Friday 6 May 2022

Park Life

Sunday the 24th of April was another one of those sun-drenched Spring days on which the brilliant blue sky observed through the window belied the fact that it was still somewhat chilly out there. 

Nevertheless, the warmth of the sun trapped between the walls in our sheltered garden made me shed a layer as I was planting out the perennials we'd brought back from the garden centre the other week. 

Still, it's always a degree or two colder outside Dove Cottage's confines, and with the thermometer no longer fooling us after twenty-three years, the layers came out again when we decided to go for a mid-afternoon walk.


My outfit was a repeat of one I wore to the office earlier that week, centred around one of my favourite skirts, in an orangey red patterned with clusters of blue and purple flowers. Bought from a fast fashion shop on the high street, it has been in my wardrobe for many a year, making it what I'm calling fast fashion worn slowly.

The green new wool jacket is vintage and from Think Twice. It is a bit snug and has therefore been in and out of my flea market boxes once or twice until I finally decided it was too good to get rid of. It came with its very own funky black vinyl and white metal links belt, which I removed to make it feel less constricted.


Source


The park we chose for our walk is in a neighbouring village and is part of the former pleasure grounds of an old castle estate called Solhof, whose history goes back to the 15th century. The original castle, which was surrounded by a moat, was demolished for unknown reasons. Only the two watchtowers on either side of the entrance, dating from around 1550, remind us of its former glory.
There are two outbuildings, formerly the coach house and caretaker's house, which were built in Neo-Renaissance style in the early 20th century. The current neoclassical mansion - much modernized in the meantime - dates from the late 19th century.

Today, the estate still covers 7.5 hectares and has been protected as a landscape since 1975. After the death of its last owner in 1984, the property was purchased by the municipality. Subsequently, in 1990, the buildings were sold to a hotel chain, while the park remained village property.




The park is laid out in English landscape style and is said to be inspired by Capability Brown. 

There's a grassy area overlooking the ponds and bordered by groups of trees. Behind these the vegetation changes into park woodland complete with meandering paths and monumental 100 to 150 year old trees.



Case in point is the giant I was posing in front of, showing you what I was wearing underneath that green jacket. By then it had warmed up sufficiently to discard the pale blue King Louie cardigan I'd added as an extra layer.

The blue three-quarter sleeved top was a charity shop find. It's from Libelle Collection, which was produced for the eponymous Dutch and Flemish women's magazine. As a nod to its cream edging and shoulder buttons, I added a vintage cream flower brooch.



The skirt's orangey red was reflected in my orange beaded necklace, while I used cream again for my stretchy belt. The blues in its multi-coloured round plastic buckle paid tribute to the skirt's print.

The sky too was playing a matching game with my outfit, a heavenly blue dome in which puffy clouds billowed, propelled along by the breeze, playing peek-a-boo with the multicoloured leafy canopy. 




Spring offers a veritable sensory delight, and the air was alive with the aroma of blossoming shrubs and trees, mingling with the rich loamy scent wafting its way up from the woodland floor.

The honeysuckle scent of Yellow Azalea (Rhododendron luteum) reached our nostrils long before we spotted the shrub in all it golden yellow glory.

Before we continue, let's have a quick look at Jos's outfit. His pink chambray shirt was a recent charity shop find and is a great companion for his green cord jacket. The latter was charity shopped as well, and has been a Spring and Summer staple for many years. First outing this year for one of his beloved Panama hats, bought brand new from an old-fashioned hat shop.




What a joy it was to discover the earthen mound crowned by a wooden gazebo on our first visit to the park back in 2018. It was only afterwards that we learned that the mound conceals an ice house, which is said to be still in excellent condition and is one of the rare remaining examples of its kind in the area.

It was here that the ice scooped up from the moat in Winter was stored, the insulating layer of yews and of the mound itself keeping it cool even in the Summer months.




At present, small adjustments have been made to make the ice house suitable as a hibernation place for bats. 

The gazebo, with its gnarled and graffitied pillars, can be reached by climbing a narrow winding path which spirals up the mound.


Two Girl Guides were making their way up just as we were coming down and I overheard one of them say she always hurries past the ice house as it was giving her the creeps!  No need to worry, I should think, as whatever horrors are lying in wait inside have been firmly locked in!



We sat down on a sunny bench overlooking the moat and watched the antics of the various waterfowl who have made this wonderful place their home.

They're haughty creatures, though, turning up their noses at the crumbs of bread a family was throwing them. Perhaps they are used to fancy leftovers from the hotel?




After this short two-day weekend I wasn't at all ready to face another working week. But needs must and it wasn't too bad in the end. 

With temperatures hovering between 13 and 17°C from Monday to Thursday, and the sun out in full force on all four days, I made the most of my lunch breaks, going for a stroll and soaking up some sunshine.

Wednesday found me at Melting Pot, the vintage per kilo shop, again, where I managed to find yet another two skirts, one of which already got its first outing on Thursday.

This blue pleated one in a mix and match pattern including a row of cheerful yellow, orange and pink flowers, shows all the signs of being somebody's perfectly executed handiwork. 




I love a blue and green combo, so I took my lead from the bits of green in the skirt's pattern and added a sailor style short-sleeved jumper. Charity shopped in May 2016, it has featured on the blog many a time in the past 6 years. The blue and white metal sailing boat brooch was the obvious choice, as was the beaded necklace. My swirly blue and green glass ring was picked up at a craft stall in Bruges in April 2019.

Oh, and did you notice my green suede ankle boots? These too were a charity shop find. They offer a nice contrast to the Honesty confetti and Dandelion in our garden. Having no lawn not to mow, I'm doing No Weed May instead. Well, not just May, actually. Weeding isn't exactly high on my list of things to do. After all, weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them, as Eeyore famously said in the Disney version of Winnie-The-Pooh!



With Thursday being the warmest day of the week so far, I made the effort to go just a tiny bit further afield during my lunch break and walk to Antwerp's small botanical garden.

The garden is a true oasis just a stone's throw from the city's busy shopping streets and although there isn't a better place I can think off to unwind, I don't visit it quite as often as I should.



To be honest, I thought parts of the garden looked a bit arid, which I'm sure is caused by the recent lack of rainfall. I was also quite put off by the construction work going on in its upper right corner, where the site of a 15th century hospital which backs onto the garden is being turned into a 5-star hotel.

As I walked the garden's paths and admired the plants and flowers, I couldn't help thinking of Kezzie. Not only because she was with me when I was last here in February, but also because the garden was simply inundated with wild garlic, which I know she loves to pick.



Before I knew it, my lunch break was nearing its end, and I had to hurry back to the office for the final hours of my working week. 

Would the weekend which followed be a another sunny one? In my next post I will tell you all about. See you again soon!



42 comments:


  1. Spring's extraordinarily beautiful this year! So sad that we have to stay indoors all day.

    Very interesting business plan to turn a hospital into a hotel ....

    Here the warm days should be back soon.

    Have a nice weekend!

    Regula

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  2. That ice hose would be great for a episode of Midsummer Murders...... already love it. That botanical garden sounds like a great place to escape the busy office days. I love blue and green together too and I think Jos looks smashing!!

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    1. Oh yes, you're quite right there ;-) And Jos says thank you! xxx

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  3. i guess it is optimistic turning a hospital into a hotel rather than the other way around.
    Love the look of the botanical gardens.

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    1. They've built the hospital's modern equivalent many years ago, though ... xxx

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  4. i wish i had a botanical garden nearby - its mostly a tranquil place and one can learn a lot there for the own garden.....
    i do actually a lot of weeding - surrounded by wilderness the BWH garden would get overgrown by brambles, nettles and trees in no time.
    xxxxx

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    1. I can imagine having to do a lot of weeding where you are ... when the house next door was unoccupied, I had to do a lot more weeding too! xxx

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  5. Weeds are flowers too, I'm there with Winnie Pooh😁
    Yesterday we were in Baden Baden in the beautiful Kurpark and everywhere you look the grass high and lots of dandelions, daisies etc. Wonderful for the insects and also nice to look at such a meadow.
    I love your green wool jacket and the floral skirts go so well with spring.
    Happy Sunday Ann, with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Glad you agree with Winnie the Pooh's friend Eeyore, Tina :-) xxx

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  6. I can see why that skirt (in the first outfit) is one of your favourites, the pattern on it is gorgeous. The orange red combined with blue and purple flowers is such a great colour combo. I love your approach on fast fashion worn slowly. I try to shop local or second hand/vintage, but sometimes I will buy something from a fast fashion shop if I know it is something that fits my style and that I will wear a lot. Anyhow that outfit is super cute. I really like the green jacket and the cardigan you wore under it. Impeccable layering!

    I really like the park you visited. It looks wonderful. Spending time in nature is always beneficial for us, I believe. Funny story about those birds looking down on bread thrown to them by someone. Maybe they don't like bread or as you say, they are used to better treats. Animals are clever!

    Yesterday we went to a mass in Medugorje and there was this dove than sang when the priest was singing and she seemed to kneel when everyone was kneeling. I never knew doves can do that. Whether she was mimicking what people were doing or following her own thing/instincts, it was really interesting to see.

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    1. Thank you Ivana, and what an interesting story about the singing and kneeling dove! xxx

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  7. I really the green top paired with a blue pleated skirt with bright flowers! Lovely styling as well.

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  8. Love the green jacket Ann - wise move keeping hold of it (the green boots and sailor style green top are also fabulous additions to your wardrobe). Your park walk looks very tranquil. Do I spot a Manderin Duck? I love an ice house, although I do always wonder why they weren't built closer to the house..? The ice house on the Enville Estate is a good mile away from the Hall. I suppose the owners didn't have to worry about such trifling matters! I'm with Kezzie - I adore wild garlic. Wild garlic pesto is easy to make and a delicious topping to a bowl of pasta. Have a good week! xxx

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    1. Thank you Claire! I love an ice house too, and I have yet to come across one which is close to the main house. I do guess you're right about that! xxx

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  9. Solhof looks incredible, I can see the Capability Brown influence in the garden layout. Beautiful views wherever you're standing.
    The green jacket is lovely and your skirt is the identical print to a pair of TopShop trousers I wore to my school leavers disco in 1984! I wish I had a photo to show you!
    Jos looks fabulous in pink.
    Wild garlic grows in abundance in our garden and we never get around to doing anything with it! xxx

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    1. Thanks Vix! There are so many clothes from that period which I now wish I'd kept ... xxx

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  10. I'm glad you decided to keep the green jacket, it's lovely and I really like it worn with the floral skirt! The pleated floral skirt was a great find as well, what lovely colours!

    Hope that you had a good weekend :)

    Away From The Blue

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  11. You have developed a very good habit of going for a walk in your lunch break - your body will thank you for it! According to 'Just One Thing' a Radio 4 podcast and series by Dr. Michael Moseley; he also advocates standing up more often, for example when using the telephone...the series is worth a listen and only 14 minutes per episode.

    That is a lovely park. I had no idea rhododendrons had a scent but then I've not yet seen or smelled a yellow one! I liked the idea of using the ice house as a bat hibernation centre.

    Loved your outfits and like you I love blue and green together. The hand made pleated skirt was a great find.

    I hope the botanical gardens get the rainfall they need and the construction work is completed soon. I plan a visit to the botanical gardens in Cambridge one day before the summer's gone...

    Have a lovely week
    xxx

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    1. I usually walk around while I'm on my phone :-) And I didn't know Rhododendrons had a scent either, perhaps it's just this particular one? xxx

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  12. Jos is one dapper fella! You look lovely.. those green booties are gorgeous.

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  13. I just live this belt!!!

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  14. I remember that first park from a previous post - I'm enchanted at the thought of the secret icehouse inside the mound! It's the perfect storytelling prompt!

    Lovely outfits, as always, Ann - your attention to every detail, from the brooches down to your toes, is evident, and appreciated! Jos looks wonderful in pink - that Panama hat is just perfect. We have a hat shop here in Victoria - Roberta's Hats. It's where L buys all of his chapeaux.

    Thank you so much for the wonderful scenes of nature!

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    1. Thanks Sheila, I just love an old-fashion hat shop! xxx

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  15. That park is such a beauty!!! I would love to visit it. I find the concept of icehouses so clever!!!
    Your outfits are gorgeous! I love all the green items and of course I clocked those amazing green boots!!!! Ah, a UK size 8 pair would never be found in the charity shops, sadly!
    The botanical gardens brings back happy memories! Thank you for thinking of me!xx

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    1. Thank you Kezzie, and yes, of course, I had to think of you, even if our joint visit to the gardens was only a brief one! xxx

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  16. No wonder this is a favourite skirt of yours, it has a fab colourful print and love that 'fast fashion worn slowly' phrase, totally my kind of attitude too!.
    That jacket has such a perfect shade of green and love the layers of colour, so brilliant styling!
    Lovely photos of your walk, and lovely detail that you matched Jos's shirt to some flowers in the collage! ;D
    Lovely blue and green combo, and lovely pleated skirt and green boots!, so fantastic finds!.
    The botanical garden looks really appealing for a walk, I do love this kind of gardens!. Great news that the weather is improving so you can enjoy some walks in your lunch break.
    (sorry that I'm having issues with comments signing!)
    besos

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    1. Thanks Monica! I'm glad you agree on "fast fashion worn slowly"! It seems you're not the only one having issues though ... xxx

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  17. Jos is one stylish chap! Well, you both are of course. You must help him dress? My husband doesn't have a clue what to put together but I don't mind bossing him a bit. haha

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    1. Thanks Joni! I do not help Jos dress, just giving a couple of helpful hints if he gets it wrong :-) xxx

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  18. The park is beautiful, and I enjoyed seeing these pictures from your walk. Your outfits are lovely too!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  19. Hello Ann, I enjoyed both your walks. How obliging of the sky to perfectly match your brilliant blue top. Joss is looking very gentlemanly in his panama hat. Yes, of course I spotted those fabulous green suede ankle boots. The ice house should be an opening setting for some mystery novel. Your no-weed-May-Eeyore channeling made me laugh :) :) :) x

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    1. Thanks Lulu! I did a double take when I spotted those green suede boots in the chazza, not for one minute believing they'd be my size and all! xxx

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  20. What fabulous old grounds!

    I am glad they are public property now!

    I love when tops have a ribbon or string threaded through them!

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    1. Thank you Laura! I've actually got that top in navy as well! xxx

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  21. What a fabulously cheerful outfit. I have a long-standing tradition of sporting the colour orange on Tony's birthday, as it is his favorite colour.

    As much (Halloween obsessed soul that I am) as I love orange and black or grey together, given that his b-day is in early August, I often tend to look for other colours to team with orange. Many is the year that partner has been royal or cobalt blue, much as you have done here.

    The two work so well together and are, IMO, a far cry away from the usual colour schemes most of associate with autumn in the Western Hemisphere. If one gets the tones right, both orange and green and orange and purple can be smashing together as well.

    I hope that you and Jos had a great weekend and that it will blossom into a sunny, terrific week for you both.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn! It's surprising how many colours work well with orange, isn't it? I never thought to wear Jos's favourite colour on his birthday! It's yellow, by the way! xxx

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