The morning fog may chill the air

It was the second day of our little holiday in Zeeland and things didn't look all that bright.

We'd woken up to a foggy, humid morning after having heard the strange and mournful wails of ships' foghorns giving warning in the night.

After all, even in landlocked Middelburg, one is never far from the coast in Zeeland.

By morning, the outside world was still murky and uninviting and, frankly speaking, far better suited to a day spent inside, reading a good book perhaps, or watching some rubbish daytime television. Or we could have browsed and listened to Eveline's extensive and quite excellent CD collection.

I'd already made myself comfortable in that fabulous Art Deco style chair ...

But that's not what we'd come here for! The weather forecast having promised the fog would clear by late morning, we decided to wait it out, but when this still hadn't happened by 11 am, we donned coats, hats and scarves and walked into town.

The pea soup-like conditions had drained the outside world of most of its colour and across the canal the picturesque windmill was doing its best to contrast with the blanket of white obscuring the sky.

Slowly but surely, a misty drizzle was blurring my glasses but using an umbrella would have been too cumbersome.

The rather forlorn view towards the bridge was in sharp contrast with two days earlier, when there was the hustle and bustle of shoppers and day trippers making their way into town, making the most of the exceptionally mild and sunny day.

In the foreground is the landing stage from where open-top canal boat trips take off between April and November. Now, its emptiness added to the desultory atmosphere. I guess nobody in their right mind would have been tempted to take a cruise on the city canals in this weather.

I couldn't help but be charmed by the little vehicle on the bottom right. It belongs to a local brewery and must be the smallest beer delivery van ever!

The town hall's carillon was chiming the hour, its tower, which the people of Middelburg call Malle Betje (Silly Beth), still wearing a thin layer of mist.

The tower earned its nickname from the fact that its clock used to run behind the town's other clock tower, the Lange Jan (Long John).

Speaking of the devil, where exactly is Lange Jan? Middelburg's most visible landmark had clearly decided to play hooky that day!

We picked up some brochures at the tourist office and roamed the streets around the market square, taking in the buildings' delightful details and doing some window shopping.

There was a whole shop window dedicated to Zeeuwse Babbelaars (bottom left), the traditional butterscotch flavoured candy Zeeland is famous for.

The Christmas decorations, which seemed incongruous in the gorgeous weather of two days ago, somehow seemed more appropriate on this most dismal of days. Still way too early for me, though!

Having made such a late start, we were soon faced by hunger pangs so we went in search of a suitable place to eat. Shouldn't be too difficult in a town the size of Middelburg, right?  However, as it was almost 1 pm by now, all the places we liked seemed to be fully booked. In the end, our empty stomachs got the better of us, and we settled for a rather run of the mill café-restaurant. 

Upon leaving the café, we suddenly noticed the sign in front of the shop directly opposite. Yes, we'd discovered a vintage shop! The shop, called Lieve Hemel, was a veritable treasure trove of vintage china, kitchenalia, religious statues, handbags, hats, jewellery, you name it. It didn't take long for me to select these two brooches.

Venturing further into the shop, I found a rail full of vintage frocks! This handmade pink and green one took my fancy. I was holding up another frock and telling Jos that I used to have exactly the same one, when my eyes suddenly clocked two more frocks which looked familiar. This just couldn't be a coincidence: they must have been mine! Thinking back, both Jos and I are certain that the owner was the lady who bought up so much of my stock at last year's flea market. I've even spotted two of the dresses in question on the clothes rail in my post.

By now, it was past 2 pm, and with the afternoon well on its way, we knew our sight-seeing time would be limited.

As we'd already made up our minds to return next year, we decided to continue roaming the streets and following our noses, paying brief visits to some of the town's landmarks along the way.

First up was the abbey complex, which can't be missed if you walk into the direction of Lange Jan. The tower had finally decided to grace us with its presence, even if the fog up there was still quite persistent.

The abbey dates back to the 12th Century and consist of a complex of buildings surrounding a large and picturesque courtyard. Three adjacent, internally connected churches make up one part of the complex and it also houses the Zeeuws Museum, which traces the history of  Zeeland.

We limited ourselves to admiring the courtyard, vowing to return for a more extensive visit.

Leaving the abbey behind, we found ourselves face to face with a picturesque red shuttered building. This former civil guard post is called St-Jorisdoelen and, in spite of  the date proclaimed on its façade (1582), this is actually a reproduction of the original building, as it was destroyed by German bombs in May 1940.

Note the statue of St. Joris (St. George) on top of its scrolled gable.

On the bottom left is a wall fragment of yet another building destroyed in May 1940. Several such fragments, or stumbling stones, were built into the pavement at different locations across Middelburg, and are part of a memorial called The Explosion erected in 1988.

We walked into the direction of the Dam square, which eventually leads to the old dock area, in search of one of Middelburg's hidden gems, the Kuiperspoort.

This picturesque cobbled courtyard, with its historical gabled houses and warehouses, was built by the coopers guild between 1586 and 1642.

Entering the secluded courtyard through a gate leading off the Dam feels like travelling back in time to the Middle Ages. 

Note the change of coat: I was very glad I'd had the presence of mind to bring along this warmer vintage swing coat as well! I was also wearing gloves, albeit fingerless ones which enabled me to take photographs without constantly having to take them off.

Leaving the Kuiperspoort through the gate at the other end of the courtyard, we emerged onto the quayside, close to the marina, where abandoned pleasure-craft were moored and a cold stinging wind was driving us back into the safety of the sheltered town centre streets.

Time to get warm and rest our weary feet, while having a cup of cappuccino and an indulgent piece of white chocolate cheese cake!

On our way back through town, I spotted a pair of green booties in a shoe shop. I'd been looking for a a pair that ticked all my boxes for many a year, so I couldn't believe my luck, even if they weren't the deep shade of forest green I'd had in mind. Their heels are just the right height for me.

After this purchase, it was straight back home for a quiet, relaxing evening by the fire. As you can see, someone was quite exhausted ...

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style as usual, and to Nancy's Fancy Friday!

November in Zeeland

I'm the first to admit that November in Zeeland doesn't have quite the same ring to it as April in Paris, but believe me, the weather was balmy enough to rival, and indeed surpass, any April day's.

Here I am, still in my vintage St. Michaels dressing gown and pink slippers at 8.52 am (quite a luxury for me on a Thursday morning), having a wake-me-up cup of coffee, with the sun streaming in through the windows.

Our itinerary of the day was to drive down to the North Sea resorts on the northwest coast of the Walcheren peninsula. A scenic drive along quiet, tree-lined country roads, with fields as far as the eye can see stretching away on either side, the flat landscape dotted with grazing cows, neat little houses and picture postcard perfect windmills.

But then the omnipresent roadworks and confusing diversions put a spanner or two in the works!

Finally, we reached our first destination, Domburg, the oldest coastal town in Zeeland, where parking is plentiful and free out of season. I'm sure it would have been quite a different story in the Summer months!

Domburg has a long history as a beach resort as well as an artists’ colony.  Its healthy air and the luminosity of its skies have been drawing people here for many a year.

It was the Dutch physician and - rather confusingly - inventor of Swedish Massage, Dr. Johan Mezger (1838-1909), who first coined in on the town's  potential as a health spa.

Originally from Amsterdam, Dr. Mezger had a wide circle of rich and famous patients, who followed him to Domburg when he set up shop there.

In 1888, a small pavillion which had been built on top of the dunes was replaced by the extraordinary Badpaviljoen (Bath Pavillion), built in lavish neo-renaissance style. It has been a listed building since 1983, and now houses a restaurant as well as several exclusive private apartments.

Behind the sand dunes, there's a wide sandy beach which  extends all the way to the next coastal town, Westkapelle.

Around the turn of the century, artists started arriving in Domburg, drawn by its mythical light. Many spent their Summers in the town, producing paintings depicting Domburg and its surroundings, with a favourite subject being the beach with its long lines of wooden poles, acting as wave breakers, jutting into the sea.

One of the members of the artists' colony was Piet Mondriaan, who spent several Summers (and some Winters) in Domburg between 1908 and 1916.

His seascape, Beach with five piers at Domburg, dates from 1909, and is a view which is still recognizable today.

It was heaven strolling on the beach beneath the deep blue of the sky, breathing in the salty sea air.

That day, I accessorized my checked Winter coat with a mustard beret to contrast with the sky, as well as a burnt orange scarf, which looks almost red in the brilliant sunlight.

I'd swapped my ankle boots for long, comfortable, low heeled boots which made trudging through the sand a doddle.

Underneath my coat, a long-sleeved frock, in black with a crazy white, yellow, orange and red print (see here for a closer look), topped by a striped cardigan in the same colours.

It was well past midday by now, so we returned to the town's main street for lunch, which we had at By Juuls, a restaurant recommended by Jos's son.

After lunch, our plan was to take the coastal road out of Domburg towards Westkapelle, which would take us over a massive, 5 kilometres long seawall, where the Walcheren peninsula juts into the – sometimes – wild and windy North Sea.

Again, roadworks did their best to thwart our plan and when our satnav noticed that we didn't take the left turning she (yes, she's a she, called Marie Jeanne) intended us to take, she proposed an alternative route which would first lead us inland, and then back to the coast.

If we'd followed her instructions, we would have missed this picturesque lighthouse, which is why we wanted to take the coastal road in the first place, so we were very naughty and ignored her!

I've always loved lighthouses, especially those of the typical red and white striped variety, and ever since I saw Tina's post back in October, where she posed next to this one on the road to Westkapelle, I knew I wanted to do the same!

There are two lighthouses at Westkapelle, and this is the so-called Low Lighthouse (Noorderhoofd or 't Lage Licht), the smaller of the two, an iron, 16 meter high structure built in 1874, which sits along the sea dike to the north of the town.

If this is the Low Lighthouse, there must be a High Lighthouse as well, right? 

This one, a prominent landmark visible from far and wide, is further along in the village itself, and consists of a red structure dating from 1817 and placed upon a 50 meter high brick tower constructed in 1470 as a church tower.

We didn't stop to take its photograph, but if you're intrigued, you can have a look here.

On the landside of the seawall is the Noordervroon, a watery nature reserve which is home to many different species of birds. Although the nature reserve itself is not accessible, there's a magnificent view of it from the road running on top of the seawall.

Our final stop of the day was the popular seaside resort of Zoutelande, which is called the Riviera of Zeeland and was rated the best resort of the Netherlands in 2013.

Lovely though it is, wild horses couldn't drag us here in High Season, but on this glorious November day, we enjoyed the view of the virtually empty beach from a bench on the promenade.

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style as usual.

The burrs and the bees

I've been making the most of the last of the Summer days by wearing some of the things which were still rattling around unworn in my wardrobe.

With the Summer we've been having, my beloved polyester dresses must have thought their days were numbered, the heatwave dictating that I wore most of my cotton frocks, which in Summers past hardly left the suitcase they are stored in.

If I'd heeded the advice of those who are supposedly in the know, to let go of anything that hasn't been worn for over a year, these would have been ditched long ago.

Instead, any unworn Diolen, Trevira et al. dresses, apart from one or two which will be culled at my next wardrobe changeover, will live to shine another day.

I was quite surprised I hadn't even worn this red dress once,  with its cheerful print of green dots and white flowers, as it usually makes at least one Summer appearance (see here and here).

So, on Friday before last, I wore it to work, with a white belt for contrast. I pinned a big, white-rimmed plastic brooch to the green cardigan I'd added, while further accessories were a string of green beads and a yellow and pink swirled plastic ring.

As it has been getting quite chilly in the mornings, I also wore a jacket on top . This vintage black and white hounds-tooth jacket, with its shiny black buttons rimmed with gold, is a firm favourite. It's got belt loops but was lacking a belt when it first became mine, which was soon remedied by adding a slim shiny black belt with a gold buckle I already owned.

My dark red chiffon scarf added another pop of colour.

I'd taken the afternoon off and after Jos met me from the tram, we made a detour to the nearest charity shop before heading home.

I can never resist a wicker sewing basket! This one hadn't even made it to the shelves yet: I found it lurking beneath a large serving dish at the bottom of a crate of items ready to be shelved. Priced at € 1, it was obvious it had to be mine!

The jewellery display didn't disappoint either, with a necklace of rose pearls and translucent plastic beads, a bracelet and two bangles, and a delightful apple pendant.

Two new-to-me retro-print blouses also came home with me and while they are waiting their turn to be worn by me, Angelica was more than happy to model them for you!

The sun was shining on Saturday morning, but by the time we made it to the park clouds had gathered once again. We ate the sandwiches we'd brought for our picnic while sat on a bench, trying to avoid the omnipresent wasps which were intent on sharing our lunch.

The brightly coloured plaid print dress I was wearing is well travelled. It came with us to Wales last year and I'd packed it again for our week away earlier this month, although it didn't leave my suitcase on both occasions. 

Time to give it an outing before being packed away for Winter.  Besides, I thought its autumnal hues were perfect for this time of year!

My vintage jacket, made from cobalt blue crepe, was a lucky find in a charity shop in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales, a couple of years ago. 

The eagle-eyed among you may notice that I was wearing the bracelet and one of the bangles I found on Friday. The blue bangle and blue and white necklace were charity shopped as well, as was the handbag, but I can't remember where the brooch, a tiny plastic hat decorated with flowers, came from.

The half-elasticated belt was bought retail many years ago. I have it in orange as well.

And look, the dress has got pockets!

You can see a close-up of the brooch I'd pinned to its lapel, which I found at a flea market in Carmarthen, Wales, back in 2015, in one of the collages below.

The sun kept playing hide and seek while we went for a short stroll around the park.

I don't know what it is about September, and why it makes me feel quite so wistful. Might it be  because it's the month that I was born in, and when I first drew breath, I breathed in the bittersweet scent of September?

There is a hint of earthiness in the air, a heady mixture of delight and melancholy that I wish that I could bottle.

"The breezes taste

of apple peel.

The air is full

of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

burning brush,

new books, erasers,

chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

well-honeyed hum,

and Mother cuts

chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

with suds, the days

are polished with

a morning haze."

~John Updike, September

Summer foliage has had its time and is fading to hues of a mouldy, greyish brown, while solitary bees were feasting on the last of the late Summer flowers basking in the mellow sunlight.

One cannot deny that there is a subtle change in the light in these days which have Autumn breathing down their necks. The sun, when she graces us with her presence, is veiled by an almost imperceptible haze.

I was being attacked by burrs, so it was time to leave and cross the street to the charity shop which is almost opposite the park.

Here I found another stack of bangles as well as two vintage summer frocks, which will be put away for next year, by which time they'll be a surprise as I'll probably have forgotten all about them.

Then we had to dash home as we were going out that night, to the theatre, no less.

We were off to see a musical in which Jos's multi-talented 18 going on 19 year old granddaughter was performing, as she does each September. This year it was Grease! We admit not really being fans of the genre, but obviously we gladly make an exception for her. 

In my book, theatre-going equals dressing up, and I chose a long-sleeved ankle-length dress with an eye-catching blowsy flower print, which I'd bought at the tail end of the C&A sales earlier this year. 

In the end, I decided not to wear the shawl, crocheted for my birthday by my friend Ingrid two years ago, as it was quite a balmy night.

We made outfit photos before we went out, but as the colours were slightly drained by the evening sunlight, we re-did it on Sunday morning to offer you a better view of the details.

Look at how different the light is, changing the colours significantly!

My necklace, brooch and ring echo the colours of the dress's print, while the pink floral jacket, a present from Vix, provided contrast to the predominant dark tones of the dress.

This is the outfit I'll be linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

It's almost unimaginable that I was posing in our sunlit garden only a week ago, as it's been raining heavily while I'm typing these words, and the temperature has dropped considerably.

I'll be continuing my travelogue in my next post. Hope you will join me again on my travels?

And the daffodils look lovely today

Last weekend Spring decided to show us her true colours by giving us a glimmer of hope in the form of two perfectly formed early Spring days.

Perfect for venturing out into the garden for some pruning, or for going on a long walk, but I was lacking the energy and my mood was strangely at odds with the weather.

I do try to avoid too much moaning on the blog, but life isn't all ha ha hee hee, you know. I am shamelessly quoting Meera Syal's novel of the same name!

Dressing up never fails to cheer me up, though, so here I am faking it until the fog in my head has cleared.

Beige and brown doesn't have to be boring! Proof is in this frock, which has one of the funkiest prints ever! The fabric is seriously swishy too. I pinned not one but two brooches on it: a mottled turquoise stone rimmed in gold metal to keep the frock's tie from, err... untying, and a pair of turquoise swallows in flight. They're modern, and I have them in green as well.

Other accessories included a turquoise chunky plastic ring and a tan belt.

This frock is actually a film star! Here I was re-watching a Flemish film on the telly, called Groenten uit Balen (2011), which is set in 1971, when all of a sudden there was one of the actresses wearing my dress!

A turquoise cardigan went on top, which meant I could add another brooch. This is one of the embroidered brooches I picked up at a Carmarthen antique shop last June. The majority of these kind of brooches feature flowers, and I especially love this one with its tiny gentians.

I completed my outfit with turquoise opaques and tan ankle boots.

It might have been Spring, but it's early days yet, so a jacket was still required. I could have opted for a lighter one, but that would have involved digging into the depths of our coats wardrobe.

I also could have done without a scarf, but old habits die hard, so I chose the frilly one I charity shopped earlier this month. It looks deceptively light but was in fact quite heavy and warm.

Notice that I'm not wearing a beret! I admit I did feel quite lost without one.

We went for a short stroll in the park, which only weeks ago was a wiry tangle of last season's growth, with unruly twigs and branches and the sodden and sordid remains of late Summer and Autumn perennials.

Pruned and trimmed, the park was looking a bit bare. It's hard to fathom that within a few short months it will all be green and lush again.

I gingerly sat down in the tree trunk seat, as its back was cushioned by fungi.

Blossoms in delicious pinks and yellows were out to herald Springtime.  And look: a host of golden daffodils!

A few late crocuses were attracting the first of the bumble bees, who were deliriously buzzing among the flowers. 

The pair of  Egyptian geese on the top right were honking for joy when some of their friends passed by overhead.

Conveniently, the park is close to one of our favourite charity shops, so it would have been downright silly not to go and have a look.

I was rewarded with all kinds of jewellery. The brooch and earring sets were remnants from the Retro Day, and were reduced by 50%, so I basically had two for the price of one!

Back at home, I took pity on Angelica and dressed her in a Spring appropriate outfit.

The hour we lost during the night to mark Summer Time was making me feel even more out of sorts on Sunday.

Drastic measures were required so I piled on lots of colour. The starting point for my outfit was the electric blue blouse, with its starburst and flower print. It's got a huge (and I mean huge!) spoon collar reaching over my shoulders. 

After trying several skirts, I settled for this fresh green plaid midi length one.

Echoing the pink flowers in my blouse, I then added a sizzling pink belt, cardigan and ring.

It wasn't easy to find the right necklace as the blouse kept clamouring for attention, but then I remembered this colourful necklace made up of wooden discs. It predates my vintage and second hand years and came from Accessorize, back in the day when they still had a shop in Antwerp.

The day was too good to waste inside the house so, after we spent the morning booking a weekend away at the end of April, we were dying for a breath of fresh air and some healing rays of sunshine. 

The nature reserve at the site of the old fort in the next village fit the bill perfectly.

The resident tortoises are slowly coming out of hibernation and some of them were basking in the sunshine.

My lilac jacket added yet another colour to my early Spring outfit and this time I made the wise decision to leave behind the woolly scarves and wear a lightweight one instead.

I was quite disappointed to spot only one small clump of daffodils, its twin flowers looking rather dolefully at their own reflection in the water.

It seems Spring still has a lot of catching up to do!