Purloined Paraplu

Umbrellas and bicycles. It's all the same.

Early in our stay here in Belgium, Randi and Josh gave us an umbrella guaranteed to withstand wind. It worked quite a few times, but I wish you could have seen the day it didn't. I remember it well because we were walking from our car to the pub where they sell Westvleteren beer. The wind not only turned that umbrella inside out, it blew enough rain that we were completely soaked. It rains alot here, but never like that.

Ross also gave us a really nice golf umbrella as a gift. It is still intact probably because we keep it in the trunk of the car for those unexpected showers coupled with our lapse of memory to bring an umbrella.

Last year we happened upon a booth at the horse market selling really nice, lightweight umbrellas. No connection between the horses and the umbrellas. Just coincidence, I guess. So we forked over €25 and have thoroughly enjoyed our purchase. It is light blue with a dark blue plaid and a wooden curved handle.

We also own several not-so-nice umbrellas. Each with at least one broken rib and all the ribs are rusted. But they are collapsible and easy to take everywhere since that's what we do . . . take them everywhere.

Since we always have it with us, on more than one occasion, we've left our nice plaid umbrella at a restaurant. We remember it about halfway home, but we return the following day and there it is, right in the paraplubak where we left it.

So recently, Jim went to dinner with work colleagues and he left our good umbrella at a very nice restaurant here in Hasselt. Okay, for those of you who are locals - it is Goei Goesting. For those of you who are not locals, that means something like "good enthusiasm".

I've eaten there only once and I am not as good or enthusiastic as most people seem to be about this restaurant. Here's why. The food is pretty, unidentifiable, and mostly raw.

This picture is taken straight from their website. That's probably one magnified new potato, 1/8 of a bell pepper and warm pigeon or pony.

So back to the paraplu . . . Naturally, he (Jim) went back the next day to retrieve it (our nice plaid umbrella) and it wasn't in the paraplubak where he left it. Of course it was still there. Somewhere. He asked a waiter if the paraplus were somewhere else. He said "no, it should be right there in that bak".

Well, it wasn't. Someone from this nice restaurant stole our plaid umbrella. Who does this? Pigeon and pony-eaters?! It wasn't even raining! And don't think I won't know that umbrella when I see it on the street!

I fear it will probably be just like our bikes - never seen again.

Perhaps all our paraplus should come from here. Slechts €2 (Only 2 euro)

Plotse regen? Neem hier jouw paraplu. (Sudden rain? Take your umbrella here.)

Maybe this line should be added . . . Plotse regen of dief? Neem hier jouw paraplu dat niemand zou denken van stelen. (Sudden rain or thief? Take your umbrella that no one would think to steal - here.)

Unbelievably, the annual horse market is tomorrow! I guess €25 per year for a really nice plaid umbrella isn't so much. And as long as it doesn't get left at Goei Goesting, it could last even longer.