Surreal

We were planning to go to Antwerp today to visit our friend Danny and her daughter Rebecca, who has been in hospital for five months undergoing treatment for a brain tumour. Danny has been visiting her every day. Just last week she slipped into a coma which the doctors said was irreversible, so we were planning to say goodbye; but Marc rang Danny as we were leaving for the train to give her our ETA and she said that Rebecca had just died.

We went up to Antwerp anyway, and got the no 17 bus out to the hospital. Found Danny sitting outside the cafeteria deep in conversation with the undertaker alongside her brother and R's partner. We sat in the cafeteria drinking coffees and water; a couple more friends arrived (who already knew the situation). After an hour or more Danny joined us, along with her brother Leo (R's partner was too utterly shattered to do more than go home to sleep, as he'd been sitting with R for 5 days and not really sleeping). We went back to Antwerp on the bus with D and L and then had a meal in a restaurant in Chinatown, very near the station. It was a good meal, and a good idea. Afterwards we walked back to Central station and couldn't help noticing the, erm, camel and the hot-air balloon. This is the land of Magritte after all. The camel denotes the proximity of Antwerp Zoo (the gateway in the middle) - the building on the right is the Central station.

We are so, so sad for Danny.