Hop fields and artworks

Oh my, how time flies! When I last posted, I'd just finished packing our bags for our week away, and here I am two weeks later, our holiday having whizzed by in the blink of an eye. 

I've been back on the hamster wheel since Tuesday,with the inevitable chaos I returned to at work having already sapped a large portion of the energy I'd gathered while we were away. Now, I'm finally sitting down and making a start with my travelogue, hoping to revive some of it while I'm reliving it all, one perfect day at a time. And perfect it definitely was, even if the weather gods did their best to throw one or two spanners in the works. 

My holiday wardrobe was built around a handful of maxi skirts, which I wore on ration, and a selection of short-sleeved tops and long-sleeved blouses to meet with all kinds weather, plus a cardigan or two for layering. 

The sturdy denim skirt I travelled in, which has two generous slits at the sides, was a second-hand find from the Shropshire Cat Rescue charity shop in Shrewsbury in June 2022. The  yellow patterned Wow To Go blouse was a local charity shop find in February 2024. 

After a reasonably straightforward drive of just under two hours, we arrived in Poperinge mid-afternoon on Saturday the 30th of August. We'd stopped at the local supermarket to buy the ingredients for our evening meal and breakfast before making our way to our long-time happy place, Marjolein Guesthouse. 

No matter how many times we've been here, our hearts are always making leaps of joy when we open the cottage's French windows to step onto the balcony with its enchanting view across the domain and the patchwork fields of the landscape beyond. It was looking particularly painterly with a congregation of white clouds scudding across a blue sky.

It's easy to ignore the often busy road at the front, leading to border town Watou, at this time of year mostly frequented by agricultural traffic bringing in the harvest. As usual, hop picking hadn't yet started in the fields across the road, but as we have learned that hops are a crop which is regular as clockwork, we knew it would only be a matter of days before we'd spot the familiar red hop picking machine.

Marjolein Guesthouse might have made its first appearance here on the blog in September 2016, our initial visit was four years prior, in 2012. As our first journey here was nothing if not traumatic, it is testimony to the charm of the cottage and the area in general that we kept returning again and again and that we were now here for the 15th time.

Ready for a trip down memory lane?

Down memory lane ...

Setting the time machine's control for 2012, we won't forget our very first trip to Poperinge in a hurry.

Here we were trundling along the motorway when, just after passing the city of Ghent, our car - a pea green Renault Twingo - gave up on us. Thankfully, Jos had the presence of mind to steer her towards the hard shoulder. As we have breakdown insurance, we made a phone-call and soon one of their mechanics pulled up in front of us. I remained in the car, and in my mind's eye I can still see him opening the bonnet, taking one look and slowly shaking his head. The verdict, which sealed our car's lot, was that the timing belt had broken.

The upside was that the insurance covered a replacement car for five days, which was exactly the length of our holiday. Still, it was hours later than planned and with shattered nerves that we drove through the cottage's gates for the very first time!

Now, let's return to the here and now, or rather, to Sunday the 31st of August.

Drawing our curtains, we were delighted to see the landscape beyond our window bathed in golden early morning sunshine. Sadly, our luck wouldn't last, as an army of angry-looking clouds was doing away with the last traces of blue while we were having breakfast. Sure enough, it didn't take long for them to release their liquid load.

We had plans for the afternoon, but nothing was set in stone for the morning, so we decided to stay put until the rain clouds had departed elsewhere. According to the weather app on Jos's phone, their departure would be imminent ... 

When, finally, by late morning, the rain had been reduced to a light drizzle, we grabbed our coats and umbrellas and drove to Poperinge - our cottage is on the outskirts of the town - for our usual exploratory stroll.

Having parked our car around the corner, we made our way to the Grote Markt (market square). Before we reached our destination, however, it started raining more heavily again, which made us duck into a doorway at the side of the town hall. Here, the prison cells - dating from 1913 - and execution pole in the courtyard beyond can be visited. During World War I, many Belgian, British and French soldiers spent one or more nights here. They were mostly sentenced for drunkenness or for staying away from their quarters. 

For some soldiers, however, this was death row. It was where they spend their last hours, waiting to be executed. At least four soldiers were executed here and in one of the cells there's a very haunting cinematic impression of a soldier waiting to be shot at dawn.

The rain seemed to have taken a brief respite while we'd been inside, so we continued to the Grote Markt which turned out to be partially cordoned off due to a festival which had taken place on Friday and Saturday. 

Most of the cafés lining the square seemed to be closed as well, and as we weren't prepared to join the posse of cyclists which had descended on the terrace of the only one which was in business, we decided to forego refuelling with our usual cups of cappuccino.

We walked as far as Talbot House to photograph its façade and front door (above, top right) for Jos's daughter An who is about to check in there as we speak. By now, the rain clouds were back from their break with a vengeance ...  

Returning to our car, we were thankful we'd brought our umbrellas. Nevertheless, I might have been tempted by one of those see-through ones if the shop in question hadn't been closed on a Sunday.

Back at the cottage, we had sandwiches washed down with glasses of non-alcoholic beer while watching the comings and goings of the waterfowl on the pond. 

The rain clouds having finally tired themselves out, a blue sky reigned once more, even if the mercury wouldn't climb beyond 20°C that day. 

Then, after a little siesta, we were ready for our afternoon activity. Just a 5-minute drive up the road from Marjolein, we first visited Museumhuis Lucien De Gheus  on the last day of last year's holiday.

We'd vowed to return this year, and as it is only open on weekend afternoons in the Summer months, this lazy Sunday afternoon, with all of our holiday still in front of us, sounded like the perfect opportunity.

The museum is located in the house of local sculptor and ceramist Lucien De Gheus (1927-2013), who was successful in the post-war fifties and sixties, his main oeuvre consisting of sculpture, ceramic objects and bas-reliefs. 

By will Lucien De Gheus left his house and possessions to the foundation Private Stichting Lucien De Gheus – Druant, in order to open up his artistic legacy to the public. He also stipulated that the foundation promoted contemporary art by organizing Summer exhibitions.

This year's exhibition was called Keikoppen, which translates as cobble heads, the nickname of the inhabitants of Poperinge, and a symbol of stubbornness and resilience.

The work of the 30 contemporary artists which comprises this year's exhibition is dotted all over the house and garden, cheek to jowl with Lucien's prolific output.

Above, top left: 2023 IV, 2023 by Leyla Aydoslu

Above, top bottom right: Brick Cast Planter, 2024 by Bram Vanderbeke

Above, bottom left: Twigs, 2025, made in situ by the artist Filip Dujardin

There's a large studio in the garden which showcases some of Lucien's work, a sample of all the artistic disciplines he excelled in : stained glass, paintings, glazed tiles, ceramics and furniture to name but a few.

There were some textiles on show among the artist's tools in the picturesque little shed.

The house, which was designed and built by the artist himself, was meant to be a sculptor’s home right from the start, with a large and high hall/exposition area, a heatable winter studio and a summer studio with high windows to the north to let in neutral light.  

The artwork on the work bench is by Edith Dekyndt, who created it especially for this exhibition, using one of the leftover pieces of wood stacked in Lucien's atelier and adding a digitally created mask, blurring nature and technology in the process.

The artwork I'm studying (above, top right) is called Courtyard Tales III (2017-2018) and is by Berlinde De Bruyckere. If her name sounds familiar, it is she of the giant maces in Middelheim sculpture park.

The felt and plaster hand is by Helena Cnockaert and the drawings on the bottom left are by Ante Timmermans.

Before venturing into the artist's eclectic home itself, we made use of the honesty bar and rested our feet at one of the little tables dotted around the garden. The non-alcoholic lager available was called Cristal and sadly it doesn't come recommended as it was utterly tasteless. Still refreshing, though, but we could have had water instead ...

We absolutely love the juxtaposition of the various works of art with the paraphernalia of daily life as lived by Lucien and his wife Suzanne, who moved into the house in August 1962 and stayed there until their deaths, in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

On the top right is another artwork belonging to the exhibtion. The rust steel structure is called Fireworks model 48 and is by Muller Van Severen, a Belgian duo creating sculpturally interesting furniture objects.

The tiny sculptures on the shelves in the centre of the collage are prototypes for the sculpture of Master Ghybe - a folkloristic figure dating back to the Middle Ages - which has been taking pride of place on Poperinge's Grote Markt since 2005.

Returning to our temporary home, we made a little detour to Nine Elms British Cemetery, one of the plethora of Commonwealth War Graves around here, which unfortunately was closed off due to restoration. That'll be for next year then!

Before calling it a day - and refuelling our energies for Monday's activities - let me show you what I was wearing. 

Embroidered linen maxi skirt: Zara Summer sales 2022

King Louie short-sleeved floral jumper, waterfall cardigan and wooden necklace: charity shopped

Belt: Think Twice

Golden ballerinas: gift from a friend

See you soon!

Sunday to Sunday

By the time this post is published, our bags will be packed and our team of catsitters will have received the necessary instructions on how to wait on our spoiled little madam!  By this time tomorrow we'll be ensconced in our happy place in Poperinge for the second time this year. We're fully determined to enjoy every moment, no matter how many spanners the weather gods decide to throw in the works, 

But a promise is a promise, so before I go, here's a quick catch up of what I've been wearing, buying and doing in the week after our day trip abroad.

When we woke up to a mix of clouds and showers on Sunday the 27th of July, we thanked our lucky stars for the breezy yet sunny weather we'd been treated to in Middelburg. Still, with the day's highs of 22°C, we couldn't really complain about the temperature, which was more or less the same as on Saturday.

I was wearing a thin knit short-sleeved orange jumper - a sales bargain back in the Summer of 2022 - which I combined with my recently charity shopped midi skirt with its Art Deco style pattern. 

While the jumper tied in with the tiny bits of orange in the skirt's pattern, I paid homage to the browns with my accessories. These included a charity shopped beaded necklace, my stretchy belt with hexagonal faux tortoise-shell buckle (a cheeky retail buy) and a butterfly brooch picked up from a flea market.

Monday was a dark, grey and dismal day, its highs of 21°C unable to do away with the cotton wool which seemed to have lodged in my brain.

Thankfully, it wasn't too busy at work, so that catching up with last Friday's emails was a doddle for once. 

My lunch break took me along Antwerp's main shopping thoroughfare, where shop windows were touting the last of the sales bargains. It was almost inevitable that I'd succumb to this pair of steeply reduced green Miz Mooz shoes!

Although initially presenting a sunny outlook, we were treated to a thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rain just as I was about to go on my break on Tuesday. Typically, the rainclouds had decided to depart elsewhere in the afternoon, when sunny spells were again the order of the day.

My outfit of the day - which I would rewear on Wednesday - consisted of some old favourites, starting with a denim maxi skirt I found in the Shropshire Cat Rescue charity shop in Shrewsbury in June 2022.

And yes, it is a skirt, although the wind was doing its best to make it look like a pair of wide-legged trousers!

The crazily patterned top is vintage but my memory fails me as to whether I picked it up from Think Twice or a charity shop, although I'm pretty sure it was the latter which provided the white pleated leather belt, originally from Esprit.

I decided on shades of green for the rest of my accessories, but while the carved plastic heart brooch matches the fern green bits in my top almost exactly, the grassy green of my necklace is a little out of tune. Still, it manages to more or less match the green of the jungle-like foliage in the passageway, so there's that!

More often than not, Wednesdays are synonym with a cappuccino catch-up with my friend Inez during my lunch break. Our place of choice being the coffee bar in the nearest Think Twice shop to my office, it is almost a given that a quick trawl of the rails is part of the deal.

The shop having just opened their doors to the new collection after the sales, the rails were full to bursting with new stuff.  This blue, diagonally striped box-pleated midi skirt wormed its way into my wardrobe.

Drum roll please! My blog has finally reached the month of August!

The month didn't go off to the best of starts, though. The weather gods insisted on presenting us with a day filled with showers, which made it feel quite a bit cooler than the 21°C shown on the thermometer. I mean, I even felt the need to wear long sleeves!

But I just love a Breton top, particularly when it comes in this lovely shade of fern green. Its colour was hard to pin down with my camera, but is closest to its actual colour in the outfit photo.

The flower-sprinkled silk blend skirt was a recent Think Twice sales bargain, as was the belt, which I've been reaching for a lot since I found it back in June. 

My glass ring was bought on the high street, while both the necklace and brooch were vintage finds.

What with the abysmal weather keeping us inside Dove Cottage for most of the day, we decided to go for a rummage after lunch, driving over to the three-floored charity shop in Duffel.

While Jos repaired to the coffee corner with a book he'd selected from the shop's shelves, I descended into the basement, which is completely devoted to clothing and textiles. After trawling the aisles and filling my basket with any items which tickled my fancy, I made my way to the fitting rooms.

It was only when I was about to try things on that I noticed the short-sleeved button-through maxi dress (above) and the pleated maxi skirt (below, top and bottom right) had exactly the same floral pattern! After some dilly-dallying, I declared them both fit to take home. Both the dress and skirt are from a JBC, a Belgian chain of high street shops.

The 100% cotton tiered off-white skirt sprinkled with lavender flowers is by Lollys Laundry, a Copenhagen-based Danish fashion brand founded in 2007. 

Both skirts have been worn in the meantime, but I've as yet to wear the dress.

My final find of the day was this delightful mustard floral patterned blouse with frilly yoke, which I can see myself wearing with the Lollys Laundry skirt. Incidentally, it's by Kaffe, which is yet another Danish label.

Rain continued to play havoc with our plans on Saturday, when the temperature dropped to just 19°C.

After catching up on chores and photographing my latest finds, we had some errands to run. As these took us past our most local charity shop, it would have been downright silly not to stop for a quick browse.

But let's have a look at what I was wearing first. I'm not blaming you if your eye is instantly drawn to the wide violet belt, which I'd picked up from the charity shop in Duffel on Friday. I'd omitted showing it to you since I knew I'd be wearing it straight away.

I hadn't worn this vintage faux-patchwork patterned dress in absolutely ages, so that it was long overdue an outing. It's from a label called Carol Caroline, for which, apart from a couple of 1970s references, I drew a blank online. I've got a wonderful short-sleeved jumper from the same label as well (see here) which, admittedly, has even been more neglected than the dress. I know, too many clothes, too little time ...

My other accessories were a beaded necklace in a similar shade to the belt and a brooch, which is often mistaken for vintage but which I bought from H&M in the early noughties.

So what did I do? Buy even more clothes, obviously :-)

I couldn't resist the yellow cotton blend long-line cardigan with its garlands of embroidered flowers and was seduced by the silver and blue leaf pattern of the top, which is by the Dutch Anna Scott label.

I also found this silky blue floral trousers, which much to my joy was exact the right length for me. It was only when I wore them on Sunday that I noticed it was considerably shortened by its previous owner, which must have been as vertically challenged as me!

I wore them with a green short-sleeved thin knit jumper (an old sales bargain from Sweet Soda), a wooden beaded necklace from Accessorize and a charity shopped flower embroidered denim jacket.

We'd slept late-ish, but as we'd woken up to sunshine and wanted to make the most of the forecasted highs of 23°C, we wasted no time in going for a walk.

Our destination of choice was Den Brandt, part of the cluster of parks which also comprises the sculpture park, and which is in fact directly opposite one of the entrances to Middelheim-Laag.

You've been here with me many times before, so I'll just whizz you through. As usual, we entered the park via the picking garden, where we went straight for the Gautam Buddha. Among the gifts he'd received was a selection of apples, flowers and herbs, as well as the usual array of lost objects. It seems he'd got a letter as well ... I wonder what was in it. We were briefly tempted to find out but didn't want to invade his privacy.

Rusty limbs oiled and stretched and heads duly cleared, we returned home, ready for another week's worth of August days.

But that will be for another time, as our next set of adventures beckons.

See you at the other side!

Out and about

Excuse me for being tardy yet again! Work was rather full-on this week, leaving me with little or no energy and sore eyes so that, but for a couple of quick visits to blogland, I was forced to limit my screen time in the evenings.

However, I'd made a pact with myself to at least be caught up with the month of July before we're off on our next adventure, so I'd better stop beating about the bush and get on with things. This time next week, I'll probably be in a frenzy of packing for our week away, but for now let's return to July's penultimate week.

It was the day after my visit to the dentist and, being completely free of pain and the need for taking painkillers for the first time in many weeks, I was feeling on top of the world.

It was a day of mixed weather, with sunny spells alternating with cloudy ones, and highs into the low twenties. 

Determined to make the most of my vintage Summer frocks, which lately I'd been neglecting in favour of skirts, I was wearing this black floral butterfly-sleeved one. A Think Twice sales bargain in May 2024, with its lightweight crepey fabric it's an absolute joy to wear.

I picked up the sky blue of the forget-me-not-like flowers in its print with my swallows-in-flight brooch and even my necklace - a recent sales bargain from Mango - has a single sky blue one among its multi-coloured beads.

As I strolled into the direction of the nearest Think Twice shop to my office during my lunch break, the wide open doors of the Handelsbeurs (Stock Exchange) at the end of the cul-de-sac were beckoning me. Only open during the school holidays, it had been a while since I'd been inside this architectural gem.

Originally opened in 1531, it has been called the Mother of all Stock Exchanges since it provided the blueprint for many others across Europe. The building, which was designed by the Antwerp architect Domien De Waghemakere (1460-1542), burnt down on two occasions, in 1583 and 1858. After the last fire it was rebuilt in a rather opulent neo-Gothic style. The originally open courtyard was covered with a spectacular iron-and-glass dome, which was added in 1853 by the engineer Charles Marcellis (1798-1864).

After losing its function as a stock exchange in 1997, the building stood vacant for 20 years. However, following a thorough restoration, visitors can now once again enjoy its impressive interior. 

When I was finally able to tear myself away from all that splendour, I retraced my steps and went for a rummage at Think Twice, whose shop is situated a little further along the same street. As this was the final day of one of their famous rounds of sales, everything was going for € 1. I don't think I've ever found anything on a € 1, but apparently I was in luck ... 

Clutching my finds, I joined the long line at the till, when I suddenly noticed a girl who was wearing a dress with a very familiar print. Turned out that she'd bought it from my flea market stall the previous week! We ended up chatting and marvelling at the coincidence! 

Courtesy of Belgium's National Holiday on Monday the 21st, it was only a three-day working week, with Friday rolling along in no time.

Sunshine and showers kept playing a game of tag all day, but with highs of 24°C wearing a breezy Summer outfit was of the essence.  I fell in love with the navy, flower sprinkled vintage C&A skirt at Think Twice in May 2024, while the petrol coloured top - which is by posh label Essentiel Antwerp - was charity shopped a couple of months later. 

The skirt's double zig-zag rows of orange stitching were matched by my necklace - one of my most hardworking ones, picked up from a Welsh antiques centre in 2017 - and my recently found pleated leather belt, whose other colours refer to the ones in the skirt's pattern as well. The enamelled butterfly brooch was a flea market find.

With the weather gods in a foul mood all week, we'd kept a close watch on the forecast, as we had plans for Saturday. With rain forecasted in the morning one day, and in the afternoon the next, those who are supposedly in the know kept us on our toes all week until finally on Friday it looked set to stay dry all day.

Desperate for a change of scenery, we'd decided on a trip abroad, to the wonderful city of Middelburg in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Those who have been following me for a while might remember our previous visits here. We even stayed there for a couple of days in a gorgeous airbnb - which is sadly no longer in business - in November 2018 and November 2019.

After leaving our car in a street near our former airbnb, where parking is free of charge, a leisurely 10-minute walk crossing two canals in succession took us into the heart of the city.

Crossing the first of the canals, we were greeted by the familiar sight of whitewashed windmill De Hoop, which was originally built in 1735. For the very first time, though, we were able to see its sails turning, so that we made a detour in its direction to make this short video.

Just before crossing the bridge over the second canal, we admired the striking 17th-century Kloveniersdoelen building.  Among other things, the building has served as a training space for the kloveniers (archers), a military hospital and the Provincial Music Library. while nowadays it features a cinema and a café.

Across the bridge is Langeviele, a traffic-free shopping street. It was still too early for lunch, so we walked its length until we arrived at the Markt or market square.

Middelburg's magnificent gothic town hall, which was built between 1452 and 1520, is taking pride of place here. We feasted our eyes on its fascinating details, its façade featuring gargoyles, the statues of Zeeland's counts and countesses, the turrets, gothic windows and the distinctive red and white wooden shutters. Its main tower, which boasts a clock and carillon, is mockingly called Malle Betje (Mad Beth), as it used to run behind the town's other clock tower, the Lange Jan (Long John).

Hunger pangs guided us back along Langeviele, where we had lunch at our favourite restaurant, Reynaert & Co.  At 22°C, but with a gentle breeze, we were able to sit outside on its sheltered terrace at the front, where we could people watch while savouring Spanish toasties and glasses of  La Trappe Nillis, a non-alcoholic Dutch trappist beer.

Afterwards, we strolled back into the direction of the Markt, where we were slightly disappointed by the absence of the flea market which was taking place here last Summer. Instead, there were a couple of market stalls lining the square, including a giant one selling all manner of cheese. There was no denying we were in the Netherlands!

Middelburg is a city brimming with historic sites. Second only to Amsterdam, Middelburg once had the largest number of historic buildings. When the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was in its heyday, Middelburg was one of the most important cities in the Netherlands, and there are still many reminders  of this Golden Age here, with over 1100 listed buildings in the old town.

Continuing on one of the shopping streets leading away from the Markt, we soon spotted the aforementioned Lange Jan. The iconic 14th century Lange Jan tower belongs to a large abbey complex. With its 90 metres, the tower is soaring above the town and is visible from far and wide in Zeeland's flat-as-a-pancake landscape.

The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church, above) too is part of the historic Abbey complex, which dates back to the 12th century. During the 14th and 15th centuries, two churches were created from the original singel church. The Koorkerk (Choir Church) was intended for monastics and the Nieuwe Kerk for parishioners.

The Nieuwe Kerk is used by the Protestant Congregation of Middelburg, and it's where Jos took a breather while I photographed the interior, most notably its striking organs. In spite of its ancient looks, the current Van Leeuwen organ (above, top centre and top right) was built in 1954 to replace the original organ which was lost in May 1940 to the ravages of war. The second, modern, organ (above, below centre) dates from 1985.

We then sauntered through the atmospheric cloisters towards the abbey courtyard, where we stopped for outfit photos. Jos was wearing rust-coloured C&A trousers, a St. George by Duffer shirt, which was a gift from Vix & Jon, and a State of Art blazer bought from a gentlemen's outlet shop here in Middelburg last Summer. Oh, and his best Panama, which had thankfully survived the previous week's rain unscathed.

I was wearing the pleated green and white zig-zaggy maxi skirt I charity shopped back in June, combined with a green plaid patterned King Louie-by-way-of- a-charity shop blouse and topped with my beloved denim jacket from Think Twice. 

We kept wandering at will, strolling through the Kuiperspoort (above, top left), a picturesque cobbled courtyard lined with historical gabled houses and warehouses, which was built by the coopers guild between 1586 and 1642.

We emerged from the Kuiperspoort onto the Rouaanse Kaai. Around 1540, a new harbour was constructed in Middelburg, which was accessible via a canal that had been dug shortly before. Along the route to the new harbour, quays were named after the type of trade (e.g. beer or peat) or the origin of the trade – in this case, the French city of Rouen.

There are no less than 26 listed monuments on this stretch of quay, including 23 residential houses from the 18th and 19th centuries.

We watched the world go by for a while, sitting on a bench at the edge of the canal, waving back to the tourists who were enjoying a boat trip around Middelburg. 

Then we walked back to the city centre for an afternoon treat. As always, we ended up in Wooncafé for scrumptious slices of Mon Chou cheesecake and cups of cappuccino. 

Tired, but happy - it had been Jos's first full-day excursion since the start of his health problems last September - we then decided to call it a day and traipse all the way back through the town to where we'd left our car. 

I'm leaving you with a final peephole view of the Lange Jan, taken through the framework of climbers decorated with birdcages in Middelburg's quirky Reigerstraat.

If all goes well, I'll be back with a final July update on Friday. Who know, I might even be able to venture into August. Hope to see you again then!