Down in the park

Hello friends and readers! 

We've been back from our very short - and very wet! - weekend break since Sunday. However, before I can make a start with the pleasurable task of telling you all about it, there's yet more catching up to do!

You'll be relieved to read that my blog has finally reached November, so why not begin at the month's very beginning? 

The First of November, All Saints' Day, is a public holiday here in Belgium. This year, it was on a Wednesday, splitting the working week neatly into two halves. What's more, a bright and sunny morning was hiding behind our bedroom curtains when we got up that morning.

If the weather forecast was to be believed - and funnily enough they are usually spot on when bad weather is in the offing - the sun would soon be hiding behind a layer of grey again, and a smattering of showers was expected from mid-afternoon onwards.

In anticipation of Storm Ciarán, which would be reaching our shores overnight, there was the proverbial calm before the storm which offered the perfect conditions for a walk in the park. 

Once again, we opted for the park on the edge of the nearby town of Boom, which is only a 15-minute drive from Dove Cottage. 

The weather was in total contrast to our last visit here a couple of weeks ago, when we sheltered from the rain under the awning of the visitor centre, so that we were able to enjoy the scintillating sights and scents of Autumn to the full.

The non-stop rain of the last couple of weeks had filled the brooks and ponds to the brim and plenty of water - rather than the usual tiny trickle - was cascading down the weirs into the brook. 

At 15°C, it was mild enough to wear my burgundy vintage Tweed jacket with knitted sleeves and yoke, supplied by the goddesses of the charity shops in October 2019. My tan beret is from Burberry, found at Think Twice back in the mists of time.

The triangular and elongated park, which covers all of 27 hectares, used to be part of a larger wood. The leafy area was turned into a park in 1925, established along the banks of the brook which meanders through it and which ends in a series of pools. 

In the not all too distant past, the water used to be quite murky and green with algae, particularly in the brook where it was almost opaque at times, giving off an unpleasant musty smell.

In recent years, however, there has been an overhaul of the park, which involved cleaning the ponds and restoring them to their former glory.

The temperatures we were blessed with that day allowed me to remove my jacket and introduce you to one of the latest additions to my Winter wardrobe. In fact, it was a tad too warm for this wool and polyester mix vintage dress. Picked up at Think Twice a couple of days previously, when another one of their sales campaigns had kicked off at minus 30%, I was nevertheless adamant to give it its first outing.

I picked up the burgundy squiggles in its pattern with one of my King Louie cardigans and the tiny ruby dots with my opaques, while my big vintage poodle brooch echoed the off-white buttons and belt buckle.

My outfit was bookended with my beret and a pair of tan boots which might have seen better days but are just perfect for muddy walks. More tan was added with my scarf of many colours, an old favourite from H&M, which has been going strong for well over 10 years.

Jos was showcasing his new C&A coat again, which he wore combined with a blue flat cap, also from C&A. He shopped his wardrobe, as they say, opting for a yellow cord shirt, blue zip-up cardigan and dark blue jeans. His shoes are Clarks, obviously, bought in the sales during our Shropshire holiday back in June. 

It was back to work on Thursday the 2nd of November, which brought us Storm Ciarán with hurricane-force winds accompanied by an incongruous 15°C. As I had to brave the elements to go to my hairdresser during lunch break, I was glad I'd had the forethought to bring my special storm umbrella. 

No damages were sustained, apart from my coiffure being a bit skew-whiff by the time I arrived back at the office. 

I noted in my journal that I was asked by a guy on the tram whether I was English. Being an Anglophile, I was quite chuffed to be asked that question, but when I asked him why he'd got the impression, he told me it was the checked coat I was wearing (this one).

Although the storm had upped and left by Friday, it was still windy and quite chilly, with a drop in temperature to 10°C.

Due to our mid-week holiday, I'd decided to forgo my usual Friday off, although I did feel the need to indulge in some second-hand shopping therapy to tide me over.

With sales prices at Think Twice down to € 6 per item, I snapped up a rose-patterned needlecord skirt

and a vintage light green Courtelle dress with top-stitched placket, collar and pockets.

Saturday saw a return of the rain and highs of 12°C. 

I'd woken up during the night feeling a bit nauseous and although I seemed to be back to normal by morning, we decided to stay at home instead of going gallivanting around the charity shops.

That didn't mean I was completely idle though: I'm glad to report that I finally finished my seasonal wardrobe exchange and tackled a couple of small sewing jobs.

My outfit was built around another one of my wool-blend dresses, a dark green vintage Trevira one patterned with orange and sage green swirls.

Although I was in socks and slippers for most of the day, I changed into a pair of matching green suede boots bought brand new from an actual shop last Winter.

A sage green long-sleeved t-shirt was layered underneath my dress, which I accessorized with my recently charity shopped Massimo Dutti belt and an enamelled orange flower brooch, which was a gift from the lovely Kezzie when we met up earlier this year. A brown fused glass ring (retail buy) and orange beaded necklace (vintage shop find) completed my outfit.

Sunday the 5th of November was yet another rainy day, this time brightened by a midday rendez-vous with Inneke and Maurice. 

We'd invited them for lunch at 't Kasteeltje (transl. Little Castle) in nearby Boechout as a thank you for looking after Bess during our week away in September.

Only a handful of photos were taken, as obviously we were far too busy chatting. And eating, of course! While the boys opted for a seasonal special - pheasant with chicory, quince and some fancy potatoes called "pomme Anna" - the girls both enjoyed fettuccini with marinated chicken, spinach, mushrooms and candied tomatoes in a mild curry sauce. Yum!

The pinkish-red skirt I was wearing, in a deliciously strokable blend of polyester and mohair, must be one of my favourite Winter skirts ever. It was an old Think Twice find, as was the blouse with its little shawl collar and sprinkling of red, pink, orange and tan flowers.

It boggles my mind that I hadn't worn the blouse since January 2018. According to my blog, that is. Too many clothes, too little time! I'm the first to admit that even some maximalists might have a fit at the sight of my wardrobes. And yes, that's plural!

Both my ring - which had been lost for a while - and the brooch were picked up at the indoor flea market, while the necklace and belt were among my recent charity shop hauls. The watch with its leopard strap was a cheapo from a high street shop.

The rest of the day was spent finishing the epic 700+ page blockbuster called Atlas, and selecting Emma Donoghue's The Wonder from my reading pile for my next read. Set in 1859 in the Irish Midlands, it tells the story of a young girl who has supposedly lived without food for months, claiming that she is living off "manna from heaven", and an English nurse who has been sent over to watch her to make sure the girl's claim is valid. I've finished it while we were away and it is one of the best novels I have read so far this year. 

So, that's another catch-up done and dusted. I'm hoping to be back with more before the week is over.

See you soon!

My life through green coloured frames

By the time this post is published, my longed-for four-day Easter break is drawing to a close. Having had all that extra time off, I've got a double dose of the Sunday - in this case, Monday - blues and even the prospect of the short working week ahead is filling me with dread. No more sleep-ins, lazy breakfasts and days full of seemingly unlimited possibilities. Back to the grind and life ruled by the clock it is!

The Easter break was still dangling like a carrot in front of me on Sunday the 2nd of April. At only 2 days old, the month of April had already shown her true colours by confirming her reputation for capriciousness.

Saturday's all-day rain might have dried up by now, it was an utterly grey and miserable day. With the mercury starting out at 1°C and not climbing higher than 7°C, it was a cold one too, the day's forecasted highs only reached when some modicum of sunshine finally materialized in the late afternoon.

It would have been a total waste of a day if we hadn't had lunch with our friends Inneke and Maurice to look forward too. Nevertheless, I was feeling a bit jittery in the morning, particularly when the outfit I originally had in mind turned out to be all wrong. Both Jos and I declared the dress it was based around way too boring, so into the flea market bags it went.

Instead I reached for this fail-safe frock which ticks all the boxes for putting (a) spring in my step. Its sky blue fabric blossoming with clouds of white flowers is joined by a wide pleated skirt perfect for twirling. Its tie neck might pose a bit of a problem for a lunch date, but I tamed it with a brooch featuring a wild rose and its rose hips, picked up at the March edition of the indoor flea market.

The gold-rimmed ceramic flower brooch I pinned to my dress has the same origins. At my waist, a yellow suede belt, a bargainous buy from an outlet shop. The blue and white chevron striped yellow cardigan by the Belgian Who's That Girl label was a charity shop find.

Our restaurant of choice was once again 't Kasteeltje (transl. Little Castle) in the nearby village of Boechout. It is based in a mansion built in so-called cottage style around 1900. 

It is just one of the many country houses built in the green belt around Antwerp by wealthy townies from the late 19th century onwards, after the event of the railway. With their castle-like appearance, the number of turrets was considered a status symbol.

While the boys opted for steak and fries, the girls were once again seduced by the delicious fettuccini with marinated chicken, spinach, mushrooms and candied tomatoes in a mild curry sauce.

It was only when Inneke was taking our photo and drew our attention to it that we realized Jos and I were wearing matching outfits!

The remainder of the day was spent pottering, reading and catching up with blogland.

Typically, the weather on Monday was in total contrast to Sunday's. It was a gloriously sunny day and although officially the temperature would reach 10°C from its frosty 1° start, it actually felt a lot warmer. In sheltered sunshine, that is, as in the open and in the shade a blustery wind had no problem making itself felt.

I couldn't wait for my lunch break to arrive as I was champing at the bit to go for a walk, my intended destination being Antwerp's small but perfectly formed Botanic Garden.

The garden is only a stone's throw from my office, about a leisurely 10-minute walk at the most. However, instead of walking to its main entrance, I decided to take a slight detour. My chosen route took me past Maagdenhuis, an imposing building dating from the 16th and 17th century. Now a museum, it used to be an orphanage for girls until 1882. 

Its monumental façade dates from 1634-36, the bas-relief above the entrance gate, which you can see in the above photo, is by Cornelis-Floris de Vriendt, a sculptor and the designer of Antwerp's town hall.

I then continued, past my old college which I attended in the early 80s, and through the passage leading towards a recently opened luxury hotel. This is housed in a former convent and hospital complex called  Elzenveld, whose history goes back to the 12th century.

And look what I found in the garden next to the completely restored 15th century chapel. These two ghostly figures are clearly related to those in the sculpture museum. They're by the Antwerp-based but German-born sculptor Albert Szukalski (1945-2000), who 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. 

Onwards to the Botanic Garden itself. While I had to take the long way around, walking towards the street you can catch a glimpse of at the end of the cobbled pathway, then doubling back past the turreted house, a black cat effortlessly slithered herself through the undergrowth. Can you see her accompanying me on my walk on the top right?

The water feature with its reflective red work of art belongs to the hotel and actually trumpets its name at the other side.

As I usually enter the garden through its main entrance, I'd never laid eyes on this pretty ornamental pond before.

While the garden boasts a collection of 2000 plants there wasn't all that much in flower at the time of my visit. Apart from the Spring snowflakes (bottom left in the collage with the ghosts) and the odd flowering shrub, there were just a handful of tulips making their entrance, while most of the daffs were already on their way out.

In 2020, former city poet Peter Holvoet-Hanssen renamed it the 'Garden of Poets', a green haven that regularly forms the backdrop for poetry initiatives.  That's one of his poems set in stone on the bottom left.

Poetic or not - although there is no doubt that for numerous poets, flora and fauna continues to be an important source of inspiration - the garden is a true oasis of calm, particularly in Spring and Summer, when the luxurious planting almost makes you forget you're in the city centre, close to its main shopping thoroughfare. But then you come across a bench which leaves you in no doubt where you are!

We got two more days like these before the heavens opened again on Thursday, with the weather forecast for the Easter weekend being somewhat indecisive. 

It was supposed to be 10°C on Friday, but it didn’t feel like it at all. We counted our lucky stars that it didn't rain but it was heavily overcast for most of the day, with only one or two short-lived sunny spells.

After breakfast, we drove to the nearby town of Mortsel to pick up my new varifocals, as well as one of my old pairs which had been re-made into reading glasses.

Surely it was only a matter of time before I became the owner and wearer of a pair of green framed specs! They took some getting used to as I've not only got different frames but a stronger prescription as well.  I'm glad I could ease them in during the Easter break rather than having to use them at the office straight away, though. 

If you are interested, they are by Theo, a Belgian eyewear brand founded in 1987.

Now, let's have a look at what I was wearing that day!

Both the red and white pin-striped wool-blend skirt - one of the handful of Winter skirts still remaining in my wardrobe - and the navy blouse with its groovy pattern, were supplied by Think Twice. The green cardigan is by Lucy Has a Secret - another Belgian label - and was charity shopped a couple of years ago. As were my beloved moss green ankle boots.

I accessorized my outfit with a pink beaded necklace (charity shop), navy plastic ring (retail) and a pair of crocheted cherries (Oxfam) which I safety-pinned to my cardigan.

My stretchy belt with it multicoloured round plastic buckle was picked up from the high street while my pink painted metal dragonfly brooch was a flea market find.

We went for a quick rummage at the charity shop after lunch but you'll have to wait until my next post to see my finds, plus what we did on the Saturday. 

I can already reveal that there was a definite improvement in the weather on the horizon!

See you next time!