Tag: europe

Men in Black

Photo by Philippe Brems on Pexels.com

I’m not talking about secret agents who monitor and police extraterrestrials but the kind who have another job altogether. In Europe, they are known as chimney sweeps and they are dressed all in black as they show up every year without fail to make sure that your chimney is in the best shape possible and all set for the colder months ahead.

My chimney had its checkup yesterday and it passed with flying colors! It’s because I didn’t use it last year. Why? I don’t know, probably because I was too lazy to start up a fire in the fireplace and or because I didn’t spend a lot of time in the downstairs area. I had got the wooden logs set up but never lit them. I told the chimney sweep that and he said, “I can see that. I still have to check and make sure that everything is in working condition.” He looked up the chute with a flashlight and headed on outside where the opening for the chute was. He opened it and there were some ashes in there. How it got there, I don’t know. He cleaned out the chute with a long-handled brush and everything was ready to go.

He’s a regular and usually shows up here with another guy but this time he was alone.

HIM: “You’re all set for this year. I wish you a nice day, see you next year and stay healthy.”

WHAT?!!

I gulped and stared at him wondering if he saw something I didn’t! Did I look ill? Why that remark about health? As you know, I’ve posted about my upcoming test and how it is affecting my daily existence so his remark went a little deeper than it should have. They don’t call me a hypochondriac for nothing! I was dying to ask him why he made that last remark but bit my tongue. I wished him a good day and with a smile he took off to his next appointment.

It has been said in these parts that chimney sweeps bring good luck. “People believe that seeing a chimney sweep, shaking their hand, or even having one attend a wedding brings good fortune and prosperity.” Hmm…..I could use some good luck right about now so maybe some has rubbed off on me! I can only hope and come to think of it, I should have shaken his hand or given him a big hug just to get a little closer and have that magic dust rub off on me!

Have an amazing day.

The Flea Market

Photo by Mark Dalton on Pexels.com

Living in Europe, I have learned that Sundays are not only a day of rest but that everything comes to a standstill! No shops, no markets, and no malls. You have to make do with is left standing. Bakeries, not all of them, might open for a couple of hours and that’s about it.

Flea markets are a godsent on Sundays if you’re looking for something to do. The one close to my place is a monthly event in summer. It is a big one and it is usually crowded. I’ve missed the last two but decided to make a showing for this one. Waking up early for a Sunday, thanks to Chachi, I made my way to the flea market. The sun was shining and the car park was already full. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, perhaps something for the garden. People were browsing and the vendors were loud as they let it be known that it would be worth your while to visit their stand. I walked taking it all in.

No plants worth buying. Loads of STUFF but nothing interesting. I passed a food vendor selling Greek tidbits. Olives in every color imaginable, dips, shrimps in three different sauces, squid salad and of course, bread. I told him I’ll be back later and had every intention of doing so. I did another round hoping something would catch my attention but there was nothing. I remember going there once with a friend and he said, “All junk!” True, but if you have a good eye, you might just pick up a treasure. I bought a small dish once, blue and white, and it turned out to be an antique. It has a place of honor on the sideboard and looks great!

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

True at times but this time around, it was more trash than anything else. I went back to the Greek vendor and picked up a small container of shrimp in garlic sauce, a spicy dip and some squid salad. The man kept speaking in English so I wondered what gave it away! Plus he kept handing me small samples to try, nice but I was filling up on them!

Back home, I walked in with Chachi, the cat, standing behind the door.

“Where have you been?!!”

ME: “Nowhere special. It’s mommy and Chachi time now!”

HIM: “It sure is!”

The time at the flea market was worth it because I’m feeling good and that is a good thing.

Have an amazing Sunday.

HEATWAVE!

Photo by Toni Cuenca on Pexels.com

“Dear weather, stop showing off….we know you’re HOT!!!”

The news reads, “Europe swelters under severe heatwave as temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius” No kidding! It is HOT and there is no reprieve.

According to a 2024 report by the EU’s Corpernicus Climate Change Service, “Europe is the continent with the fastest-rising temperatures on Earth, having warmed twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s.” This is alarming folks.

Some love it hot and some don’t. My friend, the diver and diving instructor, loves it. I complained that it was too hot yesterday and he said, “At least, it’s not humid.” Hmm…..”humidity” was wearing bells and singing Hallelujah in my bedroom! Just goes to show that some like it HOT and some don’t.

I have a beautiful garden but not because I put a lot of work into it. I had a Polish gardener who did a fantastic job of keeping the weeds at bay and the flowers in bloom. Last year, he had a back problem and went back to Poland. Now, I have a Chilean guy who helps out now and then. I had him scheduled for today but decided it was too hot to be sweltering it out in the garden so called to cancel. His response, “No problem, I LOVE HOT WEATHER!” Like I said, some like it HOT and some don’t.

Chachi, the cat, is like his mom. He hates hot weather. The fur coat doesn’t make it any better either. He walked up to me looking absolutely miserable.

“Mom, we need to talk about this fur coat. Can I go skimpier?”

ME: “Sorry love, you’re stuck with it. Mommy will make it better.”

So, I’ve been wetting a towel in cold water and running it over his fur and that seems to help for now.

Today, the temps will be reaching new highs.

“My skin is sticking, my brain is frying, and I haven’t stopped sweating since I got out of bed.” Unknown

AND

“The heat index is between OMG and WTF!” Unknown

You get the picture.

Have an amazing day.

Alice Weidel (Archives)

Update:

Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has been designated as a right-wing extremist entity and Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla said the decision was “clearly politically motivated” and a “severe blow to German democracy.” The AfD attracted the support of two leading figures in the Trump administration. Elon Musk called on Germans to vote for the AfD and repeatedly posted his support for Weidel’s party and JD Vance said there was no place for “firewalls,” saying that free speech was in retreat in Europe. I guess there is a difference between free speech and hate speech. What’s in the future? It’s a wait and see approach.

Photo by Ingo Joseph on Pexels.com

The woman is openly gay, she lives in Switzerland, has two sons AND has a Sri Lankan partner. She is also now officially the AfD’s chancellor candidate as of this weekend.

Der Spiegel magazine had this to say: “If someone accuses the AfD of being misogynistic, homophobic or racist, they can say they have Weidel….”

According to Weidel, the first 100 days of an AfD government would see the total closing of Germany’s borders and turning back anyone with no documents as well as large scale repatriations. “I say to you quite honestly, if this must be called remigration, then let it be called remigration.” Those were her words but do you see some resemblance to you know who and his words? She also happened to describe Hitler as a “communist” and a “socialist” but conveniently left out “Nazi” in her chat with Musk.

Musk who? You know him. The Tesla guy with one foot in space and the other meddling in politics. You know what they say about Jack of all trades, master of none. Well, in his case, it’s working just fine for him. However, the billionaire is showing his true colors. He loves the AfD which stands for Alternative for Germany. It is a far-right and right wing populist political party in Germany. It opposes immigration especially that of Muslim immigration and it has been classified as a “suspected extremist” party. However, Musk in his wisdom claims that “only the AfD can save Germany.” He has become very vocal about his support of far-right, anti-establishment parties across Europe and more recently has been accused of meddling in Germany’s election process.

Have money, will meddle? Apparently so. The scary part is that Musk’s endorsement of AfD seems to have emboldened its presence and boosted its acceptance among the German electorate. He has gone on to say, “Chancellor Oaf Schitz or whatever his name is will lose.” Olaf Scholz responded with, “There are a lot of people on social media who want to attract attention with snappy slogans. The rule is: don’t feed the troll.” However, I like this one better. Elmar Brok, a former German MEP, called Musk’s comment, “the world domination fantasies of the American tech kings.”

Coming back to Weidel, AfD owes its prime-time position in German politics to her. It’s neo-Nazi image has been airbrushed and being promoted as a polite, and decorous populism thanks to the pearl necklace touting and pantsuit wearing Weidel. Under her guidance AfD’s vote share has risen to 22 percent, its highest ever at the national level.

However, it has been said that AfD has little chance of advancing or being part of Germany’s next government since working with the far-right is considered a major taboo because of its Nazi history. Needless to say the party is gaining momentum and it is making some people sit up and take notice.

Weidel once said, “As a woman, I also want to be able to take the last train home at night without fear,” referring to foreigners as her bone of contention. The well-traveled and educated Weidel’s entire career and lifestyle is in direct contradiction to her right-wing populist party’s doctrines which has led many to question her motives and what she is really about. Her former colleagues at Goldman Sachs have been posting videos and asking, “Here is Alice. What happened to her?” Is it the business woman or the right-wing populist?”

I’ll add, “Will the real Alice Weidel please stand up,” and “Mr. Musk, please sit down and be QUIET!”

Alice Weidel

Update:

Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has been designated as a right-wing extremist entity and Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla said the decision was “clearly politically motivated” and a “severe blow to German democracy.” The AfD attracted the support of two leading figures in the Trump administration. Elon Musk called on Germans to vote for the AfD and repeatedly posted his support for Weidel’s party and JD Vance said there was no place for “firewalls,” saying that free speech was in retreat in Europe. I guess there is a difference between free speech and hate speech. What’s in the future? It’s a wait and see approach.

Photo by Ingo Joseph on Pexels.com

The woman is openly gay, she lives in Switzerland, has two sons AND has a Sri Lankan partner. She is also now officially the AfD’s chancellor candidate as of this weekend.

Der Spiegel magazine had this to say: “If someone accuses the AfD of being misogynistic, homophobic or racist, they can say they have Weidel….”

According to Weidel, the first 100 days of an AfD government would see the total closing of Germany’s borders and turning back anyone with no documents as well as large scale repatriations. “I say to you quite honestly, if this must be called remigration, then let it be called remigration.” Those were her words but do you see some resemblance to you know who and his words? She also happened to describe Hitler as a “communist” and a “socialist” but conveniently left out “Nazi” in her chat with Musk.

Musk who? You know him. The Tesla guy with one foot in space and the other meddling in politics. You know what they say about Jack of all trades, master of none. Well, in his case, it’s working just fine for him. However, the billionaire is showing his true colors. He loves the AfD which stands for Alternative for Germany. It is a far-right and right wing populist political party in Germany. It opposes immigration especially that of Muslim immigration and it has been classified as a “suspected extremist” party. However, Musk in his wisdom claims that “only the AfD can save Germany.” He has become very vocal about his support of far-right, anti-establishment parties across Europe and more recently has been accused of meddling in Germany’s election process.

Have money, will meddle? Apparently so. The scary part is that Musk’s endorsement of AfD seems to have emboldened its presence and boosted its acceptance among the German electorate. He has gone on to say, “Chancellor Oaf Schitz or whatever his name is will lose.” Olaf Scholz responded with, “There are a lot of people on social media who want to attract attention with snappy slogans. The rule is: don’t feed the troll.” However, I like this one better. Elmar Brok, a former German MEP, called Musk’s comment, “the world domination fantasies of the American tech kings.”

Coming back to Weidel, AfD owes its prime-time position in German politics to her. It’s neo-Nazi image has been airbrushed and being promoted as a polite, and decorous populism thanks to the pearl necklace touting and pantsuit wearing Weidel. Under her guidance AfD’s vote share has risen to 22 percent, its highest ever at the national level.

However, it has been said that AfD has little chance of advancing or being part of Germany’s next government since working with the far-right is considered a major taboo because of its Nazi history. Needless to say the party is gaining momentum and it is making some people sit up and take notice.

Weidel once said, “As a woman, I also want to be able to take the last train home at night without fear,” referring to foreigners as her bone of contention. The well-traveled and educated Weidel’s entire career and lifestyle is in direct contradiction to her right-wing populist party’s doctrines which has led many to question her motives and what she is really about. Her former colleagues at Goldman Sachs have been posting videos and asking, “Here is Alice. What happened to her?” Is it the business woman or the right-wing populist?”

I’ll add, “Will the real Alice Weidel please stand up,” and “Mr. Musk, please sit down and be QUIET!”