Thursday, February 18, 2021

Cottage in Bruges

 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.
A House for Happiness
 
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!



8 comments:

Mary said...

OMG Marilyn - that poem must have been written for the cottage - how fabulous!
What a place - and I would love to go stay there also - never have visited Bruges but it's on my list! So want to travel again but am getting a little concerned as the months go by and we can't fly away.I feel my bones getting ancient, no jumping out of bed, no walking pain free, I really feel I've aged much more than a year in this past year of being mostly homebound, sad to say. I try to remain positive and Bob is much better at that than me, but I don't know when I can go see my family and friends in the UK - and literally all of them are in worse shape than us!

Thankful to have shared your memories here - and lovely that you took so many photos, especially of the wonderful food and drinks your host set out. Belgians always seem so elegant to me.

Love and hugs - sorry I've been slow with my comments - life has thrown some curves and the weather has been so depressing every day for ages.
Hope all good with you and J.
Mary xx

Catherine said...

I love Bruges before the virus I used to go every month.

Jeanie said...

That is just so charming, Marilyn. Didn't you feel like you had stepped into another world when you saw it -- and felt so "there" with the apple tree? It really is an enchanting world. The breakfast looks so beautiful, too. I know what you mean about what a perfect refuge it was when the vertigo hit and after a busy time of touring about. Sometimes, especially during a tiring but joyful holiday, you just want to "be." And there you could just kick back. I love it and if we ever have Bruges on our travel plans, I'll be in touch to get info! (Thanks for the shout-out!)

Laura Morrigan said...

Oh, this is perfection!

Lorrie said...

What an utterly charming and magical place to stay. The little cottage is a perfect retreat. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm glad you had such a place for your husband to recover from his vertigo.
I visited Bruges for a few hours many years ago on a college trip. Unfortunately it was a holiday, so the shops were closed, but I loved looking at all the textiles and lace in the shop windows. Your post brought back some happy memories.

Red Rose Alley said...

What a charming cottage you stayed at, Marilyn. I LOVE that copper tea pot, it's got such a cute spout on it. The garden looks peaceful, and the purple flowers are lovely. Your picture of the steps and the table and chair is delightful.

Have a pleasant weekend, Marilyn, doing the things you love.

~Sheri

Gill said...

That cottage looks amazing! I'm definitely going to look into spending a weekend there, sounds like just my kind of place!

Angela McRae said...

How delightful! So looking forward to getting the go-ahead to travel again, hopefully soon!