Brussels

We spent Easter weekend with friends who live in the outskirts of Brussels. They are friends I've known for years who we were very much hoping to see this year, and having lived in Brussels 18 years ago I wanted to visit again with my family.

It was wonderful to see our friends again. And it was bittersweet to see places which held happy memories but which were now marked by recent tragedy.

Yet what a joy to celebrate Easter, the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Messiah.

The Easter egg hunt:

In the Brussels metro:

Place de la Bourse - fortunately we arrived after the extreme-right hooligans had been dispersed by police water cannons!

Le Parc du Palais Royal - I lived right next to this for four months in 1999:

Snow

One of my hopes for this year in France was that our kids would experience some "real" snow, and be able to have fun playing in it. I was disappointed by the amount we got here in Nancy, but we always said that we had the option of going to find some in the Vosges mountains, about an hour and a half from here.

So last Saturday we decided the time had come to find ourselves some snow. We drove to Gérardmer, and up into the mountains to a free sledging slope, right next to the (paying) ski slopes. Some friends had lent us a sturdy sledge (with brakes! I don't remember any of those when I was a child!) and we did have fun once we'd got the hang of it! The kids also enjoyed a soft play area which had been set up, complete with a foam igloo.

We ate early at a café which served us cheerfully and speedily, and then had a wander up into the mountain behind the slopes. And then we did some more sledging before driving home again. The weather was perfect - sunny with clear blue skies - and there had been a good snowfall during the week so conditions were just right for sledging.

I am so thankful for such a lovely family day out!