Saturday 21 May 2022

Musings and ramblings

Hello and thank you for joining me again for another episode of my usual musings and ramblings. 

Before I go any further, however, I think I need to put things straight. If my last post gave some of you the impression that churning out blog posts has become just another chore, let me tell you that it hasn't and that I have absolutely no intentions to stop blogging. Au contraire, I couldn't live without it and the only regret I've got is that I didn't start blogging sooner. Furthermore, it has been my blog and my wonderful bloggy friends and readers (yes, that's you!) who have kept me sane all these years, in particular the last two!



So, let's continue where we left off, shall we? 

Saturday the 7th of May had a sunny start, with some patches of clouds in the afternoon. There was no sign of the forecasted rain, but still a bit windy and at 20°C it was the perfect opportunity to wear one of my short-sleeved flower infused Diolen Delights.

Found at Think Twice pre-blog, in the Summer of 2015, there would be quite a few entries if I were to do a Sheila style Flashback on it. I know for a fact that it went to Wales with me in June 2016 and that it accompanied me to Bruges in April 2019, so it's safe to say it's a well-travelled dress!



It has also been at least once before to the destination I took it to that afternoon. And no, this is not Dove Cottage I'm standing in front of. Our house might be tiny, but it's still quite a bit bigger than this one, which is part of a row of fake houses. Now, where else can it be than in the very place where nothing is what it seems: Middelheim Sculpture Park.

This make-believe street is a work of art, of course. It's called Surroundings, dates from 1972-73, and its creator is the Italian artist Alik Cavaliere (1926-1998). I forgot to take a photo of the complete installation, but you can see it here, on the museum's website.

Further outfit details:
Flower embroidered denim jacket: Think Twice
Green apple ring and beaded necklace: Charity shopped
Cream stretchy belt and my beloved red Clarks Cloudsteppers: retail



I'm not sure what Surroundings is all about, the but the artist himself summed it up as follows: "I have always used material like a director does, or a storyteller. I work with memory and try to find paths, labyrinths, where I can meet spectators and then get lost with them in the work itself. That can happen both psychologically and physically." 

Not sure if that makes you any the wiser though.



As usual, we wandered at will, without any itinerary whatsoever, meeting works of art along the way. Some of these feel like old acquaintances, like Dr. Koeberlé (1914, top right) by sculptor Emile-Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), one of a series of busts which greet you soon after stepping through the park's main entrance. 

Among the Bluebells and other wildflowers, an enigma (bottom left), Forme Inhumaine (1954-55) by André Bloc(1896-1966).



We took the path running at the edge of the park, and were spellbound by this view. Half-closing our eyes, the patch of white clouds seemed to be taking on the form of a snow-capped mountain peak. 

The path was lined with a true menagerie of sculptures, as most of them were representing animals of some kind, even if we had to read the plaques on some of them to find out what they were exactly.

There were birds (top left and right), a very obvious bull, and a cow, the latter of which Jos insisted on keeping company as they were both born in the same year!



We were nearing the Braem Pavillion by now, its whiteness more brilliant than we'd ever seen it before. Not surprisingly, as its brick exterior is currently being repainted!

Jos snapped the photo below, top left, through one of the wings of the big black bird you can see in the above collage.


Facing the pavillion are two ghost-like plaster figures seated at a table. This sculpture is called Dialogue (1974) and it's the work of Antwerp-based but German-born sculptor Albert Szukalski (1945-2000).  

He used living people as the models for plaster figures, laying lengths of fabric soaked in plaster over their bodies and allowing them to harden. The remaining husks of pale plaster were then coated in polyester to weatherproof them. 



As I was walking to Antwerp's botanical garden the other week, I spotted one of his ghostly works on top of a building. 



One of our favourites, which we revisit again and again, and which has appeared on the blog many a time, is Kolom by Belgian artist Felix Roulin (1975). This polished metal column has one or more human figures trapped inside, different body parts of whom can be seen through holes in the column. 

Its main attraction for me, however, are the distorted reflections it offers, creating endless photo opportunities. 



We ended our walk by gravitating towards the museum café, where we sat ourselves down on one of the tables on the terrace and indulged in huge slices of flan with a generous layer of cream and topped with nuts.

Those slices were so huge and filling that we skipped our evening meal and had a quick sandwich instead. I'm making a mental note to order only one slice for the two of us next time!





Sunday was a gorgeously sunny Spring day, even if the mercury never reached 20°C. 

In Dove Cottage's garden it was a couple of degrees warmer as usual, of course, and we even put up our funky 1970s parasol, which used to belong to my parents. 

We were all out of bread, so Jos walked down to the bakery in the village to get a loaf and some pastries, which we ate at our little courtyard table. We used the 1970s Emsa plates we'd scored at the indoor flea market back in April, while the mugs are vintage late 1960s Boch ones. The kitschy sign propped up against the wall of the shed was an old charity shop find and proclaims that the sun also shines behind the clouds!




The garden continues to thrive and is becoming lusher by the minute, but this is what caught my eye that weekend. The first flush of the Lupine spikes are now almost over, but here they were still in their prime. They are Lupinus "My Castle", which is one of the tall Russell hybrids.

Once again, our tiny garden will yield a bumper crop of gooseberries (top right) and we were overjoyed to see the first of the flower buds in our Oriental Poppy (bottom left).

Aquilegia "Biedermeier" (bottom right), with its mass of pale pink flowers, seems to be the only of the Aquilegias I planted last year which hasn't been taken over by the overzealous "Nora Barlow".





Both Kniphofia (top right) and Phlomis russeliana (bottom left) are slow burners, finally coming to life respectively one and two years after they were planted. 

No such problems for the Snapdragons (top left) and Mimulus (bottom right), which are into their second year, having survived the - admittedly mild - Winter in our garden.




The rest of the day was spent pottering as usual. I did manage to exchange my Winter coats for my Spring ones, hanging some of them outside the full-to-bursting coats wardrobe ready to wear. Blue and green seem to feature prominently!



Finally, let's have a proper look at my outfit!

I was wearing the floral wrap skirt I charity shopped back in April, picking up the orange from its floral pattern with a vintage orange polo top. I merged the two with one of my stretchy belts with a faux tortoiseshell buckle.

For some reason, my necklace seems to take on a bluish hue in the photos, but its beads are tortoiseshell as well.  The gold rim of my brooch frames a mottled orange and green centre stone.  




And once again my feet were happy in my ridiculously comfortable Clarks Cloudsteppers! It'll be a sad day when I finally have to let them go ... but let's not think about that just yet.





42 comments:

  1. I like both of these colourful floral outfits - although that first one is my favourite, I really like that dress! it's good you won't be giving up on blogging! I really love my blog too although I seem to have less and less time for it lately I enjoy putting posts together and visiting other blogs when I can :)

    Hope you are having a great weekend. It's another rainy day here.

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mica! I'll keep on making time for blogging even if it's sometimes an effort. I think it will get better once we've been on holiday, which is something I'm sorely in need of ... xxx

      Delete
  2. You look absolutely gorgeous in your outfits as always and that flan looks so delicious. I love blogging too, the only thing is it is so time consuming to me and I don't always make the time. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jess, and that flan definitely was delicious! xxx

      Delete
  3. I'm always happy to see your posts filled with beautiful outfits, trips to parks, and incredible looking pastry. I have never made flan. No idea why? I'm sure it wouldn't look like what you had. Truly beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Goody! This was definitely not your run-of-the-mill flan. The topping included a variety of whole nuts rather than the generic ground nuts we usually get here! xxx

      Delete
  4. I do enjoy seeing your beautiful Spring garden as we head toward Winter. I do love your first dress and the fact that it is a seasonal favourite . The sculpture garden is wonderful in all the different seasons. I hope you are having a good weekend , they do slip by so quickly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jill! You're right about weekends slipping by so quickly. We just had a 3-day one, and it was over in the blink of an eye! xxx

      Delete
  5. i always enjoy your walks - but sculpture park is the best!
    ...but never ask an artist about the meaning of his art :-D
    spring went to summer very fast - your light and bright summer clothes proof it. that dress is lovely on you.
    hugsies! xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Beate, and I'm glad you enjoy my walks as I do yours. xxx

      Delete
  6. I always enjoy a vicarious stroll around the sculpture park. I too like to imagine cloud formations as mountain peaks or islands. I'm intrigued by the ghostly sculptures of Albert Szukalski on top of that Antwerp building. A couple of years ago, a British gardener (Charlie Dimmock) suggested dipping towels in cement and allowing them to dry to create inexpensive garden sculptures. I'm thinking he might have been her inspiration. Love your little courtyard sign and your 1970s parasol. The orange polo top works perfectly with your wrap skirt. Orange is such a cheery colour isn't it? xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No matter how many times we've been to the sculpture park, we always find new things or view old favourites in a different light! Who knows Albert Szukalski was Charlie Dimmock's inspiration. I know who she is by the way. We used to love watching Ground Force! xxx

      Delete
  7. Oh the sculpture park! I love the stroll with you again. The meaning of Art is always not so clear 😂 but interesting to see.
    Both outfits are great spring styles. Shure you find claudsteppers if you need again. 😊 With a very huge hug Tina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tina, and I do hope to find another pair of Cloudsteppers some day! xxx

      Delete
  8. Great content! Nature, art and fashion -- you hit my trifecta!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What with your walk and Beate's I'm spoilt on my blog catch-up! Those sculptures are magnificent and I don't think I'd ever be able to tear my eyes away from Kolom if I ever encountered it in real life.
    Dove Cottage's garden is always a joy. I've just spent the last three hours pottering in mine, I've only bought three perennials since last August and I'm amazed at how many things have come back or self-set. My lupin seems to have vanished along with my red hot poker sadly!
    Your outfits (and Jos's) are wonderful, as colourful as the Spring blooms. I squealed with excitement when I found a pair of Cloudsteppers in a chazza recently but sadly they were far too big for your dainty feet - I shall keep looking! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, too bad about the Cloudsteppers! I'll have a lookout when we're in Shropshire too. Kolom is definitely a favourite, and just perfect for some creative photography! xxx

      Delete
  10. I think the time to put away the warm(er) clothes is definitely here. Even if it rains, a shirt is enough against cool air. I love this time of the year because it bears the promise of many warm and sunny and long days. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's my favourite time of year too Regula, as I usually find high summer too hot. Also, I think it's the best time of year for the garden! xxx

      Delete
  11. I’m glad to hear you’re not going to stop blogging! I haven’t been around much lately (not helped by not being able to comment when using my phone 🙄), but I do still enjoy catching up when I can.
    Your garden is looking gorgeous, all that beautiful colour!! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Hazel! You're not the only one not being able to comment when using your phone, it seems ... xxx

      Delete
  12. Haha, we say that all the time. Next time we share one...... yeah right.....I love the Dialogue sculpture, so full of emotions it seems. But I also love the Column. It's interesting. And I love smooth ness.... Lupins are so beautiful. We have a roundabout here in our village that is full with them. And other English ish flowers. It's gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I know, we never learn, don't we? I'd love to see that roundabout! xxx

      Delete
  13. I always dread the day when I'll have to give up a pair of well-loved shoes!

    Wonderful post, Ann! Like you, I sometimes gripe about getting caught up on my blog (comments), so I get it - it's part and parcel of blogging, that feeling of never being on top of things! I'm glad you are committed (as am I). Thank you for the kind shout-out/link!

    Love that gorgeous dress - it's so happy! I always love your walks in the sculpture park - those white-draped statues are so powerful. I gasped when I saw them on top of the building!

    That flan has me drooling!

    I hope your days stay warm now! We're still having variable weather, but it feels like the temps have at least turned the corner to warm instead of cold.

    Thank you for the gifts of your garden - the flowers are so amazing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sheila! I try to limit my wearing of the Cloudsteppers to holidays. That's when I need their comfort the most ... xxx

      Delete
  14. Lovely outfits; I especially liked the first red, green and white outfit. The trip round the sculpture park was wonderful and I did so enjoy the ghostly sculptures including the ones on the roof top!

    I adored the 1970s parasol - groovy baby! Your garden is bursting into beautiful bloom. Our snapdragons are in their second year too but we still have no blooms on our agapanthus which are in their third year and bought in Ireland from Kells Bay House and Garden in 2019.

    Hope your weather continues to be warm and sunny...
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Vronni! Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen any sign of our Agapanthus yet ... xxx

      Delete
  15. I'm very pleased to read you are not contemplating exiting blogworld. I really look forward to your posts. x

    ReplyDelete
  16. You look fab in both these looks, especially the dress. The sculpture garden is beautiful.
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm sorry I'm behind with blogging and commenting. I haven't had time for anything lately, I'm working overtime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem Ivana, thanks for taking the time to comment! xxx

      Delete
  18. Love your red floral dress...Beautiful looks? Those statues are so great.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Goodness, do I hear you regarding shuddering at the thought of parting with a treasured pair of shoes.

    I have hard to fit feet (particularly due to ridiculously high arches) and the one chain (Payless Shoes) that had often been my footwear saving grace throughout my life, went under here in Canada a while back. As a result, I am now at even more of a loss regarding where to find comfortable, affordable shoes that work for me.

    Thus, I am treating most of my current ones with kid gloves and trying to make them last like water in a desert, let me tell you!

    Hopefully (fingers and, especially, toes crossed), this beloved pair of yours will not give up the ghost anytime soon.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

    PS: Speaking of which... As you would likely guess, I ADORE those beguilingly magnificent spectral figures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so hearing you on the loss of that footwear chain! We had a lovely shoe shop here in our village, but it seems it fell victim to Covid-19 :-( xxx

      Delete
  20. I feel I should get some of these Cloudsteppers! They look my type of shoe!
    I feel happy to see Middleheim since I went there! I definitely missed a lot of the sculptures though! I'd like to see the mirror one!x

    ReplyDelete
  21. That sculpture garden is amazing!

    The blazers for spring look good! I like how you used the orange flowers in the skirt to match the top! Very clever!

    ReplyDelete