmare to walk on, wear sensible shoes). The Ibis off Grand Place fitted the bill perfectly, it really was just a few minutes walk to the Grand Place itself where the evenings were spent people watching, eating ice cream, drinking beer and trying to take half decent photos.

It's no secret I LOVE smurfs so of course we had to do a bit smurf spotting around the city. This year is the 60th anniversary of the smurfs so there's just a little bit extra to keep an eye out for. This mural by Brussels Central Station was unveiled in June and if you don't mind hopping out of the way of busy commuters it's fun to spot the Belgium/Brussels themed smurfs.

First full day - The Smurf Experience. Now I know this isn't everyone's idea of a good day out, but stick with me. If you remember watching the smurfs on tv or enjoyed the latest movies then you'll love this. I dragged the other half along and at the end he grudgingly had to admit it was better than he thought it would be! It's on until January 2019 and tickets start at 11 euros so if you want something different to keep the little people in your life happy then this is just the thing.

The next day was The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. We've been wanting to visit this for years, but always seemed to be in town on a Monday (when quite a few things are closed). This time though, we scheduled in a whole day. Even then, we missed quite a lot - you seriously need 2 days to see everything here.

The building the museum is housed in was built for the 1880 National Exhibition to celebrate 50 years of Belgium independence. It's quite obvious in places that it needs a bit of care and attention but when you have collections ranging from tanks, aircraft, weapons and uniforms, it somehow just adds a bit of character!

If you're not military minded, some of the things that might appeal include a stunning roof top view over the city, a sweet little cafe serving the best cooked lunches and the Parc du Cinquantenaire which the museum is situated in. And at only 5 euros each, it's ideal if you're on a budget or it's a rainy day.

That was our 2 and a bit days in Brussels. I'll skip over the bit where we drove through Belgian rush hour traffic (scary) and the joy we felt when the sat nav lost signal (many swear words used). We do love Belgium though and every time we visit we find something new.

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

It's been a smurfy month...

Hello there,

Readers of my blog may have noticed I quite like smurfs. Well, more than a little, almost a bit obsessed really (in a good way I think!).

You can imagine my excitement then when a new movie was announced. It took a while coming, but finally it's here. As of Friday 31st March, Smurfs - The Lost Village will be released in cinemas around the UK.

I couldn't wait that long though! So the weekend before, I headed off to London to see one of the preview screenings (yes - we were probably the only adults in the cinema without kids, but we didn't care).

Very excited at this point! 

Was it worth the wait? Omg - yes! Now I will admit, I'm probably biased, but the artwork blew me away. The colours, the characters and the attention to detail was beautiful.

It really was quite simply, a beautiful film. There were so many new characters and sometimes when that happens it can take a while to warm to them. Not here, I loved them all straight away.

I mentioned it had been a smurfy month - well the weekend before, I travelled to Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent. Why? Well, the smurfs were on tour (yes really). In various shopping centres around the UK, the smurfs were making a guest appearance for a fun day for the kids (plus grown up kids too).

You can't beat a good bunch of smurfy friends - I love them all!

I think you'll agree - it really was a smurfy month!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

A January & February round-up

Hello there,

Well, I don't know what happened to February. I know it's a short month, but blimey, it flew by! I did plan to do a January round-up, but instead it's turned into a Jan/Feb mash-up.

So here's a collection of some of the things the New Year bought me:

I bought my new favourite shoes from Primark - high top trainers that are so so comfy. They're useless in wet weather but that's not a problem here in the UK is it??

My Life jumper from Navabi. I could seriously live in this, true to size and washes well.

First Easter egg of the year - who can resist a chocolate unicorn?

Fog - I hate fog!! Enough said :-(

Great food at Tapas Barcelona, Southampton. I seriously ate my body weight in olives here....

(just in case you didn't believe the amount of olives...)

And finally, I saw La La Land, which I loved (along with a few adverts for the upcoming Smurf Movie). In fact the people behind the Smurfs Movie made a pretty good La La Land / Smurf mix:

That's a bit of a round-up of what I've loved these last two months, let's hope March doesn't go past so quickly!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

Plus40Fabulous - things that make me happy

Hello there,

This months theme for Plus40Fabulous is things that make you happy.

Now, lots of things make me happy, family and friends and days spent with them. But I thought I'd look at something else that makes me very happy (and yes, will probably make one or two of you laugh).

As some of you will know, I collect smurfs - remember those little blue figurines with the annoying theme song? (I'm tempted to link that here, but I'll be kind...).

I've been collecting since I was about 8. As I child I was terrified of puppets and dolls and cartoons (I still can't watch the Muppets today without feeling panicky). So what on earth do you buy a small child that screams and cries at most things? Well, one day when I was shopping, I saw a display of smurfs. They didn't scare me, they were small, cute and tactile and most importantly, pocket money prices. I bought one and that was it, I was hooked. After that, everybody bought me smurfs as they were so damn grateful to find something I liked!

Since then, it's not stopped. With the introduction of the internet I found online communities that share the same passion. With Ebay I could add to my collection with pieces I never knew existed. And I met and made the most amazing friends from all over the world.

These people all make me so happy. We've known each other for years and they are some of the kindest most generous people you could hope to meet. And all of this through a shared love of smurfs - those little blue guys have got a lot to answer for!

Every year, we make the trip to Belgium for the largest smurf fair of the year - Blue Paradise. Here you'll find collectors and sellers from around the world of all ages. It's not just about the buying and selling, it's about catching up with old friends and having a laugh.

There never seems to be enough room in the car for all the smurfs!

So there you have it - this is what makes me very happy. When I've had a bad day, I can lose myself in my smurf collection and discuss the intricacies of markings and colour variations.

These are the other lovely ladies taking part and I'm looking forward to seeing what makes them happy as well.

Christy: http://www.sprintingwithscissors.blogspot.co.uk/
Daisy: http://daisysays.co.uk/

Kate: https://wearingmywardrobein2016.wordpress.com/
Kath: https://fatheffalump.wordpress.com/

Kaye: http://www.polishedcurves.com/

Kellie: http://www.bigfashionista.co.uk/

Leah: http://www.justmeleah.co.uk
Lisa: http://www.kitandkoboodle75.blogspot.co.uk/
Mookie: http://www.mookieslife.com/

Nikki :http://www.nattynikki.com/
Perelandra: http://www.pamperandcurves.com/

Sarah: http://www.plussizeproud.co.uk
Steph: http://misskittenheel.com/

Vicky: http://www.therandomnessoftwee.blogspot.co.uk
Yvonne: http://woosangwashere.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks for reading

Cathy

xx

Belgium travels

Hello there,

Well, in the week before my ankle op, I was in Belgium. I've mentioned this before I'm sure but it's one of my most favourite places to go on holiday. I have lots of friends there and combined with the history, scenery (not to mention the food!) it makes it a great place visit every year.

I'd love to say I prepared lots of fab ootd pics, planned some stylish outfits and mixed and matched all my accessories but as per normal, I had a great time and remembered all the other stuff at the end!

So here's a few pics of what I got up to and some of the amazing things I wish I'd bought:

I love these fab glasses from Claire's - they make me smile every time I wear them

Bruges in the evening - such beautiful buildings

Standard silly posing

If this shop has been open, all of this would have been mine!

So very true!

A good motto I think

A shop by the hotel - made me giggle every time we walked past.

Some of the scenic canals in Bruges

On the Belgium coast at Blankenberge - early morning and very cold!

Bit of a smurf theme going on here...

Grand Place in Brussels - never get tired of visiting here

A nutella waffle - heaven on a plate

Beautiful countryside near Zichem

Ending off with a hot chocolate - perfect end.

Thanks for reading - there really was a lot of pictures! Let me know what you think, do you like seeing travel photos ?

Cathy

xx