Bagles on a friday

.I had a lunch date with my former course-mates and le boyfriend yesterday. We went to this lovely place called Bagel Store right in front of Gare de Luxembourg in Brussels, as they mostly work in that area. The weather was lovely, chilly but surprisingly sunny, a perfect autumn day. I had my usual, my beloved Salmon & Cream Cheese bagel with caramelized onion. Just so, so so good. We did not take any relevant pictures as we were busy catching up after almost one year not seeing each other (I left for Paris and Italy etc). It was lovely, and I am so happy that we finally got back together! Now I hope more and more exciting adventures are in store for us-starting with lovely Tahnee's Halloween party, which sounds like some serious FUN.
.While coming home we took the chance to take a few pictures of my outfit. The sunset was just amah-zing, with a darling view of Beersel's castle.
.I am jumping at every chance of rocking this Primark skirt. It is just so perfect, goes with practically everything (liar liar liar) and keeps my legs warm, which makes wearing skirts in autumn/winter bearable even for ME. It was definitely one of the best buys of last summer!
.I'll be saying hello to Steven (Spielberg) at the Tintin world's première tonight at the UGC DeBrouckère in Brussels. Just like some other 50K crazed fans I guess. Or at least that's the plan. I thought of wearing something outrageous so I get noticed, tell the guys guarding the place "Don't you know who I am?" I just went out for a burger, let me in". Obviously Quentin plays my bodyguard and has an earpiece.
.Have a swell weekend everyone!


Bagel Store
20 rue de Trêves, 1050 Bruxelles

I was wearing:

Springfield basic pull,

Primark skirt,

Coolway flats,

Ray Ban glasses,

Casio watch

Urban Outfitters necklace

Marc by Marc Jacobs bag

Subdued leather jacket.

Autumn: A Dirge (Percey Shelley)

.I am back in Brussels! I was welcomed by an unusually sunny weather, even though the temperature is remarkably different compared to the one in Italy. On Saturday I had to get up REALLY early, like 5am, in order to catch my flight. I am the kind of person that, when extremely tired, either feels nauseous for the lack of sleep or reacts by being hyper-active. Needless to say, this weekend I managed to keep myself extremely busy. We did not really spent the weekend lazying off, but took long walks in the countryside with Quentin's dog, gathering chestnuts and chamomile (we are chamomilophiles). We even went second-hand-furniture-hunting for the new apartment (that we don't have yet!). Cooked twice for his whole family (he has quite a large family, especially by Italian standards), baked chocolate chip cookies and chestnuts.
.I was wearing an old a vintage Armani woolen blazer I found in my mother's closet, my go-to H&M pull (which I L-O-V-E, I wish I had it in all the colors it comes in!), and my ancient Converse shoes. I bought these back in the emo days, in my first year of university, and even though they are thorn and worn out I cannot decide to part with them, as they've traveled the whole of Europe with me!
.You can finally see my remarkably unremarkable ombre hair. I wouldn't have risked LLYMLRS-like blonde ends with my almost blackish hair! Too bad though, maybe I should have.
.And here are my new glasses. Will they make me feel comfortable about wearing glasses in public? I dearly hope so, as contacts are NOT an option in my world, as eye-make up isn't. I am a bit of an eye-freak, I find them just disgusting.
.I found this other amazing Shelley poem in the English literature book I am currently reading (and I am desperately trying to save, as I normally read books in a matter of hours, no kidding. I'm one hell of a fast reader, without spoiling the pleasure of reading though. And it did come in handy university-wise.). So enjoy some romanticism and have a great start of the week!

Autumn: A Dirge


The warm sun is falling, the bleak wind is wailing,
The bare boughs are sighing, the pale flowers are dying,
And the Year
On the earth is her death-bed, in a shroud of leaves dead,
Is lying.
Come, Months, come away,
From November to May,
In your saddest array;
Follow the bier
Of the dead cold Year,
And like dim shadows watch by her sepulchre.

The chill rain is falling, the nipped worm is crawling,
The rivers are swelling, the thunder is knelling
For the Year;
The blithe swallows are flown, and the lizards each gone
To his dwelling.
Come, Months, come away;
Put on white, black and gray;
Let your light sisters play--
Ye, follow the bier
Of the dead cold Year,
And make her grave green with tear on tear. 

I was wearing:

H&M basic batwing pull,

Primark jeggins,

Converse sneakers,

Ray Ban glasses,

Casio watch

Thomas Sabo bracelet

H&M scarf.

Paresse mon amour

 

dress- Primark, cardigan - Zara, tights - Tezenis, boots - Primark

last 4 pictures from weheartit.com

.Dopo una settimana immensa, questo weekend siamo più pigri del solito. Ho deciso di procrastinare, e di postporre l'inizio del blocus (le 2-3 settimane di studio assoluto prima dell'inizio della sessione di esami) a domani. Quindi, cioccolate calde, marshmallows nelle cioccolate calde, té al timo (che fa schifo ma sono ammalata - strano), bagni caldi e tutte quelle cosine lì. Yee.

.Il mio pomeriggio prevede: pigiama, seconda stagione di Heroes (sssì), visual online shopping, Arctic Monkeys e un bagno con un Babbo Natale schiumoso di Lush. Questa è vita, gente.

EN. After a huge, heavy week, this weekend we are more lazy than usual. I decided to procrastinate, and to put off the start of blocus (the 2-3 weeks of study before the start of the exams session) until tomorrow. So, hot chocolate, marshmallows in hot chocolate, thyme tea (which sucks but I am sick, so - strange), and a hot bath. Yee.

.My afternoon includes: pajamas, the second season of Heroes (yuppp), visual online shopping, Arctic Monkeys and a hot bath with a Santa Claus foaming Lush thingy. This is life, folks.

.FR .Après une semaine très lourde, ce week-end, nous sommes plus paresseux que d'habitude. J'ai décidé de temporiser, et de reporter le début du blocus à demain. Donc, chocolat chaud, des guimauves dans le chocolat chaud, thé au thym (dégueau, mais je suis malade - étrange), bains chauds et toutes ces petites choses là. Yee.

.Mon après-midi comprend: pyjamas, la deuxième saison de Heroes (ouais), visual online shopping, Arctic Monkeys et un bain chaud avec un Père Noël mousseux de chez Lush . This is life, folks.

Photosynthèse mon amour

song of the day: Two birds, One stone by Drop Dead Gorgeous

(tunic, Terranova - skinny jeans, Diesel - flats, Francesco Milano)

Abitando qui in Belgio da un po', ho capito (e carpito) l'abitudine dei belgi di mettersi al sole e di non schiodarsi prima del tramonto (o della prossima improvvisa pioggia torrenziale). Dopo mesi di tempaccio, freddo, pioggia continua, il mio più grande desiderio è tornare a casa in Italia quest'estate, e letteralmente appendermi al filo della biancheria in giardino. Le mie ossa (sulle quali sono certa stia crescendo del muschio) hanno bisogno di asciugarsi, un po' come quelle dei vecchietti che se ne vanno in Liguria per il bel tempo (o in Florida, se vogliamo fare gli internazionali ;)). Domenica ci siamo quindi avventurati in una delle zone meno alberate (e a più alta densità di mucche) di Beersel, a mezzogiorno, per svolgere il processo di fotosintesi dal quale anche io oramai dipendo. Ah, le gioie dell'integrazione.

Living here in Belgium for a while, I understood (and I took) the Belgian habit of laying in the sun and not moving an inch before sundown (or before the following river-like rain). After months of awful weather, cold, non-stop rain, my biggest wish is to go back home in Italy this summer, and literally hang on my mother's laundry thread in the garden. My bones (on which i am more than certain there is mold growing) need to dry, a bit like those of elderly people moving to Liguria for the nice weather (or to Florida if you want the international version). Sunday we went looking for adventure in one of the less wooded areas (but with the highest cow population) of Beersel, at midday, to carry out the photosyntesys process on which by now I find myself relying on, too. Ah, the joys of integration.

Vivent ici en Belgique pour quelque temps, j'ai compris (et j'ai pris) l'habitude belge de se mettere au soleil et ne pas bouger avant le coucher du soleil (ou avant la prochaine pluie torrentielle). Après des mois de temps affreux, froid, de pluie non-stop, mon plus grand desir est de rentrer à la maison en Italie cet été, et littéralement m'accrocher au fil de la linge de ma mère dans le jardin. Mes os (sur lesquelles je suis plus que certaine il y a de la mousse qui pousse) ont  besoin de se sécher, un peu comme ceux des personnes âgées qui vont en Ligurie pour le beau temps (ou en Floride si vous voulez la version internationale). Dimanche nous sommes allés en quête d'aventure dans l'une des zones les moins bordées d'arbres (mais avec la majeure densité de vaches) de Beersel, à midi, afin de completer le processus de photosynthèse duquel maintenant je suis aussi dépendante. Ah, les joies de l'intégration.

Useless with an attitude

La mia belgica vita è piatta e condizionata dal gelo dei giorni scorsi e dalla sessione di esami già iniziata. Sono nervosa e cattiva, ma penso che ciò sia determinato dal fatto che martedì ho l'esame di Giapponese.

My Belgian life has been dull and affected by the frozen weather of the past few days, not to mention by the exam session who has already started in big style. I am nervous and mean, but I think it all comes down to my Japanese exam this Tuesday.

Però oggi il Belgio ci ha concesso ben 7 raggi di sole, che abbiamo sfruttato non per andare ad infangarci nella selvaggia natura di Beersel (piccolo comune fiammingo fuori Bruxelles adagiato su delle colline campagnose, in cui la popolazione sotto i 45 anni è composta da Quentin e i suoi 3 fratelli, e, a volte, da me), ma bensì per andare al marché aux puces, il mercatino delle pulci. Attenzione.

BUT, today Belgium has been so kind as to grant us some 7 rays of sunlight. We immediately took the chance not to go and get all mudded up into the wild nature of Beersel (lively flemish village set in the country-hill, whose population under 45 consist in Quentin, his 3 siblings, and, seldom, me), but to go to the marché aux puces, the flea market. Attention.

Il mercato in questione si trova in Place du Jeu de Balle (per chi fosse intenzionato a brussellare in questa vita, la fermata della metro più vicina è Porte de Halle).

Said market can be found in Place du Jeu de Balle (for who is planning to get Bruxelled up in this life, the closest metro station is Porte de Halle).

Ci ero già stata 3 anni fa in quanto Erasmus spensierata, e avevo trovato un vinile di un artista rap che a me non diceva niente ma che ha fatto la gioia di mio fratello (non lo credevo conoscitore di rap del 1986). Ora, bisogna chiarire che quando parlo di questo mercato la cosa non ha niente a che vedere con questi mitologici mercatini vintage che vedo citati ogni tanto nei blog. No no. Zero.

I have been there for the first time some three years ago, as a carefree Erasmus student, and I had found a vynil of a rap someone who meant absolute zero to me, but who sent my brother to the heaven of rappers (didn't know he was into 1986 rap artists). Now, I think it should be mentioned that when I am talking about this market I am by no intention talking about one of those super cool vintage markets, you know, those who so often appear in blogs. No way.

I venditori sono nordafrico-slavo-esteurop-belgi, che si litigano il posto migliore o l'attenzione dei potenziali clienti in un curioso mix di francese, fiammingo, e altre lingue X.

You'll be surrounded by northafric-slavic-easterneurop-belgians, fighting over the best spot or the potential customers' attention in a charming mix of french, flemish and some other random language.

La mercanzia consiste per lo più in stoviglie degli anni '60, forchette e coltelli, bigiotteria in cattivo stato e cenci dalla dubbia provenienza. Dubito forte che ci troverò mai una Chanel vintage.

The the items sold are mostly stuff from the '60s, like forks and knives and spoons and toasters, bijoux in a bad shape and pieces of cloth with a mysterious past. I seriously doubt I'll ever come across some vintage Chanel bag here.

Ma è così pittoresco...

But it's so charming...

Tranne per la fragranza di quella che ho identificato come trippa alle erbette bollita in pentoloni dalla capienza di una vasca da bagno. Ma come Quentin mi dice sempre, faut pas se plaindre pour n'importe quoi hein, non è che devi mica lamentarti per tutto eh.

Yeah well, if you don't mention the soft perfume of what I identified as cows nerves with herbs boiled in bath-tub-looking pots filling your nostrils. But as quentin always says, faut pas se plaindre pour n'importe quoi hein, it's not like you always must complain about everything you know.

Sagge parole.

Wise words.

Con un sorriso di circostanza quindi vi saluto e me ne vò a maledire l'alfabeto sillabico giapponese.

So with a fake smile I wave hello and I go cursing hiraganas somewhere else.

ps. ricomincerò a scrivere i post in francese ( <3 ) quando la vita sarà meno amara.