Look back in wonder

I've got something to celebrate today and no, it's not my birthday! And as our wedding anniversary was back in February, it's not that either. Now, what can it be? Well, today it has been four years to the day that I published my first blog post!

Now I know that many of you have been blogging for much longer, and that four years might not be all that much in the grand scheme of things, but I already couldn't imagine my life without it.

Blogging has brought me so much pleasure. The pleasure to be able to share my passions, to keep a journal and mark the passage of time and, above all, the pleasure of getting to know so many wonderful people, whom I would otherwise never have met, some of them becoming real-life friends in the process.

In fact, the only regret I have is that I didn't take the plunge earlier, but that's me, forever dithering and thus always late to the party!

Since my blog doubles as a diary, I just love being able to look back and see what I was up to at certain moments in time. Before blogging, the years were all a bit of a blur. Some years, there wasn't even all that much photographic evidence apart from our holiday snaps! Or at least not until I bought my current camera and starting making collages, which initially I posted on Facebook.

As in this part of the world the weather is such a topic of conversation, it can be quite a revelation too, travelling back in time to a particular month last year only to find that the weather was in complete contrast to this year's.

Take the above photo, for instance, which appeared in a blog post last March but was actually taken at the end of February, when the temperatures were so balmy that I could comfortably pose in the park in just my dress without getting all goose-bumpy or rain-drenched!

So, in order to celebrate my Blogiversary, I scrolled through all of last year's posts, choosing some of my favourites from each month. Quite a daunting task, I must add, and my original shortlist was quite a long one, but in the end I managed to keep the photos to a fairly reasonable amount. 

Apart from the photos, there are a few favourite posts as well. How I loved writing (and re-reading) the story of the two coats in the attic which I published in March!

This collage, in which I'm wearing a floral skirt suit and my lilac Tweed jacket for a walk in the park in April, makes me yearn for Spring to finally arrive.

As does this photo, taken in the same month, where I'm twirling the full skirt of a favourite vintage dress. There was no need for a cardigan or coat on this day when we visited a local nature reserve and were captivated by carpets of wood anemones. My heart is making a little leap of joy as I remember exactly how I felt that day.

April also saw us going on our first short holiday of the year, staying at the B&B near Bruges. While we were there, we visited the charming little town of Damme, where I couldn't resist becoming one with a sea of daisies. Pure bliss, and so easily evoked by just looking at this photo.

In May, my blog reminds me of the fact that I got new glasses, my first pair of multifocals.  I took them for a test drive (or, more appropriately, walk) in the park, wearing an old floral skirt and blouse, both vintage, topped by a recently charity shopped orange velvet jacket. I'd almost forgotten about those pale pink booties! 

In June, we said goodbye to the parental home, to which I paid tribute by writing a farewell post full of bittersweet memories, one I simply cannot re-read without getting a little tear in my eye.

Here's me, wistfully descending my childhood home's magnificent stairs for the very last time. Sigh!

In the second half of June, we embarked on our annual UK holiday, which we spent in Shropshire and the Welsh borders. 

Starting as we meant to go on, we met up with Vix and Jon on our very first day. It was almost a given that a spot of charity shopping was involved! Can't wait to do it all again in a couple of months' time!

On one of the hottest days, we hopped over the border to Wales for a visit to Powis Castle. My outfit, consisting of a vintage waxed cotton wrap skirt and a top which was a sales bargain from New Look, might well be my favourite of the past year!

Another hot day saw us seeking shelter in a secret garden, a definite contender for a return visit. The dress I was wearing was a gift from Vix, while the hat was a cheeky buy from a National Trust shop right in the middle of Slow Fashion Season. 

July and August were months of extremes. First there was a heatwave, when we were melting in unheard of temperatures of +40° Celsius.

Even if it wasn't nearly that hot on the day we went to a rather disappointing outdoor flea market, we were still glad to be able to cool down in the park afterwards. I was wearing a blue flower-sprigged 1970s cotton frock accessorized with pops of red, another one that's in the running for favourite of the year.

July was followed by a partially rainy August. On the 15th of that month, a public holiday in Belgium, we briefly ventured outside between showers to photograph my 1980s inspired outfit. If only the skirt is vintage, everything else except for the ring was charity shopped. Don't you just love that crab bag?

Oh how I love the promise of the first day of a holiday! We had our usual sojourn in Belgium's west country in the first week of September, and here I am soaking up the afternoon sun on the steps of Poperinge's town hall, wearing a King Louie dress I'd found at the charity shop only a few days previous.

Our holiday was a mixture of sunshine and showers, but Summer made a brief return when we were back home, prompting a walk in a shady park wearing a € 2 Think Twice find and a pink plastic chain necklace converted into a belt. The first signs of Autumn could no longer be ignored, though.

The second half of September was very wet so we anxiously kept an eye on the weather forecast as we had plans for a day trip to Bruges on Jos's birthday. The weather gods must have been looking out for us, as it remained virtually dry that day, with even a hint or two of sunshine!

Ah, October! The time to indulge in Autumn walks and a bit of leaf-kicking. But not this year, as the rains returned with a vengeance after that one-off day on Jos's birthday.

Then finally one weekend it stopped raining for long enough to go for a stroll - and hug some trees - wearing a dress which had been on Think Twice's rails for only 30 seconds before I grabbed it.

November saw us cat-sitting the delightful Abby, who had no problem stealing  my limelight ...

... and going for another little holiday in Zeeland, where I was finally able to kick some leaves in the abbey courtyard in Middelburg ...

... and go for a bracing walk by the seaside in fashionable Domburg!

Looking back, I seem to have been wearing a lot of red in December, which was purely coincidental and had nothing to do with the approaching silly season. This grey and raspberry red dress, another Think Twice find, got its very first outing.

But it was almost a given that I wore green too, especially when years of being patient finally paid off and a pair of green boots came my way. This dark olive green and pink flapper inspired outfit is another one of my favourites. 

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know that I love green, so it will come as no surprise that I picked it as the main colour of my New Year's Eve outfit.  It was based around a wide Scandi print maxi skirt, which had many admirers, both on the blog and on Instagram, which I'd joined in a moment of madness back in June.

We've reached 2020 by now, and the final posts of my 4th blogging year. I'll be brief here, as it wasn't all that long since I posted them. 

It was a cold but reasonably dry January day when I wore this pleated dress, fur collared jacket and pink feathery scarf for a charity shop rummage. The yellow snake print handbag was an irresistible sales bargain. Oh, don't tell me you wouldn't have been tempted too!

Another Saturday in January, and feeling the warmth of the sun on my face was a delight after the endless succession of grey rainy days. 

On this crisp sunny day we walked to the beautiful ruin of Sleeping Beauty's castle amid a juxtaposition of Autumn and Spring.

A final January outfit, again featuring green with a generous dollop of pink, was based around this stripy pussy bow dress, which again had many admirers. 

I'm concluding this round-up of my blogging year with our 25th Wedding Anniversary in February which, as you'll probably remember, we celebrated with a couple of days at our favourite B&B near Bruges.

And while looking back has been a rollercoaster of emotions, I cannot wait to fill the still empty pages of a new blogging year.

A big thank you to all my readers and followers ❤❤❤ 

I hope you will be joining me on my journey through year 5!

Dennis the Menace

We'd only just waved goodbye to cantankerous Ciara, when another storm came knocking on our door. His name was Dennis, and like his cartoon counterpart, he turned out to be a real menace.

There was no sign of him on Saturday during the day, though, which was mainly dry, so that we could nip into the garden for outfit photos before our guests arrived. We were expecting the lady I briefly mentioned in a previous post, who would come all the way from Holland with her husband to buy some of my stock of vintage clothing.

My outfit was a repeat of earlier that week because, yes, in spite of owning a massive wardrobe, I still do wear most of my clothes more than once, though preferably not two days running!

I'd fallen in love with the raspberry red dress with its print of white and yellow dots and dashes at Episode, a Dutch chain of vintage shops, early last year.

I love its fit and flare silhouette and, of course, those cute berry shaped buttons. The yellow bits in the print invite it to be accessorized with yellow, which I did in abundance.

My favourite, round-buckled, yellow belt made another appearance, and I wore one of my yellow beaded necklaces as well as a yellow and white swirled glass ring.

And I wore not one, but two brooches! While the yellow plastic bird is contemporary, the brooch I pinned to my - yellow! - cardigan is definitely vintage. Not only does the lady depicted on it have a 1940s hairstyle, the brooch actually is 1940s, and of the make do and mend variety, as the lady has been hand painted onto a scrap of black fabric.

That night, Mr. D. started taunting us with fierce gusts of wind, which had increased in intensity by the morning. But we had things to do and places to go, in particular February's edition of our favourite indoor flea market.

The temperatures were once again balmy so, even if the stormy weather did away with any thoughts of Spring, I wore one of my lighter weight Winter coats. The cream based coat, with its light blue and tan plaid pattern, has been a wardrobe stalwart for many years and is, in spite of telltale signs of being on its last legs, still getting regular outings. It was a charity shop find and although I can't remember what I paid for it, it can't have been much, so that its cost per wear is now definitely in the negative.

Same goes for the purple embroidered crushed velvet scarf I picked up at a flea market for € 0,10 five or six years ago.

Underneath the coat, I wore a psychedelic print dress, with shades of orange, lilac, turquoise and burgundy, one of last Winter's Think Twice finds. For my accessories, I had a wealth of colours to choose from, ultimately picking turquoise for my opaques, necklace and ring.

Turquoise was repeated once more in the brooch I pinned to my cardigan. Again, the brooch is contemporary, bought from the same shop as the yellow bird brooch worn with Saturday's outfit.

My cardigan, in a rich chocolate brown edged in yellow, was a charity shop find, while the mock croc belt in the same colour was a recent retail sales bargain.

At the flea market venue, we parked our car as far away from any trees as possible, in case Dennis would do his worst, thinking we'd better be safe than sorry! Then, while holding on to our hats, we made our way towards the entrance.

It is almost a given that we didn't leave the flea market empty handed. With so many wonderful and often quite affordable goodies on offer, it would be very difficult not to give in to temptation.

So let's start with a group photo as usual.

When I posted this photo on Instagram, Suzy asked me what the item on the right was, and I'm sure some of you might be intrigued as well, so I'm no longer leaving you in suspense.

It is a vintage Dutch enamelware tabletop stove, which is fuelled by kerosine, and is typically used for slow cooking stews and the like. They usually command much higher prices than the € 6 we paid for it and, although we are using it purely for decorative purposes, it is complete and still in working order, only needing a bit of TLC. Doesn't it look lovely with our vintage enamelware teapot?

We'd hardly walked in when I spotted this wicker, leather-handled handbag. I dithered over it while Jos briefly returned to the car to retrieve something we'd forgotten, until the seller took pity on me and let me have it at a reduced price. Who was I to say no then?

Another addition to our accidental Kodak Brownie collection joined us about half way through the market.

This one, which is in perfect condition with hardly a scratch on its moulded bakelite body and still packed away inside its original box, is a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera. It was very popular back in the 1950s, and sold like hot cakes for over a decade.  Its first version, which ran from 1949 to 1951, was a non-flash model. Ours, although it does not include a flash as such, cleary is the second version, which ran until 1961.

I love trawling the Internet for vintage advertising, so here's one I'd like to share with you.

And oh, go on, here's another one, in colour this time!

The small box decorated with morning glories is an empty jewellery box from a long-gone Antwerp jewellery shop, which was really far too pretty to be left behind. It was picked up from Rita's stall, where I also found one of this edition's batch of brooches.

A clear case of "my nan used to have one of those", I pounced on this € 2 celluloid figurine of a Japanese lady in a rikshaw being pulled by a barefoot man wearing a parasol-like hat. Speaking of parasols, the poor lady is sadly missing hers, which is probably why we got if for such a low price.

And yes, there was a very similar one living on my paternal grandparents' sideboard!

I did rather well on the brooches front, finding five out of seven for € 12 at the same stall, presided over by a lady who always engages me in a rather lengthy and mostly one-way chat, while I'm trying to keep my wits about browsing her table full of costume jewellery.

The plastic top hat and boater, the umbrella and the Autum leaf all came from that particular stall, as did the tiny pair of clogs, while the Paris souvenir brooch was the one I bought from Rita.

And oh, isn't the shrimp one unusual? This came from a random stall in one of the final aisles.

The pair of tiny clogs, which sadly came without its brooch pin, is actually a Bruges souvenir, with the clog on the right displaying the city's coat of arms and the one on the left having a picture of the belfry.

Now, all I need to do is find a pin to attach them to ...

I photographed all our treasures while trying to ignore pesky Dennis, who was making the windows and shutters rattle and generally making an almighty racket outside.

Thankfully, no damages were sustained, but my heart goes out to all those people who have been flooded in the UK, and in particular in our beloved Shropshire. 

Dry weather, preferably with a bit of sunshine, is desperately needed!

Bruges wasn't built in a day

After a fitful night's sleep and another one of Veronique's seriously sustaining breakfasts, we were ready to embark on our next adventure.

It was the 4th of February, and the day of our Anniversary, but also our last full day at the B&B, as we would be travelling back home the next day.

The temperature had taken a dive, and at only about 5° Celsius, I needed to dress appropriately for a day of being out and about. Enter this dress, which combines the funkiest of prints with a polyester knit fabric warm enough to withstand the chilly wind which had reared its head overnight.

My legs were kept snuggly by my thick orange opaques and the insulating layer of wool inside my chocolate brown boots helped to keep my calves and feet warm as well.

You've seen all my accessories, from the tan leather belt to the ring and beaded necklace, before. That particular necklace is fast becoming a firm favourite, as I seem to be wearing it all the time.

I wore a cardigan on top, obviously, but we didn't take any outfit pictures beyond these, so that I can not even show you my outerwear, starring my beloved Princess coat.

Rain had been forecasted for the afternoon, and on top of that, an icy, eye-stinging wind was greeting us when we emerged from the car park, so that we shelved any outdoor plans for the day.

Making our way to the Burg, we thought it was about time we explored the inside of the splendid buildings lining this square, and which had stopped us in our tracks each time we passed through.

Tucked away in a corner of the square is the Basilica of the Holy Blood, its dark Gothic façade richly decorated with gilded statuettes.

The basilica's flamboyant façade is actually a 16th century staircase which connects two chapels: the lower St. Basil Chapel and the upper Holy Blood Chapel, in which the relic of the holy blood is preserved. But more about that later.

The two chapels could not be more different: the Romanesque lower chapel, dating from the first half of the twelfth century, is austere with very little decoration (above), while the Gothic upper chapel is alive with colour and detail. 

The upper chapel was originally Romanesque as well, but was rebuilt during the 16th century as well as renovated multiple times during the 19th century in Neo-Gothic style.

It is lit by stained glass windows and covered with murals depicting the relic's journey to Bruges, but as these were being restored and thus covered in scaffolding, I had to resort to the almighty Internet for the photo on the top left of the below collage, as well as the one of the priest holding the relic on the bottom right.

The Holy Blood relic is embedded in a rock-crystal vial, which is placed inside a small glass cylinder capped with a golden crown at each end. The vial allegedly contains cloth stained with the actual blood of Christ.  Legend has it that following the Crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea wiped blood from the body of Christ and the cloth was preserved. It was then brought back by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders, in the 12th Century.

The chapel is open daily to visitors who wish to view the relic, and there are services for the veneration of the Holy Blood throughout the day, at the end of which the congregation are invited to file past the altar, look at the relic and touch it. This procession seemed to be going on while we were there, but we didn't feel the need to join in, so we turned heel and left.

Next door to the basilica is Bruges' City Hall, which was completed in 1421, one of the oldest in the Low Countries. The façade is richly decorated with Gothic windows, towers, statues and the coat of arms of subordinate towns. 

Inside, a ceremonial staircase leads from the entrance hall to the first floor, where you can visit the lavishly decorated Gothic Hall.

The impressive double vaulted timber ceiling is absolutely stunning, as are the walls, which are painted with scenes relating the history of the city. 

The medallions in the bosses show New Testament scenes, prophets, evangelists and saints, while the decoration of the corbels supporting the roof reflect natural and seasonal themes.

But don't be deceived as the so-called Gothic Hall actually isn't Gothic at all, but Neo-Gothic. After a fire turned the interior largely to rubble, it had to be refurbished, a project which started in 1890 and was finished in 1905. 

Included in the entry fee for the hall is a visit to next door's mansion, known as the Liberty of Bruges, from which the countryside in a wide area around the city was once governed. The building functioned as a court of justice between 1795 and 1984 and today houses the City Archives.

The gold-trimmed building is a real eye-catcher, with several gilded statues sparkling on its roof.

But its real jewel lies inside, in the Liberty's former court room, which has been restored to its original 16th-century condition.

It has a monumental timber, marble and alabaster fireplace dating from 1528, a tribute to Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), who visited Bruges in 1515.

Impressive though it was, I mostly had eyes for the enchanting wall paintings lining the room below the dado rail.

Our heads were reeling from all that splendour by now, so that lunch provided a more than welcome break.

The weather had turned even colder by the time we left the restaurant, and rain clouds seemed to be gathering, but our next destination, the Gruuthusemuseum, was thankfully only a short walk away.

The museum, which has recently re-opened after five years of extensive renovations, is situated behind the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) which dominates the city's skyline.

The impressive city mansion the museum is housed in belonged to one of the richest families of the medieval city, the Gruuthuse family, who made their fortune with peeled barley or wheat, the main ingredient for beer-brewing in the Middle Ages. 

Originally built in 1425, it was later expanded under Lodewick van Gruuthuse, a high-ranking official at the Burgundian court and one of the richest men in Bruges. In the late 19th century, the centuries-old landmark was thoroughly restored, again in Neo-Gothic style, by city architect Louis Delacenserie. 

With its intricate stonework, decorative roof gables and belvedere tower, the museum is one of the most beautiful sites in Bruges.

On this quiet February day there was no need to queue for tickets, but I'm sure it would have been quite a different story at any other time of year. 

In fact, we were able to roam the museum's succession of rooms, laid out over three floors, at ease, and often had a room completely to ourselves. 

Our journey took us through three crucial periods in the rich history of Bruges, from the time of its Burgundian heyday, followed by the lesser known 17th and 18th centuries, to the historical reinvention of Bruges in the 19th century Neo-Gothic style that is so typical of the city today.

These three periods are brought to life with more than 600 exhibits, including tapestries, unique Gothic stained glass, elegant wooden sculptures, historical lace, paintings, Burgundian manuscripts, exquisite pieces of furniture, silver and porcelain.

During our explorations, we looked out for, and found, Bruges' smallest Gothic window, (above, top right) which can be spotted outside when looking up from the picturesque Bonifacius bridge in the courtyard behind the museum. The stained glass, however, was found to be in a bad state of repair and had to be replaced during the recent renovations.

At one point we came across a small side room, where a row of  wigs were displayed on an ornate mantelpiece, with an invitation to try them on if you wished to. This was obviously meant for visiting children, but - also obviously - there was no way I wasn't going to oblige!

The room also contained a contraption which offered silhouette portrait opportunities.

The museum's absolute highlight is probably the authentic late 15th century oratory on the first floor, which connects the mansion with the Church of Our Lady, and which offers a view of the Gothic chancel of the church. This prayer chapel gave the Lords of Gruuthuse direct access to the church, illuminating the privilege and power of the mansion's medieval occupants. 

On the top right you can see a view of the oratory's windows taken from inside the church.

There is access to a loggia on the third floor, an extension with a balcony added in the 19th century, with a splendid bird's eye view over Bruges, and the courtyard with the tiny Bonifacius bridge in particular. This would be inundated with tourists at any other time of year, but was now surprisingly - or not so surprisingly given the inclement weather - empty.

After admiring the treasures displayed in the third floor rooms, we made our way back downstairs to retrieve our stuff from the lockers. Then we ventured outside and around the corner for a visit to the Church of Our Lady, entrance to which was included in the museum ticket price.

But we'd had enough of sightseeing by then, so we dutifully dragged ourselves around the church, barely noticing the wealth of art treasures and the 15th and 16th century tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold.

Dodging the rain, which was falling steadily by now, we walked back to the car park, but not before treating ourselves to cappuccinos and apple and pears crumble in a cozy café.

So, that was it. Another travelogue finished. But do not despair as we've already got another little holiday up our sleeves. For this, however, you will have to wait until April!