Pizza and heat

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After a night spent alternately listening to thunder and hoiking a sleeping boy back into his holiday bed from the floor (until I realised that the reason he kept rolling out wasn't that he couldn't deal with the bed but that the duvet I'd put next to the bed as protection had got under the bed and effectively turned it into a ski slope) it was an early morning to get up and into the beach. This confused the b and b owner who came running after us as we left, presumably worried his keys would be taken by the crazy English folk. On the way to the beach, it dawned on me that I'd forgotten the bucket and spade bought especially for today from yesterday's trip to the supermarket. Rather than keep this in my head, I said loudly 'on no, I've forgotten the bucket and spade' cue 7 minutes of Seth saying he wanted his bucket and spade, where was his spade etc etc.... Why i can't learn I've no idea! It only took sightings of 5 tractors 20 seagulls and a brief game of hide and seek to get him to forget about it though!

I don't think the French are 'morning people' the biggest beach in the world, the size of a small town, and at one point we were the only people on it getting some very odd looks from the few dog walkers around. (bearing in mind it was 10.00 am not 5 or anything silly) after buried feet and some sand boat making, a paddle and a shower (after I'd politely kicked out the room cleaner who thought we were staying three days so was helpfully cleaning the room as i got back) we returned the keys to the now less worried owner and went on our way. After dtopping again at the supermarket for our lunch a very tired Seth stared to doze. Ash decided he *had* to have his wrap then and there the wrapper waking the nearly asleep boy who demanded his sandwich too. Not predictable at all...... 10 minutes later, covered in cheese ham and butter Seth did indeed fall asleep, sandwich in hand as we made our way across into Belgium.

It's hot today in Belgium which is why I was glad to have booked an apartment in antwerp up 6 flights of steep steps.... (yeah ok there's a lift but it's the size of a telephone box and my fear of lifts plus mild claustrophobia means that lift is not for me) but it couldn't be any better located in what is now my second favourite Belgian city. We asked the man who let us in where to get pizza so this time there was no chance of missed pizza weeping! And it was good pizza. Tomorrow the zoo, hopefully in the rain!

Today's top tips
1) travel pants are still not as absorbant as anything else at all.
2) buying Belgian tram tickets is not as straightforward as you might expect (we're fairly sure Ash bought one ticket for one week instead of 3 for one journey)

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