Hi everyone ! How are you doing ? (Alright, I know there is no comment section for you to tell… Not yet. That’s a lot of work and stuff. Hum.)

Anyway : this month, I am glad to write you I am doing InCoWriMo \o\ \o/ /o/ Do you know, do you remember these pieces of paper you sometimes receive in the mailbox ? With stamps, and which you could open to find out another piece of paper ? Two people exchanging these are called correspondants. Every year, the month of February is dedicated to Correspondence : it’s the International Correspondance Writing Month. InCoWriMo for short !

I know it looks like a waste of time and energy in the 21st century, but hey ! What have you got better to do ? Coding buggy HTML websites that only a few tens of randoms will see ? Don’t make me laugh ! I’ve been in penpalling for… Ugh. I feel like a dinosaur. This month is the opportunity to get to know new people through our pens. I am also creative on the envelopes and stationary, so it’s cool to feel creative and fancy.

Wanna write me something like that ? Okay ! Bump the contact section to write letters to a quite-depressive semi-celibrity, and enjoy wasting your time ~ ouh la la !

Until next time, take care of yourself !

Hello everyone ! I am back in Paris since this 17th of January. I didn't write a lot more during my stay in Brussels because, to be honest, I wanted to spend time with my friend. We really have done a lot of stuff, of which : attending a romani music concert, in a very familial room, with delicious food, and going to hear the cases at the courts. We did nothing illegal : it is just that in Belgium and France, you can sit in the Courts room and listen to the trials.

But what really touched me the most was to see how much her health improved, compared to the last times I visited her. All of her life, she used to sleep from about 4AM to 2PM, being unable to have another sleeping span : it was just a medical issue... And now, she sleeps from about 1AM to 10AM. It's a more "normal" rythm, which helps her to be able to simply go out and do stuff at the same time than everyone else, and not only with a few night-living people. There was a time when she only survived on dietary supplements - it's not very recommended, but it saved her life - and now, she has a good appetite.

I am really missing Brussels, and my friend. I cross my fingers that we see each other soon.

In all of Brussels, I believe there is nothing more famous than la Grand-Place. It is at the heart of the city, and connected to many other places : le Mont des Arts, la Gare Centrale, le Boulevard Anspach, la Place Fontainas, la Place de la Bourse, la Rue Neuve, la Place de Brouckère ... Are all within a fifteen minutes walk distance - they are wort it too, even if you probably have seen them much less.

Something that is often missed are the inscriptions on the facades of la Grand-Place, including two very interesting ones :

"qUas fUror hostILIs sUbVerterat IgnIbUs æDes sartor restaUrat præsIDIbUsqUe DICat"

"The tailor restores the house that a hostile fury had destroyed by the flames And he dedicates it to the magistrates (of the city)"

Interesting, isn't it ? In the XVIIth century, most of Europe fought over the controll of the Southern Netherlands, which roughly correspond to today's territory of Belgium. The northern part of the Netherlands had already become independant, and were forming the Dutch Republic. However, Louis XIV of France has tried for decades to take the control or these southern provinces. For doing this, he went to war.

"haeC statVIt pIstor VICtrICIa sIgna trophæI qVo CaroLVs pLena LaVDe seCVnDVs oVat"

"The baker has erected the victorious emblems of the trophy here By which Charles, in full glory, triumphs, irresistible"

After the long fire of the City, provoked by the bombing mentioned earlier, Charles II of Spain's troops have won.

Even if we tend to focus on closer conflicts, like the First and Second World Wars, the 1870-1871 War between France and Prussia, the Independance War, the Civil War, the Vietnam War, etc., I think it's good to not forget that war have always been ugly. If there xwas only one thing to remember from the visit of this monumental place, I think it should be this.

Today, I am taking the train to Brussels. I really enjoy the ride : the landscapes I cross are flat, for the most part, but they are worth seeing them, through the windows. On my left, I see a still green forest, which trees leaves have fallen, but with a ground still covered by herbs, moss and mushrooms. A few seconds before, it was all swamps and tiny houses. If I had forgotten what time it is, writing these words, the kids playing in the playground, for their lunchbreak, would remind me that.

On my way to the station, I have taken some time to buy something to eat. I bought two little sushi plates, some unsalted roasted cashew nuts, some biscuits, and water. Quite a nice lunch break, isn't it ? My right neighbours seem to be less lucky. I swear I didn't listen at all : it's just my ears that caught their words !

Anyway. "Why are you taking this train, Chataigne ?" Well, that is to see my best friend, who lives in Belgium ! You wouldn't ask her what kind of dinosaurs she has seen, but she is still aging. She is one of the sweetest hearts I have ever seen, and we both LOVE to go anywhere to have walks, visit places, ... I already know what we will do. At least, we will go somewhere, to watch and hear something. But enough for today !