Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’« The trees are bar Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’«

The trees are bare, the colors dull, but the weather nice enough to go outside without having to bundle up in a xl winter coat. I'll be so happy when I don't have to cover up my carefully selected outfits with that one same coat anymore 😍 Not that I wear any nice clothes really, because that little pupper in the picture has a tendancy to ruin them. Something about being very ecstatic to see me when I come down in the morning... when I return from the bathroom... or the kitchen... or the 5 second run to the mailbox... or... you get the idea. Thank goodness she's cute.

πŸ“Έ: Cleydael Castle in Aartselaar, Belgium. It's a private property/golf club, so we didn't dare go any further than the main gate (especially with the dog present). Lots of other hikers did walk through towards and around the castle, so I'm not sure if it is/is not allowed πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ We actually came for the small nature reserve Cleydael across the street.

H A P P Y  W E E K E N D ! πŸ₯‚

#fashtagfriday #feelingfabulousfriday #fridaystyleedit #fridayfashionfreestyle #fridayfashpack #fashclubfriday #thankfrockitsfriday #whatafrock #letsgetfrocked #dressupfriday #alldressedupandnowheretogo #lockdownfashion #dresseduptostayin #whatiworetowalk #happytobemeoutfit #stylesisterhood #sassystyleweekly #theseclothesmakemehappy #shareootdinspirations #simplestylingsimplyme #mineyoursandhersstyle #positivitythroughfashion #mylifemystyle #dailyedit #mystylestory #everydaystylebook #stylemehappy #discoverunder3k #belgianinfluencer
Spring is telling us she's just around the corner Spring is telling us she's just around the corner 🌸

As I laid on the bench in my garden the past few days, a warm winter sun on my face, no coat or sweater in sight, it was hard to imagine that just two weeks ago this very same garden was still covered in 10cm of snow. This will probably be the last snowy photo I share from this winter as it will be time for magnolia, wisteria and wild bluebells soon.

#thursdaystyleisfullofgrace #thursdaystylefiles #mythursdaystyle #thursdayfashionfun #thursdaythredit #thursdayootd #thursdaylook #thursdaystyle #neverknowinglyunderdressed #stampyourstyle #whattoweartoday #wearwhatyoulove #mystatementstyle #winterstylefashion #winterstylefile #winterstyles #winteroutfitinspo #winteroutfitideas #outfitsideas #outfitshot #outfitideasforyou #outfitdiary #byebyewinter #wintervibes #winterwalks #winter2021 #belgianblogger #belgianinfluencer #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
50 shades of white 🀍 House update: the notary 50 shades of white 🀍

House update: the notary sent us a first draft thingy of the certificate and we have received mortgage proposals from the first two banks as well. It starts to feel official now! I  must admit that all this paperwork isn't my cup of tea, so I've been creating inspiriation boards on Pinterest to remind myself what it's all for. Once the paperwork is done and the house is officially ours, we will start the search for an architect. One step at the time πŸ™

A few of you have asked if we're moving, but no, we are not. We are buying the house that we've been renting from family for the past 5 years.

------------

Hat & backpack @fjallravenofficial
Coat & hiking leggings @thenorthface
Boots @drmartensofficial with wool @falke socks

------------

#jalhay #womenwhoexplore #belphenomenal #belgium_outdoor #wallonie #femaletravelcommunity #wearetravelgirls #exploretheoutdoors #lavieestbelge #belgianblogger #ig_belgium #ladiesgoneglobal #girldiscoverers #travelinladies #thegingertravels #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #dametraveler #highfens #ardenne #antwerpblogger #travelgirlsgetaways #damestravel #girlsthatwander #belgiantravelblogger #mawallonie #visitardenne #sheisnotlost #hogevenen #thediscoverer
Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives β„οΈβ˜ƒοΈ

#snowlover #snowcovered #belgiantravelblogger #winterphotography #belphenomenal #mywintercapture #sneeuwpret #cornersofmyworld #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #everydaymagic #mawallonie #winterwonderland #goodtimesoutside #coldwinterday #aseasonalyear #weroamhome #winternature #wintermagic #visitardenne #visitwallonia #snowsnowsnow #belgianblogger #thequietwinter #embracingtheseasons #vlaamseblogger #snowlovers #antwerpblogger #winteraesthetic #underthesnow
Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday again so let's put our hair up, drink a gallon of coffee, put on Taylor Swift "1989" and handle it! πŸ‘Š

#embracingtheseasons #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #belphenomenal #winteraesthetic #aseasonalyear #goodtimesoutside #mywintercapture #belgiantravelblogger #winterwonderland #antwerpblogger #weroamhome #ig_belgium #mawallonie #wintermagic #visitwallonia #winternature #lavieestbelge #thequietwinter #everydaymagic #winterphotography #snowsnowsnow #snowcovered #cornersofmyworld #underthesnow #visitardenne #snowlover #coldwinterday #sneeuwpret #snowlovers
I 🀍 weekends! Our 13-year-old car broke down l I 🀍 weekends!

Our 13-year-old car broke down last weekend and we have to pick up our replacement car today. Pick-up point is in Turnhout (where I grew up) and I'm thinking we need to make a day trip out of it! The weather forecast is blessing us with the promise of sunshine and very pleasant temperatures for this time of year, so I'm happy as a bumble bee in a sea of lavender.

#searchwandercollect #thedreaminglens #smallmomentsofcalm #thebeautyinwinter #ofsimplethings #alittlebeautyeveryday #myquietbeauty #seeingthepretty #gowildlyandslow #slowsimpleseasonal #tinytinymoments #thesimplelife #aseasonalyear #calmversation #embracingslowerlife #beautyyouseek #whimsicalwonderfulwild #noticewonderconnect #thequietfolk #cornersofmyworld #slowlived #theslowdowncollective #calm_collected #creativefolk #simpleandstill #myseasonalstory #thesimpleeveryday #slowlifestyle #capturequiet #untoldvisuals
Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌 The Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌

The High Fens are my favorite place to go hiking in winter. In "normal years" we don't meet a soul out there, but this year the whole of Belgium agreed this was the Fens were the place to be. Maybe the fact that it was the only corner of our country covered with snow had something to do with that 😬 Little did we know a cold front would hit all of Europe just a few weeks later! πŸ₯Ά

To avoid the crowds on the Fens, we stayed lower on the map and parked somewhere between Jalhay and Solwaster. I know the Ardennes quiet well, because I spent the first 16 summers of my life there. I still remember places that are less visited and also just driving around without a plan and stopping by places that look interesting helps (that's what we did on this trip, so don't ask me about the specific location πŸ˜…). How much I hated the Ardennes by the time I was 16, so much I appreciate knowing the region now that everyone is forced to vacation close to home.

What's your favorite way to travel in Belgium?

#jalhay #highfens #hogevenen #antwerpblogger #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #sheisnotlost #thediscoverer #ladiesgoneglobal #damestravel #lavieestbelge #girlsthatwander #wallonie #mawallonie #femaletravelcommunity #belphenomenal #girldiscoverers #belgianblogger #travelinladies #belgiantravelblogger #visitardenne #ig_belgium #ardenne #womenwhoexplore #exploretheoutdoors #wearetravelgirls #travelgirlsgetaways #dametraveler #belgium_outdoor #thegingertravels
Up to snow good 😝 This little fluffball didn' Up to snow good 😝 

This little fluffball didn't know what happened last January, when we let her out of the car in the middle of a winter wonderland. How unsure she was about the cold mushy mush, so much she loves frolicking through it today. Lucky for her, our very own garden has been covered in snow for the past few days ❄️

#aussieshepherd_feature #vlaamseblogger #aussieshepherdfeatures #miniaussiepuppy #aussomefeature #bergeraustralian #masoftheworld #puppylove #aussieshepherd_shoutout #australianshepherd #showmeyourauss #aussie_corner #aussiepuppy #belgianblogger #australianshepherdofinsta #aussieshep #miniaussiesofinstagram #aussieshepherd #australianshepherdworld #australianshepherds_ #australianshepherdofinstagram #miniaussie #antwerpblogger
When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that "adulthood" was a perfectly defined phase of life that you enetred the day you had 1) a job and 2) moved out of your parental home. As if you'd wake up the next day and be an adult who had everything together, never ate snacks before dinner and always had the last word in discussions. 

I moved out 6 years ago and have worked for 5 years, but I still snack before dinner and am very far from having my stuff together. But finally today I felt a hint of what my child-self dreamt adulthood would be like. I was calling banks to make appointments to discuss mortgage loans and I realized: this is it. I am adulting.

#winterwonderland #wintermagic #winternature #coldwinterday #winteraesthetic #mywintercapture #winterphotography #thequietwinter #sneeuwpret #snowsnowsnow #underthesnow #snowcovered #snowlover #snowlovers #embracingtheseasons #aseasonalyear #cornersofmyworld #everydaymagic #weroamhome #goodtimesoutside #visitardenne #visitwallonia #mawallonie #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #belphenomenal #belgiantravelblogger #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
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Belgium, Europe, Travel · 14 May 2018

A Visit to The Zwin, Belgium

Visting The Zwin Nature Park in Belgium

On a cold morning in February, my boyfriend an I decided to drive to the Belgian sea side for a day. We never go to the sea side. There’s nothing to do when it rains and it’s bustling with tourists as soon as the sun decides to peek from behind the clouds. Add to that the infamous Belgian traffic and you get a recipe for “nah, let’s just go somewhere else”. However, there’s a nature reserve near Knokke that I had been wanting to visit for many years.

Following the Cabin Trail

The Zwin was spans 150 hectares and has an abundance of interesting flora and fauna! The reserve is well-known among bird spotters because of the thousands of birds that pass through the park every year looking for food or a breeding place. There’s an observation center that looks out onto the park with telescopes and binoculars to help you spot special ones. I didn’t succeed, haha. But it was still fun to try!

We arrived in the morning and followed the path along the observation huts. From these huts you can overlook different parts of the park and spot wildlife. There’s informative signs telling you which birds you are most likely to spot and in some cabins you can meet park rangers who help you search. Since we were there to hike the area and not to spot birds we didn’t stick around the cabins for very long. My attention was drawn mostly by the flora, as you can see in my pictures! I love snowdrops.

The Zwin Plain

The cabin trail leads you right onto the Zwin plain. AS soon as we got there I was blown away by both the immense beauty of this area and the very heavy winds of that day. As far as your eye can see there is green grasses, water pools and birds flying around. The paths were very muddy making it difficult to hike around the whole plain. We cut our hike short, but not before I had a chance to fully test my new Sigma mm F1.4 lens! I love the photos that I made even if they don’t do the park any justice.

Sand dunes and the North Sea

How could we visit the Belgian coast without paying a visit to the beach and sand dunes? From the park it’s just a short walk to dike. The beaches were closed off due to the storm the night before that had carved out big cliffs in the sand that could start shifting if you walked on them. It sounded serious enough so we obliged and I hopped around in the dunes instead. The winds were still blowing heavily, so it didn’t take long before we were freezing and decided we had deserved a little treat.

Food at The Zwin

The Zwin has a bistro called “The Shelter” that serves up typical Belgian food. We had croque monsieurs and I had a coffee (what else?) while K enjoyed his beer. They brought in fresh pies just as I stood at the counter to order drinks so of course I had to get myself a slice. Cherry pie is my favorite!

In: Belgium, Europe, Travel

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Comments

  1. Mica says

    15 May 2018 at 14:17

    Oh what a beautiful spot to visit – you shouldn’t be so harsh on your photos, I think they captured the location perfectly and it looks like such a nice place for a walk. I love your printed scarf too πŸ™‚

    Hope that you had a lovely weekend and you’re having a good start to your week πŸ™‚

    Away From The Blue Blog

    Reply
  2. Emily says

    15 May 2018 at 17:16

    Lovely photos! I think I’d rather explore this place than visit the beach as well.

    Reply

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Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’« The trees are bar Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’«

The trees are bare, the colors dull, but the weather nice enough to go outside without having to bundle up in a xl winter coat. I'll be so happy when I don't have to cover up my carefully selected outfits with that one same coat anymore 😍 Not that I wear any nice clothes really, because that little pupper in the picture has a tendancy to ruin them. Something about being very ecstatic to see me when I come down in the morning... when I return from the bathroom... or the kitchen... or the 5 second run to the mailbox... or... you get the idea. Thank goodness she's cute.

πŸ“Έ: Cleydael Castle in Aartselaar, Belgium. It's a private property/golf club, so we didn't dare go any further than the main gate (especially with the dog present). Lots of other hikers did walk through towards and around the castle, so I'm not sure if it is/is not allowed πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ We actually came for the small nature reserve Cleydael across the street.

H A P P Y  W E E K E N D ! πŸ₯‚

#fashtagfriday #feelingfabulousfriday #fridaystyleedit #fridayfashionfreestyle #fridayfashpack #fashclubfriday #thankfrockitsfriday #whatafrock #letsgetfrocked #dressupfriday #alldressedupandnowheretogo #lockdownfashion #dresseduptostayin #whatiworetowalk #happytobemeoutfit #stylesisterhood #sassystyleweekly #theseclothesmakemehappy #shareootdinspirations #simplestylingsimplyme #mineyoursandhersstyle #positivitythroughfashion #mylifemystyle #dailyedit #mystylestory #everydaystylebook #stylemehappy #discoverunder3k #belgianinfluencer
Spring is telling us she's just around the corner Spring is telling us she's just around the corner 🌸

As I laid on the bench in my garden the past few days, a warm winter sun on my face, no coat or sweater in sight, it was hard to imagine that just two weeks ago this very same garden was still covered in 10cm of snow. This will probably be the last snowy photo I share from this winter as it will be time for magnolia, wisteria and wild bluebells soon.

#thursdaystyleisfullofgrace #thursdaystylefiles #mythursdaystyle #thursdayfashionfun #thursdaythredit #thursdayootd #thursdaylook #thursdaystyle #neverknowinglyunderdressed #stampyourstyle #whattoweartoday #wearwhatyoulove #mystatementstyle #winterstylefashion #winterstylefile #winterstyles #winteroutfitinspo #winteroutfitideas #outfitsideas #outfitshot #outfitideasforyou #outfitdiary #byebyewinter #wintervibes #winterwalks #winter2021 #belgianblogger #belgianinfluencer #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
50 shades of white 🀍 House update: the notary 50 shades of white 🀍

House update: the notary sent us a first draft thingy of the certificate and we have received mortgage proposals from the first two banks as well. It starts to feel official now! I  must admit that all this paperwork isn't my cup of tea, so I've been creating inspiriation boards on Pinterest to remind myself what it's all for. Once the paperwork is done and the house is officially ours, we will start the search for an architect. One step at the time πŸ™

A few of you have asked if we're moving, but no, we are not. We are buying the house that we've been renting from family for the past 5 years.

------------

Hat & backpack @fjallravenofficial
Coat & hiking leggings @thenorthface
Boots @drmartensofficial with wool @falke socks

------------

#jalhay #womenwhoexplore #belphenomenal #belgium_outdoor #wallonie #femaletravelcommunity #wearetravelgirls #exploretheoutdoors #lavieestbelge #belgianblogger #ig_belgium #ladiesgoneglobal #girldiscoverers #travelinladies #thegingertravels #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #dametraveler #highfens #ardenne #antwerpblogger #travelgirlsgetaways #damestravel #girlsthatwander #belgiantravelblogger #mawallonie #visitardenne #sheisnotlost #hogevenen #thediscoverer
Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives β„οΈβ˜ƒοΈ

#snowlover #snowcovered #belgiantravelblogger #winterphotography #belphenomenal #mywintercapture #sneeuwpret #cornersofmyworld #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #everydaymagic #mawallonie #winterwonderland #goodtimesoutside #coldwinterday #aseasonalyear #weroamhome #winternature #wintermagic #visitardenne #visitwallonia #snowsnowsnow #belgianblogger #thequietwinter #embracingtheseasons #vlaamseblogger #snowlovers #antwerpblogger #winteraesthetic #underthesnow
Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday again so let's put our hair up, drink a gallon of coffee, put on Taylor Swift "1989" and handle it! πŸ‘Š

#embracingtheseasons #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #belphenomenal #winteraesthetic #aseasonalyear #goodtimesoutside #mywintercapture #belgiantravelblogger #winterwonderland #antwerpblogger #weroamhome #ig_belgium #mawallonie #wintermagic #visitwallonia #winternature #lavieestbelge #thequietwinter #everydaymagic #winterphotography #snowsnowsnow #snowcovered #cornersofmyworld #underthesnow #visitardenne #snowlover #coldwinterday #sneeuwpret #snowlovers
I 🀍 weekends! Our 13-year-old car broke down l I 🀍 weekends!

Our 13-year-old car broke down last weekend and we have to pick up our replacement car today. Pick-up point is in Turnhout (where I grew up) and I'm thinking we need to make a day trip out of it! The weather forecast is blessing us with the promise of sunshine and very pleasant temperatures for this time of year, so I'm happy as a bumble bee in a sea of lavender.

#searchwandercollect #thedreaminglens #smallmomentsofcalm #thebeautyinwinter #ofsimplethings #alittlebeautyeveryday #myquietbeauty #seeingthepretty #gowildlyandslow #slowsimpleseasonal #tinytinymoments #thesimplelife #aseasonalyear #calmversation #embracingslowerlife #beautyyouseek #whimsicalwonderfulwild #noticewonderconnect #thequietfolk #cornersofmyworld #slowlived #theslowdowncollective #calm_collected #creativefolk #simpleandstill #myseasonalstory #thesimpleeveryday #slowlifestyle #capturequiet #untoldvisuals
Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌 The Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌

The High Fens are my favorite place to go hiking in winter. In "normal years" we don't meet a soul out there, but this year the whole of Belgium agreed this was the Fens were the place to be. Maybe the fact that it was the only corner of our country covered with snow had something to do with that 😬 Little did we know a cold front would hit all of Europe just a few weeks later! πŸ₯Ά

To avoid the crowds on the Fens, we stayed lower on the map and parked somewhere between Jalhay and Solwaster. I know the Ardennes quiet well, because I spent the first 16 summers of my life there. I still remember places that are less visited and also just driving around without a plan and stopping by places that look interesting helps (that's what we did on this trip, so don't ask me about the specific location πŸ˜…). How much I hated the Ardennes by the time I was 16, so much I appreciate knowing the region now that everyone is forced to vacation close to home.

What's your favorite way to travel in Belgium?

#jalhay #highfens #hogevenen #antwerpblogger #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #sheisnotlost #thediscoverer #ladiesgoneglobal #damestravel #lavieestbelge #girlsthatwander #wallonie #mawallonie #femaletravelcommunity #belphenomenal #girldiscoverers #belgianblogger #travelinladies #belgiantravelblogger #visitardenne #ig_belgium #ardenne #womenwhoexplore #exploretheoutdoors #wearetravelgirls #travelgirlsgetaways #dametraveler #belgium_outdoor #thegingertravels
Up to snow good 😝 This little fluffball didn' Up to snow good 😝 

This little fluffball didn't know what happened last January, when we let her out of the car in the middle of a winter wonderland. How unsure she was about the cold mushy mush, so much she loves frolicking through it today. Lucky for her, our very own garden has been covered in snow for the past few days ❄️

#aussieshepherd_feature #vlaamseblogger #aussieshepherdfeatures #miniaussiepuppy #aussomefeature #bergeraustralian #masoftheworld #puppylove #aussieshepherd_shoutout #australianshepherd #showmeyourauss #aussie_corner #aussiepuppy #belgianblogger #australianshepherdofinsta #aussieshep #miniaussiesofinstagram #aussieshepherd #australianshepherdworld #australianshepherds_ #australianshepherdofinstagram #miniaussie #antwerpblogger
When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that "adulthood" was a perfectly defined phase of life that you enetred the day you had 1) a job and 2) moved out of your parental home. As if you'd wake up the next day and be an adult who had everything together, never ate snacks before dinner and always had the last word in discussions. 

I moved out 6 years ago and have worked for 5 years, but I still snack before dinner and am very far from having my stuff together. But finally today I felt a hint of what my child-self dreamt adulthood would be like. I was calling banks to make appointments to discuss mortgage loans and I realized: this is it. I am adulting.

#winterwonderland #wintermagic #winternature #coldwinterday #winteraesthetic #mywintercapture #winterphotography #thequietwinter #sneeuwpret #snowsnowsnow #underthesnow #snowcovered #snowlover #snowlovers #embracingtheseasons #aseasonalyear #cornersofmyworld #everydaymagic #weroamhome #goodtimesoutside #visitardenne #visitwallonia #mawallonie #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #belphenomenal #belgiantravelblogger #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
Never not photographing the details 🀍 #thebeau Never not photographing the details 🀍

#thebeautyinwinter #slowsimpleseasonal #thesimplelife #simpleandstill #thesimpleeveryday #gowildlyandslow #slowlifestyle #slowlived #embracingslowerlife #theslowdowncollective #capturequiet #myquietbeauty #thequietfolk #creativefolk #searchwandercollect #noticewonderconnect #myseasonalstory #calmversation #smallmomentsofcalm #tinytinymoments #calm_collected #untoldvisuals #ofsimplethings #seeingthepretty #beautyyouseek #cornersofmyworld #whimsicalwonderfulwild #alittlebeautyeveryday #aseasonalyear #thedreaminglens

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