One of the most favorite places my "live-in gardener" and I have ever stayed when traveling was this gardener's cottage in Bruges, Belgium.
My blogging friend, Jeanie, shared recently on her blog https://themarmeladegypsy.blogspot.com/
a favorite cottage she stayed in on an adventure in England. You might enjoy seeing her post.
I told her I was dreaming of this gardener's cottage at the back of the garden in Bruges; so I decided maybe you would enjoy seeing it too. It was the gardener's cottage where he would sit, sip his tea, and watch out the window at his domain. He didn't really live there, but he had it as a retreat during the day. It was about 400 years old and was just a room with a fireplace. More recently the owner decided to turn it into a bed and breakfast, so added a kitchenette at one end of the room, stairs into the attic with a bedroom and small bathroom.
When we arrived at the owner's door, she walked us through her home and out the back door. Then we walked through the springtime blooms of an apple orchard to the back of her property and there sitting in the corner next to her back wall sat this little cottage. It took my breath away. For one thing I am an apple girl and just knowing that little orchard was outside my door I was delighted, but then living and sleeping for a few days in this historic cottage I was in heaven.
I don't know why I didn't get a picture of the peaked roof. The whole thing was just gorgeous.
While we were there my "live-in gardener" (husband) had vertigo one day and couldn't go out. This little cottage was the perfect retreat to rest and recover.
The table had this set up for tea available at any time, which included chocolates and cookies.
The view from the window.
Each morning the owner would bring us breakfast. It was always delicious and such a treat, we felt truly pampered.
The pastries and bread were freshly made. There was always a tray of meat and cheese, plus fresh fruit and yogurt. There was fresh juice too. And eggs or hot cereal. I never eat like that at home, but it was such a treat.
The kettle always had hot water available. Isn't that a beautiful copper kettle?
Teatime looking out on the garden was a delight.
Just a peak upstairs and the bed.
The view from the bathroom window. The roof of the cottage was much the same as these roof lines.
Next to the cottage was a door with a key for us to leave and go walking and return to at the end of our adventures. Our own private entrance to the garden.
Really it was hard to just leave to visit the rest of the city when we loved just being in this cottage and sitting in the garden.
It was an oasis in the city and one I will never forget.
They built a little house for happiness-
Our forbears in that long and long ago-
And walled a garden round about to bless,
With flowers and with trees, love's overflow.
A structure reared of oaken timbers...dream...
Materials time cannot twist awry!-
The leaded panes still harbor sunset gleams;
Still chimneyward at dusk the swallows fly.
They build a house, and we remodeling,
Have come on rusty keys to romance hid
In corner cupboards, in a gabled wing,
Beneath a shining copper kettle's lid...
A house for happiness-as heritors,
O what a privilege, a trust is ours!
~Kitchen Sonnets by Ethel Romig Fuller
If you ever want to stay in this little cottage you can find it on TripAdvisor - B&B De Sterre.
Do you have a place or cottage escape you have taken somewhere special?
Happy Dreaming, Happy Weekend, dear friends!
