On Sunday I was bound and determined to go SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE!, rather than stay in on a sunny Belgian day with this stupid sinus infection. I threw out some options at my husband, ranging from Kinderdijk in the Netherlands, graffiti town in Antwerp, to more castle ruins in Walloon Belgium. In the end, we weren’t too keen on driving two hours to anywhere and my husband suggested Floralia at the Groot-Bijgaarden castle grounds. I had suggested this last year when we decided instead to visit the Abbaye de Villers, a place which is now a favorite and the origin of some of my most popular shots. I was convinced I’d never get my husband to go to Floralia, due to the likelihood of crowds, but he surprised me this year.
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- Entrance to Groot Bijgaarden
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- A section of the grounds at Groot Bijgaarden
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- Pretty in Pink
Groot-Bijgaarden is an ancient château dating back to the 12th century (with some expansions and improvements made over the next several centuries). The chateau itself is available for hire for weddings, parties and corporate events, but not open to the general public. You can, however, climb the four levels of the “dungeon” (really a tower, but whatever) built in 1347 for some great views of the grounds and the surrounding countryside – with Brussels, the Atomium, and the basilica all the in the background. In the early 1900’s Raymond Pelgrims de Bigard undertook a massive restoration of the estate and in 2004 the family decided to open the grounds up to the public in April for an impressive flower show.
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- The “Dungeon”
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- View from the Tower “Dungeon”
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- The French Gardens of Groot Bijgaarden
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- The Drawbridge
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- Belgian Lions Guard the entrance
Floralia is held every April. This year the exhibit runs until May 3rd. The grounds are covered in tulip beds, azaleas, daffodils, hyacinths, and more. The variety and quantity were just amazing and the setting, with its tower, moat, and drawbridge, was something out of a fairy tale. In my opinion, it’s another “must-see” on your Brussels bucket list. And it’s another “Belgium is boring” myth buster! Click here for information on Floralia and Groot-Bijgaarden.
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- Canadian Goose Family with White Goose Nanny
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- Place of Fairy Tales or Nightmares?
Did I mention this past weekend was Venetian Carnival Weekend at the Groot? The costumes were pretty awesome. Though given that Venetian carnival is held in February, I’m sure these poor actors were boiling in these get-ups this weekend!
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- Venetians Revelers invade the grounds of Groot Bijgaarden
My next spring destination? The Royal Greenhouses of Castle Laeken are open! I must not have been reading my embassy newsletters lately, because this totally snuck up on me. Each year, the Belgian royal family opens their private greenhouses up to the public for a few weeks. This year they opened up on April 17th and will continue to May 8th. I went as part of the Embassy CLO trip last year and really enjoyed it. I vowed however, that I would go this year on my own, as soon as the doors opened at 9:30, so that I could take my time and hopefully not get jammed into the crowds of school children that were there with us at lunchtime last year! I will keep you posted on my adventures there next week.
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- A Section of the Royal Greenhouses at Castle Laeken
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- Soo many pretty flowers
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- Popular with the locals, crowds flock to the annual opening of the royal greenhouses each spring.
Information on the greenhouses, including directions, opening times, and entrance fees can be found on the Brussels City page here.
I would also like to remind my comrades in arms out there, especially those in the Foreign Service, but also to those who have yet to find the time to search out the hidden gems in your home state (you Okies know who you are!), not to let yourself be pulled into the ruts that can overtake our lives. Make yourself break out of your routine, out of your comfort zone (without putting yourself in great danger of course!) and go explore your world. Whether you search out a great new lunch spot, a quaint little park, or a historical amazement, just get out and explore!
Yes! The time has come! The bluebells have emerged in the Hallerbos a bit later this year than last, but they are up and the forest is beginning to glow in all its purple glory! If you live in Belgium, and have not yet had the chance to visit this wonder, you just, simply, must. Last Saturday I took my daughter and her boyfriend for a look. There were still a lot of the white wood anemones about and the bluebells were not yet at their peak. But it was still beautiful.
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- Hallerbos in White
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- The Hallerbos changing its clothes.
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- The Big Show in 2014
Predictions are that this week will see the bluebells in their prime. This website – http://www.hallerbos.be/en/bloom-bluebells/flowering-season-2015/ – has been invaluable to me as I check the growth process. I have been out twice already (see this post as my alter ego, Arklahoma Muse on the Hallerbos in White)different times to see the different stages, and I plan on returning at least two more times before the season is through. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rain that is predicted for this weekend does not materialize (or blows through overnight)!
Go see it!!
Vintage Bunny Costume
I am thinking about buying an Easter Bunny suit. What do you think?
When my husband came home last fall from an advance scouting trip for an upcoming VIP visit and suggested we go back for an overnight visit to Bastogne, Belgium and Clervaux, Luxembourg I thought, “I can think of better places to spend a couple of days!” The only thing I knew about Bastogne was that there is a large WWII memorial that many Americans make a pilgrimage to. While war memorials are neat, they aren’t really my cup of tea. But I’m also not one to refuse a trip regardless of the destination! So we talked the teenager into spending some time with us and planned our little trip to the Ardennes.
The first day was chilly and foggy. We pulled into Bastogne and parked near the visitor’s center, located in a square surrounded by the cutest little restaurants ever. Megan and I locked onto a place with crepes and coffee and wouldn’t let Denver lead us away without first treating us to some “brunch.” Truly I am a monster if I am hungry. There is some truth in those Snickers commercials!
We ate our crepes, and then proceeded to explore a little bit of the city. We really only scratched the surface of Bastogne, and as soon as it’s warm, I plan on going back, but we had other sights to see just outside of town.
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- Touring
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- Fountain in Bastogne
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- Um, What?
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- Fields Near Bastogne
Our first destination wasn’t the memorial it turns out. It was to the forest just past. No signs, no notice, just the same sustainable forest that had been logged and replanted for hundreds of years. What was so special about this forest?
Sustainable Logging Forest outside of Bastogne – site of US encampment during the Battle of the Bulge
Fox Holes. From WWII. From the Battle of the Bulge. Left over from when our troops were pinned down in Bastogne by German forces. Just like in the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.” It was so cool!
Foxhole
I could have spent hours there exploring the different fox holes, photographing the remarkable forest all around and generally soaking in the atmosphere of this historical site in all its natural glory and slight spookiness in light of the events that took place there.
But alas, we had a teenager with us, and we were urged to move on…
The Mardasson Memorial itself is actually quite impressive. Built in the shape of a star, it stands 39 feet high and each side spans 102 feet. The 50 US states are carved on the outside walls, while the inside walls are painted with scenes from the battle. The memorial was built as thanks to and in remembrance of those that liberated Belgium from their German oppressors.
In a separate building there is a newly opened Bastogne War Museum. I’ve been told that it’s an excellent museum. But we are picky about which museums we spend our money and time in, and this just wasn’t on our radar for this trip.
On we travelled to Clervaux, Luxembourg, some few kilometers from Bastogne, where we would spend the night. It’s a landscape that reminds me of northwest Arkansas – with its beautiful farmland on the plateaus that surround, plunging, mountainous valleys that follow the winding rivers throughout the region. Clervaux is nestled into one of these gorgeous valleys and the quaint little village is set up for the traveler with many hotels, B&B’s, and restaurants dotting the shopping district that surrounds its very own castle dating back to the 12th century.
Clervaux Castle
Our evening was spent walking around the town (which takes much longer with a photographer in tow) and deciding what to eat for dinner. With Mr. Herren and little Herren, you can pretty much conclude that they will choose Asian food, and true to form, they found a Chinese restaurant just steps from our hotel. Surprise! It was awesome.
While checking out the sites, I discovered that Clervaux castle, in addition to housing the local government offices and the tourist office, was home to 3 different museums. One is a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge. Another is a collection of models of all the castles in Luxembourg. But the third – the third caught my attention. Aside from a bit of driving around and taking more photos, visiting that 3rd museum was number one on my agenda for day two.
It turns out that Edward Steichen was born in Luxembourg. During his tenure at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Steichen oversaw the creation of an exhibit called the “Family of Man,” a collection of photographs of the human condition from conception to death and encompassing everything in between. The exhibit consists of 503 photos by 273 different photographers from 68 countries and is a truly remarkable, photographic journey around the world. It was Steichen’s wish that this, “the most important work of his life,” be permanently housed in Luxembourg. So after being viewed by more than 9 million people in the 50’s and 60’s, the US government presented the collection as a gift to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. After decades of restoration of the project in Paris, the exhibit opened in Clervaux in 1994.
I highly recommend a visit to this most impressive collection. I have always been a fan of Edward Steichen, and this just made my visit!
WWII Tank outside Clervaux Castle
There are other things to see in the area, such as the monastery on one of the surrounding mountaintops, that we didn’t get the chance to visit on this trip (there is only so much you can force your teenager to do cheerfully with you), but hopefully I’ll make it back before we leave Europe for good.
FYI – Each year in December, Bastogne honors the memory of those who fought for them during the December Historical Walk. Participants reenact the conditions in Bastogne and those who wish to join the “Bastogne Historical Walk” can choose between walks of various distances. I had planned on attending this past year, but was battling a chest cold. It was a good year too, as it actually snowed, really mimicking some of the awful conditions that they soldiers faced during the occupation of Bastogne. A colleague and fellow photographer really captured some great shots, many of them in black and white, and sometimes I had to remind myself that these weren’t taken in the 40’s! Maybe I’ll make it this year. Keep your fingers crossed!
I love youtube!
And They Might Be Giants!!
As I entered the elevator recently vacated by one of my husband’s employees, I caught a whiff of stale cigarette smoke and thought, “Holy Crap!”
“Did I smell like that all the time?” I asked my husband. He answered in the affirmative of course and I gave thanks that I no longer subject the people around me with that olfactory madness.
And then I realized – Hey! It’s been over two years!
The second anniversary of my nicotine free life came and went and I didn’t even realize it. This is a huge improvement. I no longer think about smoking, or how I’d like to have a cigarette all the time (just when I’m watching movies from my adolescence or others are smoking around me).
I’m not one of those ex-smokers who are now militantly anti-smoker. I’m not that much of a hypocrite. In fact, don’t look at me oddly if I stand in your second-hand smoke cloud and inhale a bit. I’m weird that way.
I empathize with those who still imbibe. It’s a lifestyle – it’s a part of one’s identity – it’s an addiction that is a bitch to kick and it takes a major bought of will power to overcome and not all who try can do it (but you should keep trying if you get inspired to – no matter how many times you try it!). If you do what I did and spend a week curled into the fetal position while going cold turkey, it’s not a process you are likely to want to go through again.
So two years down the road, I can finally say that I am glad I went through the purge. It’s no longer a major focus of my life and I do feel a whole lot freer.
Cheers!
Be sure to check out my newest additions to the Belgium gallery at Arklahomamuse.com!
So I thought these only existed in illustrations in children’s books or as chairs for garden gnomes in brightly painted lawn decorations. I had no idea this mushroom is actually a thing, in all it’s red with white spots splendor. How cool is that?!
I didn’t pick it, or it’s friends, as picking mushrooms in the forest is apparently against the law in Belgium. But then again I don’t pick strange mushrooms anyway because I was taught not to because that shit can kill you. I haven’t decided if the law is necessary to protect the flora of Belgium, or to protect idiots from making themselves ill after eating mushrooms they incorrectly identified as safe for consumption. I could research that I guess. But I don’t think I will. A little mystery is good…
So I went to our commissary last week to get some much-needed supplies – like chocolate chips and Peanut Butter Crunch Cap’n Crunch- and noticed they had their Halloween supplies out. I filled my basket with all kinds of cools props. I then grabbed a few things I actually needed (like hot tamales and candy corn) and replaced all the Halloween goodies back on the shelf.
Well except for that one jack o’ lantern strobe light, because you can’t have enough strobe lights, right?
Score one for self-control!
But Halloween is coming and Meg and I can’t wait to get started on that Haunted House!
Halloween 2013 – with real pumpkins!
Head over to Arklahoma Muse to check out my new website/blog for my photography! Over the coming months I will be uploading various photos from my travels around the world. Please be patient as I flesh out the site and add more of my favorite gems. Should you have any questions, or wish to enquire about one of my photos, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Stay tuned for more!!
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