Wednesday 11 January 2017

White chalk written on red brick

One fine morning during our Christmas break, we were all set to do some charity shopping.











I couldn't wait to wear the vintage velvet skirt I'd bought at a local charity shop the day before.












It was when we were on our way to the till that Jos suddenly noticed the skirt had a Think Twice label still attached, showing its original price of € 12.


If you are wondering why someone buys a vintage skirt, and then gives it to charity with the label still attached, as a regular Think Twice shopper I think I know the answer.
My guess is that it was bought at the tail end of one of their sales, when everything goes for € 1 or € 2. Whoever bought it probably took a chance and bought it without trying it on as there would have been the usual long queue at the changing rooms.



Anyway, it fits me like a glove and I only paid € 4. So thank you, whoever you are!



I combined the skirt with a blouse from ... yes, you guessed right ... featuring ginger tabby cats, a charity shopped belt and ditto beads and a brooch found at a flea market in November.






Both the jacket and the boots have already featured on this blog a couple of times before, as they are firm favourites.

As for our charity shopping trip: it wasn't much of a success.

Apart from the St. Rita plaster bust I showed you in my previous post, I only found a fake fur jacket for € 8 and a scarf for € 1.









We were going to stop in at another shop on our way back but changed our minds as the weather was far too gorgeous to be spent inside.

So, in remembrance of my dad, we stopped by at the place where we said goodbye to him, one of the playing grounds of his childhood.


Between 1859 and 1864, a chain of eight fortresses was constructed around the city of Antwerp, seven of which are still in existence today.

One of them, sadly, had to make way for a busy road and a shopping centre ...


The majority of the remaining fortresses were sold to the local communities in the 1970s and have been converted to semi nature reserves and landscape parks, while some of the buildings house museums or are being used by local clubs and societies.


As you can see, I already donned my new coat and scarf for the occasion, although it wasn't nearly cold enough to be wearing a fake fur coat.

My dad's fortress, as I will call it, has - among other things - a tram museum, a nature class and a co-working space. Wouldn't mind working there, actually. There's also a well-established bat sanctuary which is normally out of bounds and can only be visited once a year with a guide.



You can walk all around the fortress's moat, which is teeming with wildlife. Apart from the ubiquitous ducks, geese and moorhens, several fish-diving cormorants can be spotted.

In the late December sun, the red brick walls of the buildings, with their many decorative details, were positively glowing.


The peeling and cracked paintwork, pockmarked sandstone details, and rampant ivy, moss and lichen only add to the buildings' evocative charm.


Part of the path which follows the moat in my dad's fortress passes through some of the derelict buildings.



Any glass has long ago disappeared from this room's windows, and its exposure to the elements has allowed the woodwork to rot and a carpet of leaves to settle on the cobbled floor.




Eventually, we returned to the water's edge for the final stretch of our walk before heading back to our car.









A last photo opportunity before calling it a day: these ducks were particularly obliging, posing on a waterlogged branch, accompanied by their topsy-turvy reflections in the moat's gently rippling water.














35 comments:

  1. Ooh, I do love decaying buildings, such lovely photos, and your gorgeous Autumnal coloured outfit is divine, especially your new velvet skirt! xxx

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    1. Thanks Claire. I love it when old decaying building are being taken over by nature. xxx

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  2. That skirt! You and I could never go thrifting together. It'd be war. I love all your outfit and all the special details you've added.

    What a lovely walk.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Thanks Suzanne. I can sort of imagine the tug of war going on ... xxx

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  3. Your new velvet skirt is gorgeous, especially with your kitty cat shirt. Sounds like it's been really mild over in Belgium, same as here, but according to the news it's all about to turn so maybe it will be fake fur weather soon! Nice to go on that walk and remember your dad. xxx

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    1. I will call it my kitty cat shirt from now on. We're sort of going from mild to cold and back again. Even had some snow in the meantime. Definitely fake fur weather! xxx

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  4. You look amazing in those colours! Oooh, I am so very jealous of that kitty blouse.

    How obliging and polite of those ducks to pose for you! Aside from the sparse thirfty finds, it looks like you had the perfect day.

    Happy thrifting ;)

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    1. That kitty blouse was a lucky find, me being a cat lover. Oh, the joys of thrifting! xxx

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  5. That is quite some place - very interesting! Love the colours of your skirt - gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks Liz. It's a lovely place to walk and only a 10 minute drive from us at the most. xxx

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  6. What a beautiful place your Dad's former playground is! I would love to explore it. Gorgeous colours in your outfit. X

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    1. Although it's accessible now, when my dad grew up it was out of bounds, especially during the war. Which never stopped him and his friends, obviously ... xxx

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  7. such beautiful landscapes and very interesting buildings!
    Lovely outfit, and lovely color combo, I like particularly your accessories and all those orange shades! and the kitties!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica. The kitties seem to be everybody's favourite. I really should wear that shirt more. xxx

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  8. romantic stroll in this overgrown fortress! and with a very personal connection.....
    chic ensemble with that velvet skirt and the blouse with lisbeth´s face all over it :-) your new fur looks very elegant and cosy!
    huge hugs! xxxxx

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    1. Thanks Beate. As you know, I love a winter walk. Will return to the fortress in spring and summer too. xxx

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  9. You do take us to some interesting places Ann and I can just imagine the damp, musty smell within the walls of those buildings. That new velvet skirt of yours is a beaut and looks so warm. By the way I'm glad to hear that Mr. S is pleased with his new title! x

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    1. There's a special atmosphere in those buidings, which is kind of enhanced by the musty smell. Yesterday, Jos sent me a text, signed ... Mr. S! xxx

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  10. I have a similar skirt Ann, I like how you've teamed it up with the cat blouse. I'm going to have another look at mine and try it with grey.
    I'm a succour for old buildings, I've been with Philip sometimes when he gets a job in an old textile mill and i've been able to get some great shots of old walls and doors etc.
    Another thing we have in common my friend. haha
    Im staying in today as we have got snow and its no fun living on top of two hills. Unless you are kiddy with a sledge xxx

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    1. At first, although I loved the skirt, I didn't know what to wear with it. Everything looked wrong until I tried the cat blouse. We do seem to have a lot in common, don't we? xxx

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  11. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love your kitty shirt!

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  12. That fortress looks so interesting, derelict buildings like that fascinate me and I often wonder what they look like inside.

    Great to see that you're rockin' yet another fab winter outfit and I love that velvet skirt on you - its perfect! xxx

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    1. Thank you! I'm fascinated by derelict buildings too, but they are not often accessible. Here at least you can have a look inside some of them. xxx

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  13. That's such a lovely place to go and remember your dad.

    Like everyone else, I'm mad for your kitty print shirt, but the skirt is also beautiful. The ducks are better behaved for you. When I approach they fly off cackling, "Better luck next time, lady. Ha ha!"

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    1. Those ducks were kind of sleepy. Usually they won't pose for me either ... xxx

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  14. What an interesting place, thank you for sharing your dads playground with us.

    Love your cosy outfit! We've had a cold snap here, it quite took me by surprise last night when we went out. I was so pleased to get home for a cup of tea and a donut xxx

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    1. Thanks Melanie. We are having a cold snap here too. I guess that the weather in the South of England is similar to ours here in Belgium a lot of the time ... xxx

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  15. That tabby cat blouse is splendidly bonkers. Love it!

    I redonate stuff to charity shops all the time - things are only a couple of pounds, so if I get them home and they don't fit, I just regard myself as having made a donation to the charity and redonate the item. That velvet skirt is really nice, I can see why someone would have taken a chance on it.

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    1. So do I, Mim, and I often take a chance at the Think Twice sales too. Usually I know my size by sight, but I do get it wrong sometimes. At just a couple of euros, it isn't worth wasting you time in the fitting room queue. xxx

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  16. Kitty blooooooooooouse!! I love it! I have quite often bought things from charity shops and they don't fit so I return them unworn!!!

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    1. I must say that I'm getting quite good at knowing my size at sight, but yes, it happens to me too. They either go back to charity or get given to a friend. xxx

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  17. Thanks for sharing such a nice piece of information with us.White Chalk

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