Saturday 9 January 2021

In praise of apricity

After a seemingly never-ending string of grey and rainy days, we were pleasantly surprised to wake up to the sun streaming in through our windows on Christmas day.

We hadn't made any plans for the day, but before you start feeling sorry for us, please don't, as this is exactly the way we like it. For many years, we didn't even get dressed until late afternoon, lounging around in our pyjamas until it was time for dinner. In that respect, Christmas was indeed different this year. After sleeping late-ish, and having our usual fruit and yoghurt breakfast in our dressing gowns, I stood myself in front of my wardrobe trying to decide on something festive to wear.



My eyes soon alighted on this black floral frock which for once isn't vintage nor even second hand, but a bargain picked up in last year's January sales.

 I came across it when I wandered into the shop during one of my lunch breaks, but at only 10% off I couldn't justify its purchase. But once again my patience paid off. Fast forward several weeks when, walking past the shop again, its window announcing further reductions lured me inside. And there it was, reduced to 70% off. I am saying "it", as there was only one left, which happened to be in my size. It did have a minor flaw, which granted me a further reduction, and turned out to be easily and invisibly remedied. 



Its teal, maroon, yellow and cream florals are joined by dashes of gold, which prompted my choice of belt, charity shopped about two years ago. I opted for pops of orange in the form of my necklace and chunky cardigan. The latter was a bare necessity as the temperature had dropped below 5°C, and the frock's fabric, although lined, is a thin and all but see-through viscose. I enhanced its neck tie by adding a ribboned sugar cane brooch, a gift from the lovely and very generous Gisela!



I was wearing a pair of pair of burnt orange opaques - layered over a pair of nude nylons for extra warmth - adding the festive socks you can see in the first collage. I'd picked these as well as another pair up in a village shop earlier that month. 

I only wore my burgundy boots - the only vintage item in my outfit - when we briefly nipped out for outfit photos, exchanging them for my trusty wool-lined chocolate brown ones when we went for a walk after lunch.



The at times heavy rains of the last couple of weeks ruled out a trek to one of the nature reserves as, established in former clay extraction areas, their sticky, muddy paths would be virtually impassable. 

Another option would have been the sculpture park, but it was closed on Christmas day and, same as any of the other city parks, would have been far too crowded for our liking anyway.

Our dilemma was solved when I hit upon the idea of going for a stroll around the park in the neighbouring town of Duffel. One of our regular haunts which we used to frequent before or after a browse at the charity shop a stone's throw away, our last proper visit dated from January 2020.



By the time we made it over there, the sun was hiding behind a layer of ominous looking clouds, but we persevered, hoping that the rain forecasted for late afternoon would hold off.

Besides, I'd brought my own sunshine, in the form of Monica's beret and scarf. For their first outing, they were accompanied by my purple fake fur and yellow snake print bag, both sales bargains, from January 2019 and January 2020 respectively. 

Apparently, I was wearing lots of naughty non-second-hand purchases that day!



The park has been laid out along a stretch of the River Nete, whose towpath is running behind the line of trees reflected in the pond. The sun managed to break through the clouds again just as we were marvelling at the mirror-like qualities of its surface on this crispy cold and windless day.

The barren winter landscape with its silhouette trees and ghostly desiccated reeds and grasses was transformed by the sun's golden rays, which at this time of year, only days after Winter Solstice, were low and blinding.



How delicious it is to bask in their glow. Apparently, there's a word for it: to apricate!  Apricity is an old English word for the warmth of the sun on a winter’s day.  I love old English words, a telltale wriggly line appearing under them as I type. 



The park seamlessly segues with another, smaller one which lies to the south-east of it, its focus being the atmospheric ruins of a castle.

Ter Elst castle is one of the oldest buildings in the province of Antwerp, dating back to the 12th century when it was owned by the Hildincshusen brothers, the oldest known lords of Duffel.

It was enlarged and transformed into a magnificent castle in the 15th century, when it received notable guests such as Margaret of York and Philip the Fair.



The castle was rebuilt after having burned down during the religious turmoil of 1584. Sources from the 17th and 18th centuries show an extensive complex, consisting of several wings and towers with a courtyard, surrounded by a wide moat and landscaped gardens. 

By the end of the 16th century it was used as a presbytery. In 1799 the castle was seized and sold by the French occupiers, after which several of its buildings were demolished. 

Finally, in 1879, the castle was sold to a certain C. Funcke, who established a brickyard in its immediate vicinity. This remained in business until the First World War, when both the castle and the brickyard sustained serious damages.


Sadly, the remains of the castle fell into ruin until it was acquired by the council in 1972 and it received protected status.

The surrounding park was opened to the public in 1982 with the castle itself being available for events. I remember going to a flea market in the park on a hot August day, with a brass band playing in the castle grounds across the moat. Shortly afterwards, the castle grounds were closed to the public.



With every subsequent visit, the castle's main tower seemed to be leaning ever more precariously, and we often approached it with fear in our hearts lest some part of it had crumbled or taken a tumble since we were last there. 

Consequently, we breathed a huge sigh of relief when back in January we noticed that some kind of scaffolding had been erected inside the castle and that plans seemed to be afoot to restore the evocative ruins.

More scaffolding had appeared in the intervening months, but did nothing to detract from the moated castle's photogenic quality. The clouds had all but departed now, unveiling a deep blue sky which joined the proud castle's preening in the mirror of its moat.



Walking the muddy paths circuiting the moat, we could hear the plaintive bleating of sheep, echoing and ricocheting off the castle walls, but it was only when we passed the bridge crossing the moat that the source of the bleating was revealed.

The lords of the castle have long been dead and gone, its rule now taken over by a flock of rare breed sheep.

Ducks and geese glided placidly upon the moat, until a family started feeding them chunks of bread. Suddenly, the quietness was shattered by the appearance of a flock of shrieking gulls, leaving the poor waterfowl begging for leftover crumbs.



We'd come full circle now and were leaving the castle ruins behind us, re-entering the park and retracing our steps back to our car. 

We were starting to feel peckish, and waffles and cream awaited us at home. But not before appreciating some more apricity before we went off!



The weather forecast looked pretty dire, with storm Bella lurking around the corner, so I'm glad we were able to make the most of this sunny Christmas day.

I'll be back soon with more walks, outfits and general non-adventures. Until then, do stay safe and hopeful, my friends.


43 comments:

  1. I haven't heard the word apricate before, how interesting! I like that you had a relaxing Christmas day even if it seems really quiet to me - ours was filled with family and lots of noise as the kids went through all their presents, haha! :) The dress you wore is beautiful and what a good deal to get it at 70% off - definitely meant to be if it was the last one and in your size!


    Hope that you are having a great weekend :) It's a quiet one at home here, Brisbane is on a 3 day lockdown as we have had the first case of the virus outside of quarantine in over 3 months!

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! We were only allowed one visitor in our homes, so we were reduced to a lonely Christmas. We still had a lovely time, though. xxx

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  2. :-) Sounds like a lovely Christmas day!
    Stay safe and have a very HAPPY weekend!
    Claudia :-)

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    1. Thank you for visiting and commenting, Claudia! xxx

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  3. A nice dress indeed. But I spotted the socks first. :-) I can't stand being in my pajymas for long, probabely because the house is too cool in the morning. I like to be dressed and ready to do the work. ;-)

    Have a good time!

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    1. Thank you Regula, and I'm not surprised you noticed the socks first :-) xxx

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  4. What a beautiful castle and park. Looks like a fabulous walk!

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  5. the funny thing is: your high street buys look like propper vintage!
    :-D
    the castle looks wonderfully picturesque and the winter sun did its best to enhance that.... and there were snowdrops already!
    stay warm! hugsies! xxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate! I guess I am true to my style :-) And oh yes, the first of the snowdrops! So delightful! xxx

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  6. I'm so glad you introduced us to 'apricity' - such a lovely word!

    I loved your Christmas Day outfit and your outdoor wear was also lovely and colourful. It was a brilliant way to spend Christmas Day visiting the park and the castle and enjoying some apricity!

    Take care
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni. We've got to make the most of every minute of apricity, don't we? xxx

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  7. Thanks for introducing me to apricity - your command of the English language is better than mine, I've never heard the word before!
    Your photos are wonderful with the superb reflections in the water, I've been back to look at them twice today.
    I love your new dress and the socks! The purple fake fur and Monica's glorious crochet look fabulous together, you're like a Spring crocus! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix. Well, I'm not sure about that. The word is obsolete and the only modern dictionary it is mentioned in is the Oxford English Dictionary. I came across it when I was looking up something for my blog! I quite like being compared to a Spring crocus :-) xxx

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  8. Wow you made so many wonderful pictures! Can you imagine that I am totaly in love with your orange cadigan? 😄
    With a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! I seem to have a soft spot for orange lately. Still missing a pair of orange boots :-) xxx

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  9. Oh it was a lovely sunny day here too, Christmas day. We cycled that day. It was cold but rewarding. That purple coat is wonderful! And the baret and scarf look so nice and warm. Thr walk looks great with that castle on the background.

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    1. Thank you Nancy! Wasn't it a gorgeous day? I love them cold but sunny! xxx

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  10. That dress was clearly destined to end up in your wardrobe. It's lovely.
    You shouldn't call your new purchases 'naughty', you'll keep and wear these items many, many times - there's nothing naughty about that!
    What a lovely walk in the sunshine.
    xx

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    1. Thank you Hazel! I know, I shouldn't feel naughty, but not buying second hand is still a strange concept for me! xxx

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  11. The purple coat is absolutely fabulous! Lise

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  12. I love to apricate too. Thank you for teaching me this Old English word. I looked up apricity. I enjoy Old English words too. I never studied Old English in detail, but I used to transcribe parts from Old English poems (for example from the original Beowulf) on cards and gift them for birthdays or Christmas. I like the look of Old English words, even if I'm not really sure if I could pronounce them correctly. I would probably need some instruction. Anyhow, your Christmas outfit is beautiful. That black flock with a pattern print is gorgeous. I wouldn't have guessed it wasn't vintage if you haven't told us. It looks vintage for sure. I also love your cardi and the fun coat. The vintage boots are lovely as well and they look like a good choice for a walk. It seems you had a nice Christmas. I think I enjoyed a quiet version of the holidays as well.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! My great love for the English language included Old English words too. I never studied Old English at all, but some research I did for my blog pointed me in the direction of this lovely word! xxx

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  13. Glad you were able to get a sunny day.
    And you are quite lucky to be able to find that dress at such a good deal and in your size.

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    1. Thank you Hena! It seems I was both lucky with the dress and the sunny weather :-) xxx

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  14. wow, I love your floral dress, these colours are so delightful, and love your orange cardi and your socks too, and love the way your outfit matches your sofa and cushions! Looking so fabulous!
    And I'm so delighted to see you wearing this beret and scarf, so happy to see that these colours really suit you and bring you some sunshine!. You look so fab with your purple coat in the golden winter atmosphere. Thanks for this lovely word 'apricity', the concept itself deserves a Word and such a beautiful word!
    Besos & Gracias

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    1. You know me, I take my matching to extremes, even down to my sofa and cushions :-) I absolutely LOVED wearing your beret and scarf. They are wearable sunshine! xxx

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  15. Apricity is a gorgeous word! Thank you for sharing it!

    I love your Christmas day dress (hooray for clearance!), and all your accoutrements, including your thick orange sweater, gold belt and your fun fuzzy socks!

    I may have exclaimed aloud when I saw your Grape Ape coat! We are indeed twins! I love your yellow beret and scarf too - I'll be revealing my weekend crochet crafternoon exploits later today.

    What a wonderful park that is, and I'm so glad they are taking care of the castle. It would be a crying shame to lose that amazing tower!

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    1. Isn't it? I had a feeling you would appreciate it! And yes, we are Grape Ape twins! It's such a relief they're finally doing something about the castle! xxx

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  16. Always enjoy learning a new (old) word.
    I am in love with your purple coat, and the yellow hat and scarf are just so perfect with it.
    Looks like a lovely park to wander around.

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    1. So do I! It's a lovely park indeed, a real park for all seasons. Couldn't believe we hadn't been there since January 2020! xxx

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  17. It is beautiful to walk along the banks of the Nete river ... Serenity for the eyes and the spirit...
    Hugs! Carmela

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    1. Thank you Carmela! I quite like the concept of serenity for the eyes and spirit! xxx

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  18. The photos of the reflections in the river are stunning Ann.
    You look so bright and cheerful in your yellow beret and scarf, perfect for a bit of apricating!
    It was bright and sunny here today it makes a winter walk so much more fun doesn't it? xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! A crisp and sunny Winter's day is my favourite time for a walk! xxx

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  19. I love your purple coat! The candy cane brooch is cute!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  20. Goodness, the light was magnificent that day! Your photos are truly spectacular! Especially the ones with water! The castle sounds a great sight to have seen and visit on Christmas day!
    Your dress find was truly serendiptious! It was meant for you!
    When you mention burnt orange acrylics, I often wonder if they are the ones I sent you- did those tights work out in the end? I often wondered if they fitted ok?
    Love your purple floooof!

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    1. Thank you Kezzie! The light was indeed fabulous on Christmas Day!
      The burnt orange opaques weren't the ones you sent me. I always mention it if I wear them, which I actually do a lot when it's really cold, as they're so nice and warm! They fit perfectly too! xxx

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  21. You’ve got us all going using the word APRICITY Ann. Well done. It’s meaning is lovely. You could get a job on our tv programme Countdown. You’d be a perfect Susie Dent.
    I couldn’t help noticing how well you are both looking. It must be all the fresh air and walking.
    You have such an eye for mashing patterns together my friend, they always look so right on you.
    Lovely nature walk pictures.
    Keep them coming. Lots of love to you both xxx

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    1. Wouldn't that be something! And I'm totally chuffed to be compared to Susie Dent! We are both well, and never better than when we can go for a nice walk! xxx

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  22. Your dress may not be vintage or secondhand, but it is completely you. (The flowers are large enough that they also made me think of Monica's Bastard Massive Flower pieces, though they're not as big.) It looks fab!

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