Happy 21st Anniversary...

Jimmy took Friday off of work as it was our 21st Anniversary. We didn’t have any big plans, so just set off from the hotel after breakfast to explore Brussels. We started with a visit to the European Central Bank to exchange a ripped five euro note. It was like stepping into a movie set: a massive old room with an incredible number of teller stations, most of which were closed. Also on site was the Museum of the National Bank of Belgium, which was small yet interesting.

Then we visited the Belgian Comic Strip Center, which was also interesting, although neither of us are big comic strip fans.

We had a great late lunch, then eventually made our way to Tours & Taxis for another night of dancing. Along the way, we stopped at a beach festival along a river which consisted of a bunch of huts selling tropical drinks and foods.

On-Trail and On-In...

While we couldn’t go through the Grand Place, we did see this nice view.

SpareRib’s Mexican dress put our outfits to shame.

Opee did manage to round us up for a group photo.

Perhaps not his usual haring duties, but he was happy to help out.

We ended each evening at the sheds of Tours & Taxis, built in 1906 for trains to drop off goods to be processed by the customs department in the Royal Depot next door (which really impressed us when we took a quick detour through the main building). The venue was perfect with one giant room with tables for eating, drinking and chatting...

and one room set up for dancing. The first and last night, we danced to a DJ. On Friday and Saturday, we danced to our favorite cover band from the Netherlands, Madly. As always, we enjoyed dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Luckily, the organizers had arranged for buses to take us back to our hotel.

Setting Off on the Red Dress Walk...

The start of all the hashes for the weekend started at the historic Parc du Cinquantenaire with its iconic arch, which was built in 1905.

Just think how much more dramatic this photo would have been with 2,000 red dresses instead of 100...

Opee took his haring responsibilities very seriously.

Red Dress Trail....

The day Ashlynn flew to California, I took a train down to Brussels to meet Jimmy for the largest hash event we’ve ever attended: Brussels Beer Odyssey 2014. The next morning I helped give out shirts and mugs for the Red Dress Hash or rather Red Dress Walk. As one of the hares, Opee received a lovely tutu and special shirt and spent the morning learning about his duties. I cheated this year and actually bought a new dress rather than the usual thrift store variety.

Hares wearing safety vests? This wasn’t the average Red Dress Hash! When the Brussels police discovered that 2,000 runners wanted to invade downtown, they freaked. Instead, we had to walk in groups of 100 with staggered start times. Deep Throat, head hare, was in charge of making sure the groups followed the rules--something that hashers aren’t known for.

While it was disappointing that we couldn’t run and that the police insisted we avoid all major tourist sites, at least the event wasn’t cancelled. The weather was great and it was legal to carry an open beer, so the whining didn’t last long.

Walking on Water...

While taking Kati for a walk together before she left for Nepal, Veronica and I witnessed a rare moment in nature: when ducklings are old enough to explore away from their mother, but still light enough to be able to walk across a lily pad floating in the water.

Luckily we were near home and Veronica could zoom back with her camera to capture these images.

More California...

Grandpa was very excited to have his favorite hairdresser give Ashlynn a trim,

to introduce Ashlynn to his cousin’s kids who live in Oakland, and

to bring Ashlynn to one of his jazz concerts.

Fun Times with Auntie Eden...

When Seacamp was over, Ashlynn was dropped off at the airport and she headed back to Northern California for almost two weeks. She spent a lot of time with Grandma and Grandpa and with Kiley, a 13-year-old girl who lives across the street. Following tradition, she spent a night at Auntie Leigh and Uncle Mike’s. Luckily Auntie Eden was able to come over for a sleepover.

 First some serious photos were taken...

...and then some goofy ones. They had a great time together!