,
Sequestered in the railway station, schlepping luggage up
and down the stairs for hours on end, was perhaps not the most ideal set of
circumstances under which to commence my long-awaited stay in Gent, offering a
hint of a glint as to what other type of travails were unsuspectingly lurking
in the wings, waiting to trip me up.
And, let’s not even get into the topic of windstorms, rain and hail,
even though those elements significantly contributed to wrecking havoc on my
four-day sojourn. Could it get any
worse?
 |
| Yikes! Did I pack the umbrella and rain boots? |
Oh…. and let’s not forget about yet another unforeseen minor
calamity – for, just as I had finally ensconced myself in the quaintest of
French bistros, parched and ravenous after a harried day of climbing and
lugging, anticipating the most delectable of feasts, mere seconds from savouring
mouth-watering beef bourguignon to be washed down with the finest of
merlots…the unexpected happened!
 |
| Our quaint French bistro |
A loud bang, followed by the lights flickering on and
off. On and off. And then off.
Blackness. Silence.
Momentarily stunned, unable to fathom the reality of what
exactly had just transpired, my thoughts flip-flopped between possible
scenarios. Did I somehow inexplicably
lose consciousness, only to emerge temporarily blinded? Did I imbibe in a tad too much vino? My mind raced for a reasonable explanation –
was all of this just mischievous trickery by some fun-loving apparition out for
a few chuckles or was there something of a more sinister nature behind this
most bizarre of events?
 |
| Yikes! What happened? Where's my dinner? |
Nope. Nada. Nothing of the sort. Just an average run-of-the-mill power outage
– you know – the type that frequently occurs during thunderstorms and inclement
weather. Yikes!!
Imagination once again off on
a tangent, lost in its own world of illusion (or, was that delusion?) veering
on the edge of insanity and borderline exaggeration. Not quite, but you get the picture. (In defense of Imagination, at least it’s back home doing its job, in contrast to
going AWOL this past summer, abandoning me in the lurch, as it gallivanted
around the globe on its not so lucrative world-wide adventures.)
A flurry of frenzied footsteps followed, as the ever so
clever wait staff, brandishing lanterns and candles, hustled to appease the
qualms of bewildered diners. Darting
from table to table, the white apron clad team were on a mission to please, re-assuring
frazzled guests that this unfortunate blip of events was merely a temporary
inconvenience – and, would they care for a complementary glass of vino?
 |
| Indulging in some vino just seconds before the lights went out |
Not missing a beat, the chef worked his magic and churned
out plate after plate of delectable cuisine, five-star succulent dishes to
please even the most discerning of gourmands. Whipping together a bevy of gastronomic delights was a feat in itself,
not to mention the additional challenge of having to chop and grill as well as
bake and broil – a couple of flickering candles the only beacons of light.
 |
| Vino, ambiance and candlelight |
 |
I marvelled at this fortuitous turn of events, as who would
have thought that I’d be happier than a clam whilst banqueting by candlelight,
nestled in the welcoming warmth of this charming bistro.
Oh…and should I even bother to tell you about the collective
sighs and groans when the lights eventually came back on?
Come traipse along with me in search of
gastronomic cuisine, and, if perchance, lightning strikes, then thank your
lucky stars, for you’re in for a real treat and a dining experience like none
other - after all, it’s the unforeseen minor glitches that make meandering the
globe so memorable and worthwhile!
Stay tuned for the mis-adventures of cuckoo
ol’ Auntie Nora in Belgium and the Netherlands.
What next? Trapped in the St.
Anna tunnel? Yikes!!
Next blog – in three weeks – Wednesday November
18th!! Stay tuned!!
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