Tuesday 8 September 2020

The Great Escape

Hello! Remember me? 

It feels as if it was light years ago since my last post when, in fact, it was less than two weeks! But surely that's a good thing, as it means that I was able to get away from it all and leave at least some of my worries behind.

As holidays are wont to do, ours was over in the blink of an eye. Strangely enough, even though the time seems to have passed quickly, the slower pace at which we lived makes it seem as if we were away for more than just the one week. I'm finding it hard to re-adjust to what for want of a better word I'm calling my normal life, which once again involves alarm clocks and deadlines, even if they still only have to be faced two days a week.

As I'd already hinted in my previous post, the week before our holiday was a hectic one.  Involving three rather than my usual two office days, as well as a visit to the hairdresser, not to mention the dreaded packing, there was hardly any time for outfit photos, which we only managed on Tuesday.

The midi length dress I was wearing, with its striking red and black chevron pattern, is from Dutch fashion label Mexx, picked up for € 4 in a charity shop two years ago. My accessories were a hessian belt, a vintage celluloid flower brooch and a multicoloured necklace from Accessorize, bought when many moons ago they used to have a shop in Antwerp.

I was despairing about having to leave the garden behind, especially our hanging baskets and patio pots, which would have to fend for themselves while we were away.




But then I was greatly cheered up by the arrival of the postman with a package which came all the way from the UK. 

When out charity shopping, the lovely Gisela from Miss Magpie's Musings, happened upon this long-sleeved and pleated vintage dress, which made her think of me. Its pattern is tiny white and yellow dots, and it came with a self-fabric belt, which for a couple of quick shots I replaced with a yellow one. Expect to see more of it this Winter!

Gisela's package also included a pretty Scottie dog print scarf, three necklaces and a brooch. What a heartwarming surprise!


Saturday was spent packing - which went smoothly, as I'd already done it all in my head - and then, finally, Sunday dawned. On a dull, cloudy day, but never mind that. 

On a wing and a prayer, I gave all the pots and baskets a good drenching and then we bade Phoebe goodbye, setting off in a Westerly direction just after midday.

The rain, which had been threatening all morning, arrived in a torrent when we were on the motorway. Fortunately, gaps had appeared in the grey blanket of clouds by the time we reached our destination less than two hours later.




Following all the tight-rope walking and uncertainty of the last five and a half months - not to mention the heart-wrenching cancellation of two holidays - it felt wonderful if slightly unreal to have made it here.

After eight previous visits, the little wooden and thatched studio cottage at Marjolein guesthouse can truly be called a home away from home. Much better than home, actually, as it's so peaceful and quiet.

And then there's the view, which is unsurpassable, with the hop fields across the road at the front and the domain's lake backed by the West-Flemish hills at the side.



The weather forecast had promised us mainly dry but reasonably chilly weather for the week, and as we'd planned to do lots of walking, I'd packed several pairs of trousers.

My travel outfit, however, was one of my Diolen delights, in Autumnal shades on a deep purple background. To combat the chill, I added an orange cardigan. The ochre yellow of the print was my guideline for my belt and beaded necklace, while my brooch loosely referred to most of the dress's colours.


There was no need to leave our little haven again that day, as we'd brought all the ingredients for our evening meal - a salad - as well as breakfast on Monday.

Even doing the dishes was relaxing and it was easy to forget there's a pandemic out there. That's if you don't look too closely at the marks at the bottom of the plates! Arrgh, there's just no escaping it! 


On Monday morning after breakfast, we consulted Jos's weather app, which told us that there might be some light rain late morning, but that there was a 100% chance of rain in the afternoon.

So, instead of our original plan, which was to do a food shop first and then go for a walk, we switched things around and set off for some nearby woods in the morning.

The Sixtusbossen (or Sixtus woods) are a 300 hectares complex of woods, which is cared for by Natuurpunt, the largest Belgian nature conservation organization.



The walk we'd intended to do was supposed to be way-marked, but if it is, we never found any signs, so we just made up our own walk using a walking map of the area.

We'd hardly made a start when some light rain began to fall, so we waited it out in a small clearing surrounded by tree trunks bearing some exquisite carvings of woodland fauna and flora. The rain lasted less than five minutes, so soon we were able to continue our walk.


There were surprises around every corner, including a Madonna statue in an ivy clad tree hollow, a makeshift musical instrument and a sad looking green man with the sharpest of teeth. Ouch!

And what about a giant swing set in the middle of the woods? It had been absolutely ages since either of us had been on a swing and we paused here for a while, reliving long-forgotten childhood moments  by swinging blissfully to and fro.



Our partially self-designed walk meandered through a quilt of woods, meadows and fields heavy with crops, with the scent of approaching Autumn tickling our nostrils.

Then, a bittersweet surprise awaited us at the end of a track: Dozinghem Military Cemetery. 



In preparation for the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, the British army set up a number of extra field hospitals behind the lines. There were three such hospitals in this area, and the soldiers who died of their wounds were buried here. The place Dozinghem does not actually exist. It is the name given to one of the casualty clearing stations by the troops, the others being called Mendinghem and Bandaghem.



Gem or Ghem is a common suffix in Flemish towns and villages, corresponding to the English gham or ham (as in Birmingham), so naming the hospitals after the verbs "to doze", "to mend" and "to bandage" certainly shows that the British troops did not loose their sense of humour, even during the atrocities of war.



After a spot of lunch sitting on a bench just outside the cemetery, we continued our walk, past trees and shrubs laden with Autumn berries, lethal looking fungi, and the ruins of a spaceship, until eventually we arrived back at our car.



Too early to call it a day, we decided to visit the sleepy village of Westvleteren, its claim to fame being the Abbey of St. Sixtus and, more to the point, its brewery.

Here, the monks of  St. Sixtus have been financing their livelihood and the maintenance of the monastery by brewing the much sought-after Westvleteren Trappist beer since 1839, when the abbey received a brewer’s licence signed by king Leopold I.

The monks only sell to private customers and the famous beers can only be purchased through the webshop and  picked up at the sales centre located at the abbey at certain times.




As we do not drink alcohol, it was obvious we weren't there for the beers! 

While St. Sixtus Abbey might be a pilgrimage site for beer aficionados the world over, we took a little pilgrimage of our own, by walking along the tree-lined lane at the right of the abbey towards the Lourdes grotto. 

Apparently, the shrine was built in 1921 out of gratitude that the abbey and its inhabitants were spared destruction and death during the First World War.



Appreciative of all things kitsch, we can never resist visiting these shrines, and usually spend a little money to burn a candle too. Ours is the one in the middle, which was supposed to burn for two days.

On a wing and a prayer and a burning candle ...

Apart from a grandma and her three grandchildren, who were playfully noisy in spite of the sign to be quiet, there was nobody around, so we sat down on one of the benches to have an afternoon snack. 

Then it was back to our car for that dreaded food shop. Back to reality, face masks and ... the silliness of ultraviolet disinfection of supermarket trolleys!



Typically, it didn't rain at all in the afternoon. In fact, the day had turned out to be quite sunny, so back at the cottage I exchanged my green trousers for one of the skirts I'd packed just in case. 

The floral blouse was a charity shop find back in February 2019. You've seen it before, but here's a close-up of the print to jog your memory.

So, that was it for now. I'll be sharing more walking adventures in my next post.

In the meantime, as always, stay safe, sane and positive!


36 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you made it on holiday. Having a familiar place to stay must have been such a relief. Those wood carvings are amazing.

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    1. Thank you Goody! That cottage really feels like a second home after all these years! xxx

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  2. the carvings are fab - and the swing would be mine for hours!
    how lovely to recive such chic dress and accessories from a virtual friend. hope your plant have survived.....
    xxxx

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    1. I really had to tear myself away from that swing! Most of our plants seemed to have survived, just the odd casualty. xxx

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  3. Your getaway looks delightful Ann. I'm fearing another lockdown here in the Uk.I'm beginning to wish I had arranged a short break. I love the tree carvings you found. And how lovely of a blogger friend to think of you like that? Isn't it good the friends we make on the journey xx

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    1. Thank you Laurie! We had to cancel two holidays already, so we were extra glad this one could go ahead. Even a short break can make all the difference! xxx

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  4. Glad you were able to enjoy a short break away. Your accomodation is charming and it does look so peaceful . The carvings are exceptional , I too would have enjoyed a swing. How lovely to receive that dress in the post, the joys of blogging. Hope your pots and baskets and the garden has survived well. Hope your return to work isn't too stressful.

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    1. Thank you Jill. It is a charming and peaceful little place and we still haven't tired of it after all these years. The joys of blogging indeed! Most of our pots and baskets have thankfully survived, which is a relief! xxx

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  5. Who knows why vacation days ... fly! What beautiful gifts you have received! I really like the scarf! Cute your floral dress with the fantastic orange cardigan. Beautiful nature walks. It's really relaxing ... with the first colors of autumn and the scent of the forest! Good evening!
    Carmela

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    1. Thank you Carmela! Vacation days do indeed fly, but they still linger on with all the memories you've created! xxx

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  6. Is this a light denim skirt ? I am sooo happy to see you in holiday and I you know I love to travel with you. ❤️
    To see you on this balkony feeling soo good. Like to see an old friend again!
    Thank you for these wonderful pictures. The Nature around your cottage is so nice and exciting.
    With a very huge hug Tina

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    1. It is a light denim skirt indeed, Tina! I'm still on the lookout for a darker and thicker one, but in the meantime this one will do! xxx

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  7. Welcome back, Ann and Jos! I missed you! I hope Phoebe did too!

    It made me so happy to see your favourite vacation spot again, and to follow your paths through the woods. I would have given that swing a go too! I chuckled at the "ghem" places - I'd guessed at the names' meanings before you confirmed that I was correct. Oh, those Brits!

    I hope the time continues to stretch out for your days off, and speed up for your work days. It's really all a daze, though, isn't it?

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    1. Aww, that's so sweet Sheila! Phoebe did miss us too, it seems, and was quite clingy for a couple of days. Although the main thing she seems to have missed was going out into the garden! xxx P.S. Well done on guessing the names' meanings!

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  8. Lovely to have you back in Blogland and to see you posing on that familiar spot once more.
    I absolutely love that first dress on you and the one Gisela sent you looks wonderful, too.
    What a delightful journey through the woods, Jos and you make such a well-dressed pair of adventurers. xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix, it's good to be back to my blogging routine, although I do wish I was still journeying through those woods! xxx

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  9. I love the forest carvings, it's a beautiful place.
    It sounds like you had a reviving rest.
    The first dress at the top of your blog looks great on you the red and black chevrons are really eye catching.
    Those gifts are lovely, what a fab surprise to get through the post. xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! We had a wonderful time and are once again full of energy. I received so many compliments about that red and black chevron dress that I think I should definitely wear it more! xxx

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  10. Hello Ann. After all the waiting and keeping fingers crossed I'm so glad you arrived safely to your destination. The cottage looks wonderful.

    Glad you were able to have a peaceful walk in the woods. Nothing like nature to restore our souls. I love the shots of you both on the swings. I'm a magnet to them too.

    The red chevron pattern dress is a delight on you, as is the lovely gifted one too. What lovely friends you have.

    Take care.

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    1. Thank you Suzy! We definitely made the most of the weather by being outside as much as we could. Blogging friends are the best, and I treasure each and every present and card I've received from any of them. xxx

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  11. Sounds like a beautiful place. Hopefully, the shopping went well. Staying safe is easy, staying positive very hard! The world has become crazy but not due to the virus ... I'm not affraid of it. The worst is yet to come.

    All the best!

    Regula

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    1. Thank you Regula! I try to remain optimistic. What else is left? xxx

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  12. Glorious photos! I am pleased that you got to get away. The red dress is a real corker!

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  13. I’m so glad you managed to escape for a little while both of you. It’s so nice to go somewhere familiar where you know you can relax. We are off to the caravan for a few days. I hope you are settling back into the “norm”.
    Keep looking fabulous dear friend and happy birthday xxx

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    1. Thank you Lynn! Even a little break can make all the difference and is a great help to settle back into the norm afterwards! xxx

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  14. What a nice gift with the accessories and the pretty dress! it's good you got to get away for a little break and enjoy some new walks, even if you couldn't completely escape all the pandemic related things!

    Hope you are having a lovely weekend :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! We did manage to escape pandemic related things on most days! xxx

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  15. The tree trunk wood sculptures (or wood carvings- not sure how to call them) took my breath away. They are so beautiful, especially the bird one. I haven't seen something similar. I love how they both look like a part of a tree and a separate part. I wonder will they change once the tree starts growing.

    Adjusting after a vacay always takes some time. It's good you were able to get away. It is understandable you worried about your garden while you were on a vacation, gardening is a labour of love and your flowers are so lovely. I can see why the package from the postman cheered you. I really like that long pleated dress on you. Such a great vintage piece. I like how you paired it with yellow accessories and red boots. Red is always such a striking colour. Speaking of it, I really liek that red dress on you with its gorgeous chevron pattern. I have never heard about the label Mexx, but the dress is great and the price you payed for it is awesome. Your accessories were perfect as well, such a cute belt, flower brooch and necklace. The denim skirt and the floral blouse is an awesome pairing as well.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! They used dead tree trunks for those carvings, though. It would have been interesting indeed if they'd used live ones! xxx

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  16. Oooh, the cottage is so funky! Do we get to see it in some larger pics another time! (I must also get the details in case we ever want to visit more of Belgium and need somewhere to stay!)
    The tree carvings are beautiful and I love that picture of you worriedly putting your hand in that mouth!
    Isn't that typical about the afternoon rain! Humph!
    I love your new dress from Miss Magpie- how utterly kind! Your red and black dress is really pretty too! I cannot resist a dress with a collar!

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    1. The cottage is lovely. It's a studio all on one floor above the owner's carport. I did not take many picture inside this time. I will send you the airbnb link which has lots of photos! xxx

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  17. I remember you! ;-)

    I'm impressed with that parcel from Gisela - to get someone's measurements right like that is no mean feat.

    Your trip away looks lovely. It must be so refreshing just to get out and about in the fresh air. (And the plates made me laugh.)

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    1. What a relief! Yes, I know, isn't Gisela amazing? Those plates made me laugh too! xxx

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  18. It must be so nice to get away from reality for a while, and in such a familiar and cosy place too.
    Thanks for taking us on a walk with you!
    xx

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    1. It definitely was, Hazel. And you're welcome, the pleasure was all mine! xxx

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