Back when we were having the Montreal v Brussels debate, I contacted Woman Wandering, who is originally from New Zealand and moved to Belgium. She ran down the pros and cons of the country, and reminded me that if one loves to travel, then Brussels is best. In April when we visited Antwerp I was finally able to meet her and thank her in person. She treated us to a delicious lunch at home with her family, and then took us on a delightful walking tour of her town. My favourite spot was the t Elfde Gebod (The 11th Commandment) bar, filled with various saints that the owner bought when the churches were ridding themselves of such things.

It is fascinating to learn about saints and their symbols. Those of them who were tortured often display on a plate the body part that was severed – the head of St Denis, the breasts of St Agatha, the eyes of St Lucy, the flayed skin of St Bartholomew. St Nicolas is accompanied by the three children he restored after they were pickled in brine by an wicked innkeeper. St Jerome carries a stone in his hand with which he strikes himself in penance for his sins. St Roch has a dog who fed him by stealing food from its master’s table while he suffered from the plague. These stories are never pleasant.

In contrast to the suffering of martyrs, we were also lucky enough to watch the baby elephant frolic in the water at the zoo. It tried everything to try and convince its mum to join it in the water – using its feel to plash her with water, spraying her with its trunk, and even forcefully head-butting her towards the shore. Finally, she reluctantly joined in and the little one was overcome with joy. I’m not even sure the baby creature remembered it was an elephant, the way it attempted to clamber on top of her in the pool and to do handstands while completely submerged. I think that I would like a baby elephant of my own. I am following the progress of the latest pregnancy at www.baby-olifant.be. Maybe I could take it for weekends once it is born?