Liége... Not

Continuing from yesterday...

From Maastricht, we drove to Liége, to the address of the B&B room we'd reserved.  We found the address, but not the key to the door.  She said it would be in the 'lockbox' outside because we'd already warned her that we would be arriving very, very late, and that all depended on what time the concert would end.  I had estimated arriving between 01.00 and 01.30, and we were outside the door at 01.45.  We looked for the 'lockbox' but did not find it.  Instead, we found the devise where we had to tick in the code.  However, with no key, we could not use the code.  We checked if we had the address right, and we did.  After 10 minutes, AW had made up his mind -- we were simply going to return home = drive the entire 176 km. back.  As I'd done all the driving the previous day, he now took the keys and I was very thankful.

It took us 1.5 hours, and we stopped only once because AW needed a bite to eat.  I was too tired to have any appetite.  It was smooth sailing all the way and we were in by 03.30, thoroughly whacked out.  Before conking out in bed, though, I left a short message for the owner of the room, explaining why we couldn't check in.

To my horror, I was awake again at about 07.30, and could not go back to sleep.  I left AW snoring peacefully and thought I'd have an early breakfast, but no appetite yet.  At around 09.00, I got a reply, which basically said she could not understand how we could not find the key.  She sent me photographs of the 'lockbox'... and it was the very same devise where we had to tick in the code, and we simply should have almost taken it apart to open it as the key was in a kind of secret compartment behind the code keys.  I told her I'd never seen anything like that before, and that we are rather careful about taking things apart, especially if they are unfamiliar to us.

To make a long story short, our payment will be refunded.  Not the full amount, but I'm happy with what we agreed on.  But THAT was a very, very long day.

Around mid-morning, I returned to bed and AW got up and left me in peace.  Later in the afternoon, some supermarket errands and kitchen duties, some TV, and some gaming.  Though we wandered aimlessly about the house half the time like zombies, we were in agreement about one thing -- we had such an enjoyable time yesterday that nothing could spoil it.  What an adventure that was!

These are growing in somebody else's front garden.  I enjoy walking to do my errands as there is always something to spot on the way, and some people have the most gorgeous plants.  They are not eryngiums, I think, but the colour is similar.  They were in a shady area but I kind of liked the effect.