OPP or à la recherche du chat perdu

So I've been in Europe for about a week and having severe Cloud withdrawals. Everytime I see a cat in a photograph or poster, my eyes get a little weepy and I start reminiscing about how my furry white feline perches on my lap and rubs her cheek against my hand and purrs and salivates.

Yesterday I took Annick's Dutch style bicycle out for an afternoon spin on the country roads here in the middle of Nowhere, Belgium. I wasn't very far along when a gorgeous little orange tabby ran into the road to greet me. Of course, I had to oblige. Much to my delight, a calico kitty sauntered out to say hello, stretch and pose for me. Two cute furry animals to satiate my lack of feline companionship! While I was snapping photos of my new pals, all of a sudden, their human owner appeared behind me carrying what looked like a basket of onions or shallots. I quickly explained to her my love for les chats, and that I have a pretty white cat at home named Cloud (Nuage) and that I miss her terribly. She replied that she also has a white cat inside the house who recently gave birth to three little kittens, and invited me inside to meet them.

The mama kitty was called Praline. When I arrived she was curled up in a ball, but then rose to her feet, purring proudly, to show off her three little ones. I scratched Praline behind her ears and congratulated her as a new mom. I could have lingered much longer, but when the woman's sons arrived home, confused by this strange foreign woman ogling over their pets, I figured that was my cue to leave.

I've made other feline friends on this trip - a chatty black and white cat in front of Auriane's school, and a fat cat named Baby who loved getting his belly scratched at the Chinese restaurant where we had our "high school reunion" last night in Verviers. Cat portraiture to follow, naturellement!