When visiting Namur, the local citadel is a must-see, strategically located on a hill at the confluence of rivers Sambre and Meuse, the fortress offers great views. It finds its origins in the Roman era but was rebuilt several times. The route leading to the top is called ‘la Merveilleuse’, offering a combination of steep, but manageable, walks, great views, a mix of culture and nature, a Visitor Centre and guided tours for those in need for some more historic background and tales and a tourist train for those with kids or for those just out of breath…
city view
The walk upto the top offers great viewpoints on the surrounding area as well as the city centre and its churches, on the above photo, from left to right, église St-Jean Baptiste, beautiful baroque église St-Loup and cathedral St-Aubain.
Facing Time-Searching for Utopia
For the Facing Time exposition in 2015 the ‘Searching for Utopia’ turtle, or at least one of the copies of the original, of artist Jan Fabre, was placed on the citadel. After the exposition Namur’s inhabitants felt so connected to the turtle they decided to buy the artpiece, through crowdfunding, linking it forever to the city and the citadel. Les Namurois embrace the slow life, they have a snail as city symbol and mascotte and, well, a turtle fits the slow profile perfectly, funny detail however, the copy in Namur was far more expensive than its original in Nieuwpoort which was bought twelve years earlier.
Searching for UtopiaCitadel corridor
a city by the water
There is someting with a city by the water, be that the sea or a river: it adds life, motion though at the same time brings peace, slows you and your senses down, exactly the way of life in Namur.
a river runs through it, citadel and cathedral
A new cable car station is being built, linking the city centre to the citadel top and the 2015 Belgian pavillion at the Milan Expo was bought to be installed at the esplanade and stade at the top…old and new…forever in harmony, forever in motion, facing time,…
Amazing what you can do with a little water, glue and paper scraps…feels a bit like when you were a child in school or at home, letting your imagination run wild, though must admit I still had to reconnect with my inner child…seems she was playing hide and seek, so my first project were some practical, though fun bowls!
bowls and plates on display at the workshop atelier
I had followed some crafts and diy workshops before, however as the location was hard to reach by public transport I stopped going, though I never stopped seeing things through creative eyes: whether in cooking or when busy in the garden, taking photos, little deco projects… I stumbled upon diy workshop classes in my own hometown, just a few minutes from where I live and easily reachable by bike. Founder and the woman behind Artlekeno is Frieda, who makes you feel most welcome and has many inspiring ideas. A former education and job in graphic design combined with a strong passion for nature, environment and using recycled materials…she just breathes crafts and diy!
Besides the returning weekly workshops with papier-mâché, other creative projects and workshops are available, depending on demand, season, etc and the atelier workspace can also be rented out for parties.
Creativity is contagious, pass it on!
We made two bowls, two different techniques, one with paper layering around a balloon in this case but you can use just any shape…layer after layer after layer…at least five, for these bowls. As for the other bowl we used paper pulp, like a kind of paste to put around any shape or bowl of choice. It might get a bit messy, so be prepared to get your hands dirty! After this first stage, the paper had to dry out, so the finishing touch and decorating happened this week in the second part of the workshop class.
first bowl got a layer of paint and touch of SpringFinished decorated bowl with some of my own designed jewels using Zahia Beads
My first experience was great…definitely want to try more and something more difficult or challenging…maybe I would even go for one of those funky colourful chickens that were on display!
This weekend, after many many years I returned to the town of my early childhood: the tiny hamlet Eizeringen in lovely Flemish Pajottenland, Belgium. Strange sensation taking this trip down memory lane, driving through this very tiny village: some things never changed in my memory and well…some things didn’t change there either…
I couldn’t recognize at first the house where we used to live, it appears to be a baby and children day-care centre now, however, now I know where it is, should return later to take some pics. We left there and moved when I was still a little girl, think I must have been four or five years old, but we returned many times during school holidays or visiting family. It was only when my grandparents died and we all had our own lives that contact was lost.
School used to be around a ten or fifteen minute walk from where we lived and my grandparents lived only five minutes away. I remember there was this little grocery store on the corner where we used to buy candy, however the store has been long gone I guess, as it isnow a normal house. The school building is still there and it still is a school…they even had left the entrance gate open for me.
my old school entrance
On the oppositie site of the school used to be a little forest where we went to play hide and seek, think at lot of trees have been chopped down with the years passing or it might just be my imagination is playing tricks on me…as a child maybe everything just looks bigger, I don’t know…
gate at the forest opposite school
We, my husband joined me on this trip to my childhood past, also visited my grandparents house, where my aunt now lives and took a little stroll through the village. There used to be a little post office, I remember those stairs well, playing on them going up and down endlessly!
up and down those stairs…
After our little stroll we returned to the church square where we had parked our car and also went to see my grandparents grave. I am not the greatest cemetery-lover, I like to remember my lost ones by the warm memories I have of them or by little objects or photos, however, being in the village after so long, would have felt strange not to go.
St-Ursula church EizeringenMy grandparents at mother’s side
However tiny the hamlet of Eizeringen, part of St-Kwintens-Lennik, may be, on Sundays it often attracts an international and mixed crowd as for many years in a row now the café located in the church’s shadow is voted best beer pub in the world by the influential website Ratebeer.com. It is also known as the second best beer destination in general in the world! Think it has the longest and most peculiar name ever for a pub, it is called “In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst” which you can translate as “In the Insurance against Great Thirst”
Outside the café
It’s a very characteristic pub, stepping inside, brings you into a warm vibrant 40s, or early 50s décor and they serve the most extensive selection of Geuze and Kriek beers, speciality of the region. However, bear in mind the pub has very limited opening hours: Sundays and Public Holidays 10:00-13:30. In February and March, celebrating its 175th anniversary, opening hours are extended till 20:00. The two owners still have their own jobs aside running this pub, explaining these limited opening hours. They took over the pub from an 85 year-old lady who was about to stop the café activities, closing down that way the last remaining pub in the village. That is where the new owners Kurt and Yves stepped in, as according to them, and very true, a village without a pub just isn’t a proper village!
the most lovely and warm-hearted company one could wish for on this nostalgic afternoon
We spent some lovely hours there, thoughts and stories were exchanged, my husband and me got the most lovely little drawings from local artist Chris, who used to be an architect and local poet and optimist Fons couldn’t stop charming us all, including me, with his witty rhymes and poems from the heart, which deserved him a hug and kiss, right?!
Fons, a charmer and true poetI will cherish these little drawings from former architect Chris foreverArtist Chris at work…
This is the place where you enter, take a seat next to complete strangers, but when you close the door behind you again, your heart is filled with warmth and joy, soft music, lovely stories, little poems…and you drank some excellent beers!
After some weeks of (un-willing) staying indoors due to the chronic pain struggle thing, and my trips outside the house mostly limited to the local shops in our town, my inner self was desperately seeking an escape and a broader horizon! Thursday the universe didn’t seem to conspire against me and I was looking forward to a few hours of city exploring and strolling, yep, it promised to be a great day!
I took the bus to nearby Antwerp, sun was out when I arrived, temperatures rather high for this time of year, some cafes and bistros setting their outside terraces…Spring was definitely in the air…and in my head! What better way to fill that head with new ideas and inspiration than a stroll through town, some deco-hunting, fashion-inspiration and people watching?!
VlaeykensgangVlaeykensgangview on Carrolus Borromeus church
I actually decided to get off the bus a few stops earlier than my usual stop and firstly explored the Nationalestraat, a street that always keeps re-inventing itself with new shops popping up. I had just left the bus and bumped into author Tom Lanoye. Well, nothing special there, he lives in the city I guess and Nationalestraat is hip and trendy, so sooner or later you are bound to bump into a familiar or famous face! However, a few hours later I found myself in ‘The Chocolate Line’ shop of Dominique Persoone, I know, I know, just follow the chocolate smell when near the Palace on the ‘Meir’ and you’ll be drawn in too! You can admire the interior, taste yummy chocolate, buy some chocolate pills or a seductive chocolate lipstick and get a glimpse of ongoing creations in the open atelier/kitchen…a signature on the writing wall in that kitchen caught my eye…a yummy chocolate quote by…Tom Lanoye!
I had a quick lunch at Lloyd Loom, more out of necessity to have my feet up and take some pain medication than I was hungry at that time…I know they have comfy chairs and it was the perfect place for me to reboot and have a croque madame with some OxyContin, that last one not on their menu! Luckily the meds did their thing and allowed me another two hours filling my heart and head with deco ideas and getting Spring fashion inspiration before a second pain attack rolled in and I wisely decided to head home.
Zahia beads
cat fun at Sissy-Boy Antwerp
Jelly fish deco at Jüttu
Hout van je stad, what a great idea!
Lemon and dreams of Spring and Summer
In the evening I got treated to a third attack, however, it is so much easier to counter such an attack when having beautiful memories or inspiring things in mind to cling onto: the warmth of the sun that made me long for Spring, the contours of the city hall against the blue sky and the group of German tourists I helped out by showing them the direction to the cathedral, the funny jellyfish deco I spotted in Jüttu and the beautiful printed blouse of designer Natalie Vleeschouwer, the Valentine decoration and Spring/Summer fashion that is filling the shop windows, the overwhelming abundance of colours in flower shops and in the Zahia store where I buy beads for necklaces, oooh and let’s not forget the smell of chocolate! Yes, some days are just great…though it took me almost two days to recover before being able to go through the pics and write this post!
KBC’s ‘den Boerentoren’CathedralDries Van Noten Modepaleis
Coffeebar GlowNello & Patrasche
upcoming yummy events
Hope you enjoyed your own little stroll reading through, enjoy your day!
We had already decided last year that this year, holidaywise, would mean an ‘ in-between’ year. Meaning somewhere between home and away, only not too far or too long: tightening those strapping belts around the suitcases, after last year’s expensive, but worth-wile, USA road trip.
Like the cliché says, it’s not where or how far you go, it’s the journey, the experience and Lady Luck clearly decided to grant us some more experiences as both husband and me won a weekend break, how much fun is that?!
Some careful planning and scheduling and must admit the calendar looks quite inviting the next couple of months, and after that, well, we’ll see, first mission is surviving Winter and am extremely looking forward to these up-coming Spring breaks!
End of March we are heading for a b&b near Namur, capital of Wallonia, Belgium. Only heard great stories of those who already visited Namur, so am anxious to explore the city and region ourselves, which might also involve a visit to close-by abbey of Maredsous, well-known for it’s beers and cheeses.
In May, somewhere around Ascension, our wandering feet and hearts will bring us to Lenk in beautiful Swiss Bernese Oberland. Childhood nostalagia for my husband who has visited the region as a child with his family many, many times and since the first time I,myself, laid my eyes on the lush green pastures and lovely mountains covered under their snow blanket, it is also my place to exhale and relax! We were always fortunate with the weather when going in May, so do hope the good luck continues, can’t wait to be there again!
Somewhere in April of early May, still to decide, we’ll be heading for the Dutch city Den Haag (The Hague) and seaside with a stay on the pier of Scheveningen. You can take that litterally as the hotel with it’s Pier suites is located on the far end of the pier and all suites offer private terraces with perfect view on the North Sea which is just at and below your feet, which should be a unique experience.
Think for the next months, in my book and with a little help of Lady Fortune, this is a perfect match of countryside, mountains and sea. A perfect balance between city and nature, time for new experiences and time to exhale! I am ready…
Ingrid
X
To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.
(Hans Christian Andersen)
Well usually there’s not much point in looking back, with this new year in full swing now, we should look ahead and hope for a year of light, laughter, respect and kindness in the way we live, in the way we treat our planet and the way we treat others. A warm pair of arms like the warmest blanket to comfort us when we need it most, a listening ear to tell our story without being judged, whatever that story may be, as every story is unique and deserves to be told. And maybe, maybe, that story gets a happy ending or closure, just because there was someone to listen or just be there, to help, to not judge, wouldn’t that be great?!
When new replaces old, it’s a strange mixture of hope and melancholy and I allow myself just for once to look back on what the past year has brought us, to me personally, and to our little family, being my husband Bert, son Nick and our stray cat Wiskie, living with us for more than five years now.
The year started off for me personally in January with lots of medical examinations and hospital visits: the ongoing tinnitus, which I am still coping with, sometimes ok to deal with, sometimes a burden, stomach problems and examinations, and no, not as a result of too festive meals… blame it on too many pills for the chronic back pain, but as I can not alter that situation…onwards we go…
February was a month were nothing really happened, that twilight zone, were your heart and the shop windows make you long for Spring but looking outside only brings grey, cold and wind to freeze your brain. That meant seeking refuge inside and luckily had my hands full and mind distracted with the planning of our Summer holiday road trip.
In March we were fortunate to spend a weekend in lovely romantic Bruges, weather wasn’t that great but had a wonderful time exploring tiny streets, new restaurants and coffee houses. Life was wonderful and we were all starting to dream of Spring when time and life were abruptly stopped on the 22nd when our capital and hearts were under brutal attack.
Was counting down in April to have a pain clinic treatment, which meant a lot of ‘bad’ days in that month prior to the treatment and just after, a lot of staying inside, resting and dreaming of better days.
It’s just a ride, it’s just a ride No need to run, no need to hide It’ll take you round and round Sometimes you’re up Sometimes you’re down It’s just a ride, it’s just a ride Don’t be scared Don’t hide your eyes It may feel so real inside But don’t forget it’s just a ride
(just a ride – Jem)
Early May brought better weather, which my back and joints were extremely thankful for! Lots of things to do in the garden, my head full of plans and ideas, some seaside trips, Spring at it’s best.
June meant tiptoeing through the house with a student hitting the books, or pretending to be…all ended well and finally ready to start that last year of secondary education after holiday break. If not tiptoeing or baking something as a treat for the above one I hit the books myself, tourist guides, websites, whatever I could lay my hands on to prepare ourselves for our upcoming southwest USA trip.
July was all about that big adventure, a three week trip, bringing us from San Francisco to Phoenix with stops in Monterey, Yosemite NP, Mono Lake, Death Valley NP, Las Vegas, Valley of Fire, Zion NP, Bryce NP, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Grand Canyon.
The trip was on all levels wonderful but exhausting, so August meant rest, rest, rest and another pain clinic treatment. With husband back at work and son joining him making some money as a working student the house was empty, leaving me plenty of time to go through and edit the more than 5000 photos we had taken.
September meant back to school for Nick and I started taking yoga classes…still haven’t figured out if it’s my kind of thing considering my back condition and history. A smaller group with more focus on the limitations some people are facing would be more favourable. Have raised the issue with the physiologist of the pain clinic, maybe they are aware of other programs more suitable for me. We celebrated Nick’s 18th birthday, another page turned and new chapters to write.
October and November granted us the most perfect Indian Summer, we did some re-arranging in the garden and had a lovely relaxing Halloween break in Durbuy.
Early December meant another trip to the pain clinic and some unexpected and at first upsetting news after some random cardio tests. Further tests luckily meanwhile showed the problem is existing though minor. Step one, as not completely out of the woods yet, trying to determine the cause and reason why I went to a cardiologist in the first place. However, needed a break of the whole doctors and hospitals world that was becoming weekly business, will deal with that one of these weeks to come!
So here we are, we made a full circle again, from pain clinic to pain clinic, from season to season, from end to beginning.
curl hazel tree
Let’s start dreaming again and hope this year brings lots of pleasantries on our path, the small ones, the big ones, the unexpected ones, the ones that make our hearts jump, our eyes twinkle and put a smile on our faces!
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of the twinkling lights of Christmas in homes and streets, reflecting in our eyes and making our hearts glow. However, when that last week before the big day sets in and craziness and too many people hit the shopping streets and the supermarkets get overrun, I seek refuge: in our own home, the kitchen, nature, smaller less crowded cities and sometimes that little peace and quiet I was looking for is just in the very heart of busy city life!
Christmas deco at the beguinage
On all the many occasions we visited Lier, situated southeast in province Antwerp in Belgium, we had never paid an actual visit to the local beguinage, which is a true shame as it is on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site! The beguinage itself found its origin in the 13th century though most houses date from 17th and 18th. The last beguine died in 1994 but walking the alleys gives a pretty good insight on how life must have been. Once you walk through the monumental gateway it’s like walking inside a history book and the peace and quiet are such a lovely companion on this discovery walk!
Alley with glimpse of St Margaret’s church
You might even, with a little imagination at a certain moment think you’re in London’s Notting Hill, well Flemish style, of course!
A touch of Notting Hill?!
Though there is a meaning behing the colour scheme, it was custom that the house closest to the church had the colours of it’s patron saint, in this case Margaret yellow…
Sober baroque St Margaret’s church
The system of long-lease makes it possible for civilians like you and me to even ‘own’ a house there, or at least the use of it as the ownership returns after the stipulated time, which is the thing with these long-lease contracts. Many houses have already been restaured, within very strict limititations and keeping authentic details of course…and you need a serious budget!
The entrance to the beguinage is free and will lead you through 11 alleys and 162 houses and at the centre you will find St Margaret’s church. Throughout your walk you will discover some references to Felix Timmermans, Flemish writer and poet, born in Lier who often came to the beguinage in search for inspiration. He nicknamed the place ‘The almond bean of Lier’.
Hell in the street doesn’t refer to the dark place but the steep hill
A lot of water pumps to be found too in the lovely alleys, or as Timmermans once wrote about them ‘statues dedicated to no one’
water pump in, of course ‘Pompstraat’
If you find yourself close to Lier, do visit this unique place, you won’t regret!
And for those not into the peace and quiet, no worries, plenty more things to see and do in Lier, more on that in another post!
Not sure if I will find time to write another post before Christmas, so wishing you all already everything you wish for, peace in your heart, joy and passion in what you do, peace for the world, love and warmth to fill the lonely, cold or aching hearts, all those small and little things that should be obvious and don’t need a shiny paper or much bling bling, just a genuine smile and twinkle in the eye.
This week, two days in a row now, keeing an empty belly for some blood and health checks…not my thing…I am the kind of the person only mentally and physically functioning on a breakfast: a little bowl of oatmeal, some fruit, some tea or juice and my pain medication, that get’s me started!
The blood check was done yesterday, nothing painful there, though you never know in advance with my veins. They are very tiny, invisible and jump away when a needle gets close, a nurse’s nightmare!
The examination scheduled this afternoon then again is not my idea of fun. They need to have a closer look at the mitral heart valve as there appears to be a leak. I already had a normal echo last week, that’s how the valve problems and leak were discovered, but to determine the severeness they need to examine through the esophagus to have a better view on the heart, valves, and the veins leaving. My cardiologist explained the procedure could be somewhat compared to a gastroscopy, which I had earlier this year,and not a big fan by the way, but this should be somewhat more comfortable as they do not have to reach down as far as to the stomach…comfortable is not exactly the word I associate with any of these examinations, it always seems so much easier sitting on the other side of the room and wearing that white coat!
early morning frost in the garden to warm the hart
I initially went to see the cardiologist as lately I start to experience more and more shortness of breath in daily activities, which are already limited in my case due to my back and chronic pain condition, by activities I just mean doing stairs, riding the bike, lately they all left me gasping for air as if I had just finished a one hour extensive workout! Besides the valve leak some other issues were discovered too, when in activity modus, my heart rate goes sky high too fast, that could be just a separate thing and no link to the valve issue but depending on how great the leak is and how the valve exactly behaves when in higher activity, there might be a link, so at this point this seems like the most urgent thing to further examine, so I just follow and listen…
…for when it comes to matters of the heart, I still want mine to continue to beat normal, feel, love, explore, wonder for a very very long time!
Belgium’s little gem Durbuy, situated in the province of Luxembourg and nicknamed smallest town in the world, could not leave you more enchanted than on the last day of October when the medieval town centre becomes the magnificent open-air stage for the annual Halloween celebration. Think Captain Jack Sparrow parading in the winding cobbled 17th century streets, fairies and witches, jugglers and other costumed street artists performing, lots of food and drinks of course, musical acts and a show with light and sound effects and fireworks to end the festivities with a sparkle.
Château des Comtes d’Ursel, Durbuy
Some window shopping in Durbuy
Halloween not your thing? No worries, Durbuy and this region have so much more to offer: nature lovers can stretch their legs and catch some oxygen in the surrounding woods or tiny hidden villages. Those searching for some more adrenaline can go kayaking or head for the outdoor adventure parks and if you are searching to excite your taste buds, look no further, this region has a large number of gastronomy level restaurants and chefs using excellent local produce.
Chapel St-Hubert, Vervoz, tiny village breathing history and architecture being an ancient Roman colonyLovely autumn coloursLunch is served!Typical house in Ny
Hot air balloon experience in Durbuy‘tiny’estate in Vervoz
Being blessed on this little getaway of ours with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 18 degrees Celsius have our batteries recharged. Nothing beats a wonderful yummy breakfast, some nature exploring and lunch and dining al fresco when end of October/early November, right?!
Just like four years ago again we stayed at b&b La Lisière, just outside Durbuy city centre. They have three lovely cosy and spacious rooms, one gîte and one cabin in the garden, all offering nature views. Bénédicte and Stéphane, your hosts, are keen on reducing their ecological footprint, this also translates into fresh local produce at breakfast and promoting local beers which you can enjoy relaxing in the cosy bar.
Panoramic views outside the b&bPanoramic views outside the b&b
Well, Halloween has left us for this year, peace and quiet have returned, but plenty of good excuses remain if you want to plan a trip to Durbuy: November hosts a lot of hunting season concerts and December says Christmas market of course! Just check out the city’s tourist info page for more detailed info on upcoming activities or nature inspiration.
Fall…of all seasons surely the one with the most vibrant colours, the purest emotions, the strongest contrasts…we said goodbye to those long warm Summer evenings carrying the sounds of crickets and playing childern. We start cocooning again and it’s the sound of wood cracking in the fire place that brings comfort…that and the aroma of a beef or lamb stew!
the hydrangea blues turning to purple
‘Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autum tree’ (Emily Brontë)
Though I am a big fan of the changing seasons, it’s a double feeling as for me it usually announces a period of more back pain. The combination cold and wet weather just doesn’t match my bones and joints and consequently my mood. So far we have been extremely lucky as we are blessed with a dry and sunny fall, keeping that blues and those aching joints under control and leaving more time to enjoy and observe the changes in surrounding nature!
Our tree of gold in the garden
Of course you can schedule a walk in the woods or countryside somewhere remote and sometimes it’s truly worth it covering the distance by car to get there but very often, well, just stepping outside is sufficient. These photos are all taken in our own garden and local communal park so whenever that ‘fall of the leaves’ blues get you in its grasp, just start walking, let your eyes wander and let them lead you through the wonders of this season…enjoy!
The Back Road Chronicles 