Thursday 6 May 2021

Larkin' about

Although it felt like ages since we'd gone for a proper walk, upon scrolling through my journal I was absolutely appalled at the fact that the last time was on the 20th of March. 

As by now we were Tuesday the 27th of April, it was well over a month since we'd last dragged ourselves away from Dove Cottage's confines, our only outdoor pursuits, weather permitting, having been of the gardening kind.

There was, of course, that eternal deterrent, the weather, turning some of our favourite haunts into muddy mires. But it's all too easy just blaming it all on the weather, isn't it, instead of finding the culprit in our lethargic state of mind.



Tuesday was yet another one in a row of blissfully sunny days, the mercury climbing to an unheard of 17°C. Far too glorious a day not to make the most of, particularly as the weather forecast for later that week was looking pretty dire.

My appetite whetted by Monday's lunch break walk to to Antwerp's botanical garden, I was champing at the bit to sample some more of what Spring has to offer.



Jos was feeling a bit tired that morning but was soon persuaded so, grabbing a couple of sandwiches and a drink, we set off for the 10 kilometer drive to our nature reserve of choice.

The minute we took the path sloping down from the car park, we were met by nature's sensory delights, which offered an instant pick-me-up for our battered souls.

The path's verges were lined with the delicate white flowers and fern-like foliage of Cow Parsley and dotted with stems of Lady's Smock, or Cuckoo-flower. The Flemish names of these, Fluitenkruid and Pinksterbloem, instantly spring to mind courtesy of my nature-loving paternal grandfather, who clearly instilled his love of plants in me.



After years of steering clear, we rediscovered this nature reserve last Summer, and have been back several times since. In fact the last time we were here it was in seriously sub-zero temperatures, when Jos briefly ventured onto the edge of one of the solidly frozen lakes. Me, I was too much of a coward!





I love the seemingly boundless energy and exuberance of Spring, the invisible forces that make plants which have lain dormant over Winter push up new growth almost overnight, and the buds on the trees spread into leaves. She tugs at my heartstrings, Spring, she really does. And so does Philip Larkin's poem, The Trees: The trees are coming into leaf, Like something almost being said ... How beautiful is that? You can read the full poem here.




At one point, we took a path which was unknown territory to us, and almost, but not quite, got lost. Then we were temporarily side-tracked by some bird feeders which were being raided by a pair of squirrels, the cheekier of the two coming out to pose for the camera. You'll have to do with him, as for once there will be no photos of Bess in this post. I promise to make it up to you next time!



The temperature was still on the chilly side when we left that morning, so I dressed accordingly, opting for a skirt and jumper. While the skirt is an old vintage favourite, last worn in January, the thin knit jumper is Zara by way of a charity shop several months ago. This was its very first outing. My opaques matched its colour almost exactly, although it's a bit of a secret matching as they are hidden by my chocolate brown boots. The latter were a necessity, as there were still some lingering muddy patches.



My accessories were a charity shopped red vinyl belt and a wood and glass beaded necklace, which I bought from Accessorize back in the mists of time. 

Both the green hued wool blazer and the yellow, orange, white and brown knit scarf were charity shop finds.



By noon, all that fresh air had made us peckish, so we started looking out for a suitable bench, which we found in a sunny spot overlooking the largest of the lakes.

The bench once again being slightly too high for vertically challenged yours truly, I sat dangling my legs, enjoying the stillness - and my sandwiches - with the sunlight shimmering across the lake.



Wednesday would be the last in the string of sunny days, the temperature soaring to a balmy 20°C.

It was another office day, unfortunately, and I snapped the below photo from the car, while waiting for the traffic lights to change. We're on a leafy avenue here, with a small park to our left, and the WATT building in front of us. This modernist 13-floor building dates from 1958 and used to be the headquarters of the electricity board. In recent years it has been turned into a state of the art coworking space.



All that sunshine and walking had made me bold enough to once again venture outside during lunch break. This time, I even strolled along a short stretch of Antwerp's main shopping street which mercifully wasn't too busy. I soon turned left and found myself walking towards the nearest Think Twice shop, fully prepared to turn heel should there be a queue. But there wasn't, and as there were only a couple of other browsers, I stepped inside. And no, believe it or not, I didn't buy anything. I was actually quite overwhelmed and left after just a couple of minutes' browsing. It's almost unimaginable to think I spent many a lunch hour in this and the other Think Twice shops pre-Covid!




The weather made a U-turn on Thursday, the temperature plummeting considerably and leaving us with a measly 10°C. This came accompanied by ominous grey skies from which soon raindrops starting falling. The harsh wind this came with made it feel even colder.

After breakfast, we made our weekly trip to the garden centre, purchasing the first of without a doubt many annuals, which we planned to fill some gaps in our patio pots with over the weekend. 

Back at home, I retreated upstairs and continued with the eternal wardrobe changeoever, digging out another batch of Spring and Summer frocks ready for wearing once the weather starts behaving as it should.


That task finished, I spent some time on the couch reading my latest book. The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea by Mark Douglas-Home is part of a crime series featuring Cal McGill, a Scottish oceanographer and one-of-a-kind investigator who uses his knowledge of the waves to find where objects - and bodies - came from, or track where they've gone. 

It was a compelling read which I've just finished this morning, but I'm not 100% convinced it will make this year's shortlist. 



By then, the sun had made a brief in-between-showers appearance, so that we had no time to waste to make the day's outfit photos.

My hair, which was in need of another pampering session, was intent on doing its own thing, so I'm trying to divert your attention to my dress, a vintage Crimplene one featuring a floral pattern of pinks, plums and oranges and a row of self-fabric buttons running down to the waist.



I ditched its self-fabric tie belt for a multicoloured woven leather one picked up in a charity shop.

My necklace was charity shopped as well, while both the burnt orange cardigan (H&M) and the flower corsage pinned to it (from haberdashery and accessory shop Veritas) were old retail buys.



I will be back with slightly better weather and further gardening adventures in a couple of days.

Please do stay happy and healthy until then!


42 comments:

  1. It's been a while too since Gerben and I went to the national park. But we do cycle every Sunday. Isn't it so much fun to see small creatures there. I love out when we de birds of pre. We even had a sparrowhawk in our garden yesterday. The 27th was our Kingsday, a lovely sunny day indeed! It doesn't feel good to be in stores to me. But I don't mind, I'd rather read a book. Do you always read english books.

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    1. I'm not feeling good in shops either, unless it's the garden centre, which is use, and some of our larger charity shops. I won't be hitting the high street any time soon. And yes, I always read English books, have been doing so since I was 16. Born in the wrong country, I was! xxx

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  2. I'm glad you both could visit this natural reserve. It looks wonderful! Love both your outfits, the first one a little more. Have a great weekend!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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    1. Thank you Lovely! The first one is my favourite too! xxx

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  3. the walking outfit is my total favorite of the last weeks!!! its very chic & elegant but cool - perfect proportions, contrasts, everything - applause!
    the awaking nature in this time of the year always fascinates me too. the look from the BWH changes daily now.... a bit more green, a white blooming tree, yellow flowers in the meadow overnight.... :-D
    hugsies! xxxxx

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    1. Thank you, Beate! Strangely enough, it was a rare outfit where I didn't think too hard on what I was going to wear. I just wanted something comfortable yet chic for our walk! xxx

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  4. The Woman Who Walked into the Sea sounds like an amazing read. I love the premise of an oceanographer who uses the knowledge of the sea to solve a murder crime. I must look for this book, sounds just like my cup of tea.

    I love your outfits as always. Your pink, plum and orange vintage dress is so beautiful.

    Your hiking outfit is fabulous. The green skirt is so chic and it is contrasted fabulously with the orange sweater. Thw scarf you wore is very chic too. I have a similar one but in purple tones, not orange. I picked it up in a second hand shop but I don't think it had a label.

    Have a great weekend.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! The book was a great read, but not above average. As for my hiking outfit, I loved it very much myself, even if there hadn't been much planning involved in putting it together! xxx

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  5. Your outdoors walking shots are balm for the soul, Ann! I also loved the poem (thank you for linking to it). Spring just feels like, "Ah, you get another chance" to me.

    Love your wonderful striped scarf in the first outfit - I think we might own the same mustard thin Zara sweater! - and the orange + pink in the second gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up from me!

    Those squirrels are red! I'm so used to our fat grey squirrels (the native ones are black, but nearly taken over by the greys). They are cheeky, aren't they?

    Happy to hear that you're getting closer to being able to wear your spring frocks. I realized I've been neglecting my dresses so far this spring!

    Have a wonderful weekend, my dear friend! Tummy rubs to Bess, and purrs from Vizzini.

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    1. I'm glad you loved the poem, Sheila, it is one of my favourites, and always makes me choke up, for some reason. We do see red squirrels here a lot, as well as grey ones. I've never seen a black one, so I must google them! xxx

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  6. So good to get outside! Always enjoy seeing the scenery in your part of the world-it looks so beautiful.

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    1. Thank you Goody. I guess we're lucky to have quite a few nature reserves nearby. Otherwise, this part of Belgium is quite built up! xxx

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  7. Today is finally the perfect gardening day! I wish I had a green skirt like yours. :-) All the best! Regula

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    1. Thank you Regula! Incidentally, today has also been a perfect gardening day, and I was out there all morning and part of the afternoon! xxx

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  8. Isn't it wonderful to be outside? I'm glad Jos felt better after his outing, he's looking as dapper as ever!
    Love your cheeky squirrel and the look of that nature reserve.
    Your walking outfit with the chevron scarf is a delight. xxx

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    1. Oh I do agree it's wonderful to be outside. We love that nature reserve, but avoid it in the weekends, when it can be quite busy. Looks like everybody has taken up walking nowadays! xxx

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  9. I'm so glad you got out for a good walk to the nature reserve. I loved your outfit and all the accessories. The jumper is such a an ace colour.

    I've read that book, too, and agree it won't be winning any prizes!

    Hope you're having a good weekend.
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! I'd been looking for a thin jumper in exactly that colour, so I was glad the charity shops delivered. That book will be re-donated. I've taken to only keeping those I really loved! xxx

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  10. Oh so in love with the pictures from these cute squirrels :) The weather is crazy one day cold, one day near 20 degrees. Looking forward tomorrow. ;)
    Have a great sunday Ann! with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! The weather is STILL doing its crazy yo-yo thing. So looking forward to better weather! xxx

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  11. It's healthy and fun to go outdoors. Love your outfits.

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  12. I love your outfit and all the photos here, they are amazing. Anw the squirell is so cute ❤

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  13. Happy you managed to get outside again. You’d love the nature reserve close to us Ann. No red squirrel here though, only two pesky grey ones that eat all the bird food.
    I noticed an entry in my diary about you and Jos being over here on holiday sometime soon. Fingers crossed it will happen next year and we can all meet up again.
    Keep your thermals handy a bit longer yet, don’t think we are quite there for taking our woolly tights off yet.
    Lynn xxx

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    1. Aww, we'd love to visit your nature reserve one day, Lynn! We've managed to once again rebook 2020's holiday, to 2022 this time. Let's keep everything crossed! xxx

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  14. It's so cold for May isn't it. At least we have a warmer day today and a bot of sunshine to go with it, I've even managed to cut the grass.
    Your country walk looks beautiful, so peaceful too. How lucky you are to have red squirrels.
    I have never thought to match pink with burnt orange but it looks amazing, it's a fantastic colour match and I now want to find some pink and burnt orange clothes myself! xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! We've seen red squirrels in several places around here, although I think the grey ones prevail. Glad you were able to cut the grass, the weather has indeed been less than perfect ... xxx

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  15. Wonderful photos! I must admit I don't go for a walk as often as I should do.

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    1. Thank you Nikki! And you live in such a beautiful area! xxx

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  16. Your outfits are always a great source of inspiration !!! How wonderful are the flowers in your garden. Thanks for suggesting the name of the flowers in my photo ... I had no idea !! How nice to see little Bess ... give him a caress for me ... I hug you!!
    Carmela

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    1. Thank you Carmela, and you are welcome. We'll probably get another pot of Felicia this year, I've already seen them in the garden centre! xxx

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  17. What a lovely outing.
    I love all you belt choices.. you look great.

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    1. Thank you Hena! I do have a bit of a thing for belts! xxx

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  18. Lovely to see these spring landscapes and your fab outfit in browns and greens and delightful mustard details, love particularly your scarf!. And always a huge fan of some secret matchiness!
    The pink and orange ensemble is something so joyful, and you rock in your dress and cardi combo!, lovely necklace, lovely accessories!.
    Hope that you feel more comfortable next time you go into your favourite shops!. I've been feeling anxious everytime there are people around, but managing it better!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! I'm a big fan of secret matching too :-) I've had that scarf for years, but for some reason I haven't worn it much until now. Well, I do know the reason: too many scarves :-) xxx

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  19. Your spring filled photo arrangements (groups of images, that is) are so uplifting and enjoyable. I truly appreciate and admire the time and attention to detail you devote to your delightful posts, my dear friend.

    The return of "warm enough to walk in without the risk of frostbite" weather is one of my favourite points in the year. Annie and I have been taking abundant advantage of it here as of late and look forward (hopefully!) to a decently long stretch of many peaceful nature promenades between now and the next snowy season.

    Big hugs & joyful Mid-May wishes,
    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn! I'm glad you appreciate my photo collages. I love devoting time to them and, as I'm a perfectionist, they have to be just right :-) xxx

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  20. Ann you are looking fabulous! Love your colourful outfits as always! Nature is always so good for the soul. Glad you enjoyed your walk. X

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    1. Thank you so much Jess. I do love spending time in nature! xxx

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  21. Ah, a trip to the Botanical gardens sounds just the ticket! It's weird to think about how easily we shopped pre-Covid- there's definitely a sense of nervousness as we watch those around us as we shop now!
    Your stripy scarf really sets off that chic outfit!xx

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    1. Thank you Kezzie! I really should go to these gardens more often, but it seems that everything - not just shopping - is taking more effort that it did pre-Covid! xxx

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