Tsk tsk

Je hebt nog behoorlijk wat jaren te overleven voordat je toekomt aan je 45e verjaardag

Thermal pools

I have taken a look at the hotel's website. Dreaming away, when seeing the nature and swimming pools. I think, I won't mind the mould.. as long as I have all the rest. I don't know what it is with me and swimingpools, but I'd like to have one. When I was a little child, I always told my parents, I wanted to marry a man who has a swimming pool. Now when I'm in my early 20's, I don't want to get married, I just want a pool.

Pool

i was brought up in the desert. The only way to get through the summers was to stay in the pool. There's very different acoustics in the pool and around it than that which belongs to the non-pool environments. One sound had frozen in my mind for nearly thirty years, the clap of Ayelet Sz. on my thigh, assessing their hugeness.

Spa

Why not celebrate your birthday in ‘the original Spa’, in Belgium or now La Wallonie? (http://www.booking.com/hotel/be/villadesfleurs.fr.html) Sorry for the publicity, but I can assure you the raspberries have no mold there. Not to forget the historical places and the famous Battle of the Bulge memorials. I like the Ardennes.

I don't think I would mind the mold as well. I don't even like raspberries. The spa looks very lonely. Is it?
I really like the Ardennes as well, Jan. Maybe we should go and ponder around one day.

Young God

So you are a young God, Arnon! I am gonna hit 48 pretty soon. 3 pieces of pie, and I'll be fifty. Sounds alot like filthy, doesn't it. We have a lot more not in common, you and me: you are quite a productive author, yet I have but a few books in me. Only one has seen the daylight , the others are still glowing in the dark. The one that has seen daylight can also be red in English on the web, goto 'contact' there...

Now I am working on a "of the wagon" autibio. It's gonna be funny, cynic and chockfull of self-mockery. O yeah, it's more fun when the booze is gone. Lot less vomiting, too ;)

Sheers at your Spa, then! Victor Crebolder

Jan Thys

According to a friend from Leuven Spa lost all its grandeur.
You might know that I celebrated my 35th birthday in Dublin. I plan to celebrate my 50th birthday in the desert of Namibia, and my 40th birthday in Salta, Argentina.
For the record: I dislike birthdays. But I will think about the Ardennes. Isn’t the Walloon region extremely poor and inhabited by petty criminals and child molesters? Or is this a rumor certain Flemish people and politicans like to spread?
I have seen part of the Walloon region that reminded me of Poland in the eighties.
Speaking about Belgium, what’s the latest about Verhofstadt?

Monica

I don’t believe you.
There’s a beautiful story by an American writer about a man who walks from one swimming pool to the other somewhere in suburbia. He crosses gardens and he is slightly drunk. What was the name of the author and the story or the collection of stories in which it was published? This is not a quiz. I just cannot remember the author.

Victor

I wish you well.

Spa

I was in Spa once. It is one big parking place.

Belgium

@Arnon
Yes, there are some very poor villages and neighbourhoods in the Walloon region. The same can be said about some parts of Northern France, it even worse there I think. But cities like Namur (Felicien Rops!), Liège (la ville ardente!) and Tournai all merit certainly a visit. Child molesters and criminals do flourish also in Flanders, do not worry about that.
About Spa, it is this ‘lost grandeur’ that I find sometimes very attractive. That is exactly why I liked Bruges more in the seventies than now, it is too smooth and clean noadays. Then it was indeed ‘Bruges la morte’ with it’s particular and attractive melancholy. But maybe Spa is not attractive any more, as Lila L says (last time I was there, was about 10 years ago!)
Verhofstadt? Not much people, not even his party members, believe he will achieve anything. Sad prospective, but that is also the case for the world in general, I am afraid.
Have a nice stay. (I am not so interested in birthdays neither.)

To Arnon, on Verhofstadt

When Leterme failed his second formation attempt, the king urged for a solution. Verhofstadt was far from eager to take this assignment. When he finally did he formed an emergency government that cannot be called that way. The word 'interimregering' is used in Flemish newspapers. From my point of view the French appelation does more just to it : 'un gouvernement provisoir'.
It took him two weeks to install this government that is composed out of (on the Flemish side) Christian Democrats (CD&V), Liberals (Open VLD), and (on the French side), Social Democrats (PS), Christian Democrats (CDH), and Liberals (MR).
When he made his government statement CD&V hardly applauded. Today (in De Morgen) Karel De Gucht ( who belongs to Verhostadt's party, Open VLD) that the government is not 'a thing of beauty'. (Those were his exact words.)
This formula should last till 23 of March. Then Leterme is supposed to take over.

I hope this is upclearing to you.

I once again apologize for my English that most certainly has fallen short in this message.

Rectification

Please read: 'Karel De Guch stated that, [...]'

'Karel De Guch' should have been

'Karel De Gucht'

to Arnon

What is it that you don't believe?

Arnon

I still ow you the answer on the American writer and the swimmingpool story. But my curiosity is leading me.

to all the Belgians

You know, it is strange... A lot of Flemish people talk about Wallonia in a bad way: they have a poorer economy, they rely on the money Flanders is giving etc.. And even without paying a proper visit to the south part, people start to take over that idea. Even I learned it from my parents. Is it me, or is it realy passed on from generation to generation?

And about the child molesters and paedophiles... I have a Romanian friend, and he sais that in Romania people think that Belgium is the country where all the paedophiles come from.

I've worked with Walloons (as I stated before) and I can say I like those in my hotel better than the Flemish people I got (in general).

Pjötr

Thanks! I found the word “upclearing” very poetic, almost Nabokovian.

Monica

I hope other commentators could help me with the quest for the name of this author.
Looking for a swimming pool without a husband didn't sound very convincing to me. Not in the last place because you emphasized the fact that you are not looking for a husband.

Swimming pools

The last time I was in my homeland Italy I said to a girl who invited me for a swim: 'I am not good in swimming pools.'
On a political level I associate swimming pools with fascism.
The name of the author and the story about the swimming pool is unknown to me, but I know there's a movie of Ozon called Swimming Pool. Never seen it though.
Speaking of Ozon, his most recent movie Angel got bad reviews in the Dutch press, but to me it's one of the best movies I've seen. All the female authors should see that one too!
Can I come to Montreux if I find the story's name and author about the swimming pool? I don't like cheese, but I'd like to meet you (Arnon) and Rutger in person. And is there hiking involved before the fondue? I like hiking.

Angel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-3VBkORvcg&NR=1

@ Arnon

I prefer city hotels like "Raffles" in Singapore and "The Dorchester" in London above spa resorts. However if you want a really decent meal, the best restaurant I ever visited is " Het hof van Cleeve" in Kruishoutem. You can easily celebrate any anniversary there.

Mieke

Where is Kruishoutem?

David M

Johannes will send you an invitation.

@ Arnon

Kruishoutem is somewhere between Kortrijk and Gent. But the correct spelling of the name of the restaurant is "Hof van Cleve".

Arnon

Grazie! I'm looking forward to it.
I'll pack my swimming trunks. Just in case.

The story about the drunk man staggering from one swimming pool to another, is appropriately called 'The Swimmer'. It's written by John Cheever.

David Hockney

I remember when I was in the Met in NY, I saw an amazing swimming pool painting by D. Hockney. In fact, he has a lot of swimming pool paintings, and on them is kwite often a man. It made me think of the story you (Arnon) told, about the drunk man wondering from pool to pool..

http://www.davidhockney.com/
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hockney/hockney.nick-wilder.jpg

to Dries

You found it!

Dries

Yes. Thanks! Highly recommended.