Escape to the country

By the time this post is published, our little break will probably just be a distant memory.  I will have been back at the office for a week and my nerves might very well be just as frazzled as they were before we went away. It might have been short but it was certainly sweet, and all those memories we gathered and the photographs we took will make it last just that little bit longer. 

But let's begin at the beginning, which was actually at the end of my final working week.

To accommodate Bess and slowly get her used to our being away for longer than a day, we'd booked three nights, from Monday until Thursday, which left us plenty of time to pack and get into holiday mode. Both of which, I admit, were easier said than done!

While packing is always a bit stressful for me, particularly the part where I have to decide which clothes to take, getting that holiday feeling wasn't exactly straightforward either with the weather being all but on its best behaviour. In fact, it was only when we were heading towards the motorway on Monday that it sank in that we were going on holiday!

Saturday served us the usual mix of clouds, showers and the odd ray of sunshine which, at barely 20°C, made me rummage the shelf of long-sleeved blouses in my wardrobe, unearthing this pale green vintage one patterned with sprays of orange, navy and burgundy flowers. It was an old Think Twice find - bought on a shopping spree with my friends Inneke and Inez in April 2018 - and I thought it complemented my recently charity shopped C&A maxi skirt perfectly.

The crochet belt with its massive wooden buckle was a post-Lockdown 1 retail buy last Summer, while the necklace and brooch were charity shop and flea market finds respectively.

If pottering and procrastination were the buzz words on Saturday, the dreaded packing could no longer be postponed on Sunday. This doesn't mean I leave things to the last minute, though. Quite the contrary, as I usually start filling a basket with essentials long before the word go. Plus, Ms. Organized being my middle name, I've got a handy checklist to make sure we've got everything we need.

The problem, as you've guessed, are the clothes! Keeping our ears glued to the weather forecast is of the essence but still I've lost count of all the times I ended up packing the wrong things. 

This time, there seemed to be no doubt that the weather would be atrocious, so in the end I assembled three outfits consisting of two pairs of wide-legged trousers and one maxi skirt, combining each with a long-sleeved top, and throwing in two short-sleeved jumpers and some cardigans for good measure.

As rain would definitely be on the cards, I took not one but two raincoats, my orange leather jacket and, throwing caution to the wind, a denim jacket!

On Monday just after lunch, after wistfully saying our goodbyes to Bess, we hopped into our car and off we went. It had been a dry morning and by the time we reached the motorway we were happy to see that the sun had decided to join us. That was when the so far elusive holiday mood finally descended on us, and not even the usual queues towards the infamous Kennedy Tunnel - passing under the River Scheldt - could spoil it.

After a leisurely drive of just over an hour, we arrived at our destination, our lovely B&B Het Soetewater in Beernem, a stone's throw from the city of Bruges.

And while not exactly pastures new - we stayed here in the Spring of 2018 and 2019, and celebrated our Silver Wedding Anniversary here in February 2020 - it was the first time we visited at the height of Summer, and the room we'd booked was a brand new luxury one which was only finished last year.

The place is an oasis of peace and quiet, which descends on you the minute you step through the gate and into the walled garden, in which at this time of year several variaties of magnificent Hydrangeas played the starring role.

After buying her parents' farm, our lovely host Veronique, together with her builder husband transformed the barns into an atmospheric B&B which abounds with charming details.

With its white painted brick wall and exposed beams, the room felt even more spacious than it already was, with an antique bureau in the corner next to the bathroom and a small sitting corner and a wooden table and chairs flanking the comfortable King Size bed. 

We were intrigued, however, by the little glass fronted cupboard on top of the beam opposite the bed, wondering why it stood empty and, quite annoyingly, off-centre. 

There was a huge antique wardrobe which could have held ten times the amount of clothes I'd brought and was large enough to keep our travel bags out of sight.

The bathroom, which was entered through the white painted door under the beam was several times the size of our tiny one back at home and contained a huge walk-in shower and a whirlpool bath big enough for the both of us. Not being used to high tech bathroom equipment, our attempt to use the latter that evening ended in a minor flooding of the bathroom. Don't tell Veronique, though. We cleaned it all up so that no trace of our mishap was left by the time she came and did our room in the morning ...

By the time we'd made ourselves at home and had a restorative cup of coffee, it was past 3.30 and we were raring to go out and explore.

Making the most of the gorgeous and unexpected sunny weather, we drove down to Bulskampveld, a provincial domain less than a 10-minute drive from our B&B.

After leaving our car in a leafy car park, we made our way through an avenue of trees towards the castle, built in neo-Gothic style in 1887, and now the visitor centre and gateway to the domain and the surrounding area. 

Initially, we were amazed at the number of people about, especially as this was a Monday, but then again it was the first gorgeous Summer's day in weeks, which obviously we weren't the only ones making the most of.  

Passing a wooden information kiosk, we obtained a leaflet with a map of the domain as well as a booklet on the walled herb garden situated at the back of the castle.

Created in 1980 on the site of the castle's former kitchen garden, the herb garden (kruidentuin in Flemish) was entered through an iron gate, behind which the 400 or so species of medicinal and kitchen herbs were basking in the heat of the August afternoon.

Swathes of purplish pink Liatris spicata (button snakewort, bottom left) and deep violet Aconitum (monkshood, top right) were stealing the show while attracting flutters of butterflies.

A cheeky robin kept Jos company while he rested on a bench. The little bird must have been envious of the bright orange colour of Jos's shirt!

My travelling outfit, composed with non-too-summery weather in mind, was built around a crisp blue organic cotton maxi skirt picked up in the Mango sales last Summer. The blue and white Breton top sprang to mind immediately as its perfect companion. One of my stretchy chevron belts added interest at waist level. 

Isn't it a marvel that my skirt emerged virtually unwrinkled from our car journey? 

In order to compliment my good old red Clarks Cloudsteppers, I accessorized my outfit with a red and white beaded necklace and red cat brooch. The red cardigan I was wearing - and which you can spot in one of the B&B collages - had long been dispensed with by then.

My outfit will be joining Shelbee's and Nancy's "Good Buy/Good-Bye" post in a couple of days time!

After our visit to the herb garden, we strolled around the domain's outbuildings, searching in vain for the start of a walk which would take us around the castle park laid out in English landscape style.

In the otherwise empty farmyard of the estate farm, a tiny black and white kitten melted our hearts and inevitably made us think of Queen Bess back at home.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the ivy clad tower is part of the castle, but it's actually a water tower constructed in the 1890s.

We were just about to give up on our search when we finally spotted a waymarker putting us in the right direction to our intended walk. However, as it was late afternoon by then, we just followed it for a short stretch, taking alternative paths whenever we felt there were too many people about.

Nevertheless, while I was investigating the wooden play hut we came across, some silly idiot thought he was being funny when he played peek-a-boo through one of the little windows at the back. Oh well.

At the point where the path emerged from the trees, an ornamental bridge crossed the brook which feeds into the castle lake, offering a picturesque view towards the castle.

Before returning to our car, we briefly sat and stared on a bench, commenting, as we'd already done several times that afternoon, on how lucky we were with the weather.

In order to maximize the time we had at our disposal after checking in, we made use of Veronique's splendid hospitality options by ordering the tapas board she was offering. This way, we wouldn't have to look for a place to eat - not an easy feat on a Monday when lots of places are closed - and just had to pick up the board and a basket of assorted breads from the B&B's kitchen.

An excellent idea and finger-licking delicious too!

And then it was time to wind down, relax, read and nap. Although I couldn't stop wondering about that mysterious off-centre cupboard on top of that beam!

To be continued ...