Wednesday 21 November 2018

Going Dutch

In the beginning of this year - call it a New Year's Resolution if you like - we promised ourselves to get away more often and thus to regularly treat ourselves to short (and longer!) holidays.

With our long weekend in Bruges in April, our holiday in Shropshire in June, and our usual week in Belgium's west country in September, we were well on our way to achieve the goal we'd set ourselves.

Back in October we were casting around for a fourth and final getaway in November and, inspired by Tina's post about her visit to Zeeland in Holland, we decided this would be the perfect place to spend a couple of days.

After all, Zeeland, which is in the south-west of Holland, is only a stone's throw from where we live!

The Dutch province of Zeeland consists of a number of islands and peninsulas, with large parts being below sea level - hence its name, meaning "sealand" -  as well as a strip of land bordering Belgium.


Our destination settled, we then started trawling the Internet and found exactly what we were looking for on airbnb: a compact little house on the outskirts of Middelburg, Zeeland's capital town, in the middle of the Walcheren peninsula.

And so it was that one week ago, on a bright and sunny Wednesday, we made the short journey of just  over an hour to Eveline's cottage, which turned out to be even more delightful than the photos on airbnb had promised.


We arrived shortly after midday, with a whole afternoon still ahead of us. 

After being welcomed by Eveline, and subsequently eating the packed lunch we'd brought, we explored the little house which would be our home for the next three days, making ourselves comfortable and looking forward to spending evenings cosying up in front of  the wood burner.

I took quite a fancy to the Art Deco style armchair, the pretty wallpaper on the stairwell and yes, the toilet seat in the bathroom with its Delft style decoration featuring the ubiquitous windmill!



Leading off the cozy sitting room was a well equipped kitchen with dining area while upstairs, under the sloping roof, a light and roomy bedroom with a comfortable, adjustable bed awaited us.


The house's location, on a quiet, narrow one-way street, couldn't have been better either. Even if there was no on-site parking, there was plenty of free parking space on a parallel street just a few minutes' walk away.

The car could easily be left behind for a stroll into town, taking less than ten minutes at a leisurely pace, starting along and over a picturesque canal with a park laid out on the old town ramparts on the opposite side.


We crossed a second canal in front of the Kloveniersdoelen, an imposing building dating from 1609, which now houses a restaurant, but which served as a place of exercise for the army and a military hospital in its chequered history.


Having crossed the bridge we walked along one of the town's main shopping streets, the Langeviele, where a souvenir shop dedicated to all things Zeeland caught our eye. Or rather, the display of slippers in the shape of traditional Dutch clogs did. Tacky they might very well be, but I'm sure you'll agree that there was no way I could have left this pink pair decorated with the iconic Dutch kissing boy and girl behind ...



Soon we caught our first glimpse of Middelburg's most famous - and certainly most visible - landmark, the Lange Jan (lang or lange means long in Dutch), the 90,5 meter high tower belonging to the town's extensive abbey complex which was established around 1100 by Flemish monks.

Even though we were planning a more in-depth visit in a day or two, I couldn't stop making photographs of the slender wedding cake layered tower which is the town's emblem and visible from far and wide in the area's pancake flat landscape.

And it's a good thing I did ... but you'll read all about that in one of my next posts!


There's yet another Flemish connection to the town's magnificent gothic town hall, built between 1452 and 1520 by several generations of the Flemish family of architects Keldermans, originating from the town of Mechelen.

Dominating the market square, the richly decorated building, with its profusion of statues and little turrets and charming red, white and yellow shutters, was bathing in the golden Autumn sunlight.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that this is considered one of the finest gothic buildings in the Netherlands. In fact, in 2007, exactly 555 years after the first stone was laid, it was voted the second finest building in the country.


By then, our feet were getting tired and our throats dry, so we dived into the first inviting looking place for a restorative cup of coffee and a slice of cake. The establishment we'd walked into turned out to be an Italian ice cream parlour and, apart from the cakes, our coffee came with complimentary mini ice cream cones as well as lots of cream!

You can catch a brief glimpse of my green floral print dress and orange polka dotted cardigan here.


Emerging from the café, the sun was starting to dip towards the horizon, illuminating the city's streets and squares with her final, fiery light of the day.

Back at the market square, a brightly lit up stall selling traditional "oliebollen" (a kind of deep-fried, ball-shaped doughnuts) was ready for business, with a handful of hungry city birds hanging around hoping for a handout.


After our late afternoon snack, we weren't the least bit hungry so, instead of searching out a restaurant for our evening meal, we did some food shopping at the local supermarket before returning to our cottage.


The sun had dipped even lower by then, the yellow ball of fire changed to hues of tangerine and pink, casting the stark, leafless silhouettes of the trees in a wintry glow.

A handful of trees still wearing their Autumn hues were reflected in the tranquil, mirror-like surface of the water.

In the houses beyond the canal, people were starting their evening routines. Here and there, twinkling lights appeared in windows, before the curtains were drawn on the approaching darkness outside.



Before retreating indoors, we did a brief photo session, with me posing against the sunlit red brick side wall of our cottage. Note the two tiny bedroom windows high up in the wall and the charming curlicued gable ends.

I'm wearing brick red tights, a red beret, my burgundy crushed velvet scarf and burgundy cross-body bag to compliment my lightweight, checked Winter coat. I'm positively glowing with all these reds!


One last glimpse of the picturesque windmill, which would tempt me to take its picture every time we passed. 

By now, a timid slice of moon had joined the retreating sun for the grand finale, the sun's fireworks making way for the dusky blanket of the night.

Time to go inside and light the fire.

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style as usual, as well as to Nancy's Fancy Friday.

27 comments:

  1. I think your idea to go away more is a great idea! I'm trying to do something similar; visiting places in the UK I haven't been to. It started with Rye and Eastbourne...

    Your cottage looks lovely and the place seems so interesting. That wonderful town hall for starters.

    Loved your pink slippers; just perfect for lounging by the wood stove! I hope you continued to have a fabulous time in Zeeland.
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you Veronica! It's always fun going somewhere you haven't been to, even if it is just around the corner! xxx

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  2. I love those sunset photos, they're absolutely beautiful.
    The house you stayed in looks perfect for a break and I'm enjoying hearing about Zealand, not somewhere I know anything about but it looks very picturesque. I love the gothic architecture. xxx

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    1. Zeeland...auto correct has got me again!

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    2. The things autocorrect makes me write ... especially on my phone where autocorrect is in Dutch, and I'm trying to write in English ;-) Zeeland is where New Zealand got its name from, by the way. xxx

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  3. What stunning photos you captured of the sunset!

    You managed to find another very quaint and cozy Air B&B. You can tell you are both pros at this now.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. Thank you Suzanne. I'm very particular about where I want to stay, and usually it's a gut feeling. I'm still waiting for the day when I get it wrong ... xxx

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  4. wonderful sunset photos!!
    what a beautiful location with the quiet waters, picturesque buildings and big trees - and the cottage is just sweet :-D
    good that you showed us you chic coat with all the deep red accessories!
    but i got a sugar shock just from looking at the pic of your coffee table
    ;-DDD
    bug hugs! xxxxx

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    1. Thanks Beate! Can you imagine the sugar shock I got from eating it? xxx

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  5. Such beautiful scenery and architecture! The cottage you stayed in looks so lovely! I love all the windmills! Your slippers are so cute! I definitely would have bought a pair too! It's great that you're treating yourselves to little getaways more often. It's so good for the soul, isn't it?! ;) XXX

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    1. Thank you Sasha, and indeed it's good for the soul to get away, even if only for a couple of days. xxx

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  6. woww, the beautiful landscape, the cottage, the mills, the gothic town hall (love it!!) are amazing, and your fabulous description has made me feel totally involved in the atmosphere of the place. The golden autumn light also played a rol!
    It's lovely that you've accomplished your goal of having more holidays and enjoying both short and long travels. We've also had some short holidays through the year, which has been delightful!
    And obviously, I love your kitschy slippers, they're adorable!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica. I'm glad you love the kitschy slippers ;-) Lots of short(er) holidays is the way to go! xxx

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  7. Oh Middelburg, I love it so much :) Your cottage ist so cute and how great is this delft toiletseat :) This sunset with windmill is stunning.
    Thank you Ann for this wonderful pictures, remember my own vacation in Zeeland. I miss it. ;)
    a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you, Tina, not only for your comment, but for the inspiration behind our little holiday! It was wonderful, and we will return! xxx

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  8. Such fantastic photos! the rental looks dowmnright luxurious compared to some of the places on airbnb. Glad to hear you've been able to make good on your resolution to get away more.

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    1. Thanks Goody! I always go with my gut feeling when searching out holiday accommodation. But I had to trawl through pages of definite no-nos before I found this one. xxx

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  9. Lovely isn't it! Love the oliebollen! We had them a few weeks ago. Delicious!

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  10. Your New Year's resolution was certainly more inspiring than going on a diet or giving up smoking 'cos we get to accompany you on your travels!
    The cottage looks absolutely lovely and the Dutch architecure is beautiful. You captured the sunset a treat and you both look marvellous as always! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I love sharing my travels with you. It's like a virtual scrap album. xxx

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  11. Oh, what a marvelous place! I love the picture of you up against the brick, so many reds and pinks. I would have gotten the clog slipper too - so cute!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! We'd just realized we hadn't done any outfit photos and thought the brick wall at sunset was the perfect backdrop. xxx

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  12. What a wonderful goal you guys had (and accomplished!) for the year! This post is all kinds of heartwarming and charming - beauty in everything!! Love your photos in the plaid coat with shades of red and maroon, and the sunset is gorgeous! What about that Gothic building - what a stunner! Love everything about your post, Ann, thank you for bringing us along!

    Lots of love!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed this, Natalia. It's an absolute pleasure to do these posts! xxx

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  13. And of course being Princess, you had to have pink clogs!! :)

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