Across the border

 

Last week saw the end of our endless rain here in Zeeland. Finally, the sun appeared and we were able to dispense with our Wellies, remove a few layers and walk in warm sunshine. All this just happened to coincide with my birthday, so to celebrate, Koos and I did something we haven't done for quite a while and crossed the border for a walk on the wild interesting side. In fact, I err greatly when I suggest Belgium is wild, as their towns and villages are very neat and well pruned, as demonstrated by Koos's photo of the road we chose to begin our walk.

However, we were soon in the country, and this is what I love Belgium for so much: not wild at all, but delightfully informal and much less ordered than our Dutch countryside, as the following three photos show. This was also Zoe's first excursion (or incursion) into the neighbouring territory, and she enjoyed all the new sniffs, not to mention a friendly encounter with a Flemish boxer dog. I couldn't help wondering if their accents got in the way of their canine communication, but judging by the tail wagging, the entente was very cordiale.



Having established friendly relations and had a lovely walk, it was then time for a cup of good Belgian coffee, which we consumed in the back yard of a café on the corner of the above street. The big German Shepherd that lived at the hostelry (or maybe she was Belgian) was not quite so welcoming as the boxer, but in the end accepted Zoe's presence with good enough grace. Even better, the coffee was delicious.



More locally, we also have some charming, informal corners, and our own small nature reserve near the crumbly cottage made an ideal walk on Saturday, especially now the trees have exploded into full and glorious leaf. I like the chairs outside the small house below and the air of relaxed disregard the owners must have towards their lack of privacy.







Yesterday, however, was a major first for me. My daughters treated me to a day at a bathing and sauna centre in Schiedam, near Rotterdam. I've never been to a sauna before, so was quite unprepared for the intensity of the 80C heat in the first room we entered. Later on, we tried a 70C room, which I found more to my liking, and as for the jacuzzis and heated swimming pool, they were delicious. It was a truly wonderful day: we swam, wallowed and steamed; we sat in the sunshine drinking coffee and snacking; and we talked virtually non-stop. Now, I'm hoping we can do it again sometime; I've definitely got the taste for it!
Today, unfortunately, it's been overcast for most of the day, but the sun is back this evening and there is promise of dry, sunny days to come. We have plenty to do outside, so keep everything crossed it remains fine. On Thursday, I'll be back in Rotterdam again, so maybe I can get some brighter photos of the beautiful harbours this time.
Have a good week allemaal. I hope you enjoy it wherever you happen to be,