Lovely Leuven

City Hall, Leuven

I had to forgo normal service last Thursday, as I was in Belgium for work.  The meetings I attended were held in the lovely Flemish town of Leuven, which I had not previously visited.  We were housed at a very smart hotel, the Martin's Klooster, a former convent which has been very stylishly re-purposed as a  hotel.  I had the good luck to be in one of the rooms in the old part of the hotel...lots of exposed beams, high ceilings and leaded windows.  Although the days were fully scheduled, I arrived the day before the meeting started and managed to get out whilst the sun was shining for a good walk around the city centre.  It's a very charming town, and I am pleased to say that in the couple of restaurants I visited, I was met with very attentive and pleasant service, and lots of help with the Flemish menu.  If you ever want a nice homely meal in the centre of Leuven, in a quiet and cozy spot that's obviously popular with the locals, try the Brasserie Foyer.

This church was adjacent to Martin's Klooster, and I love the highly decoratively pollarded trees, which were found in various locations with the city.

A lovely baroque church in Leuven

Beautiful turreted buildings

Look at the golden boy, striking the clock bell.

This church had beautiful clean lines and delicate decoration.

There were some very stylish shopfronts in Leuven.  Here, a lovely flower boutique.

Same flower boutique, different window.  A real visual feast.

Further down the street, another florist, with a wide variety of spring treats to tempt shoppers,

Wish my neighbourhood shops looked this cute!

I loved this display of hellebores and other hardy plants, that can survive in the relatively mild winter climate in Belgium.

After my trip to Belgium, I was able to fit in a flying visit to see my Mum and family in Scotland, which was fantastic.

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We went for a muddy walk in the village I grew up in, close to Aberdeen.

Garden decor elements

It's a grey and wild day outside today, and although there are some stirrings of spring outside, the garden remains essentially bare.  This has turned my thoughts to elements of visual interest, which punctuate gardens regardless of season.  Of course, these decorative elements are at their best when they mellow and age into the garden, either as plants grow over and through them, or when algae, lichen and moss, or the passage of time and rough weather, soften and mellow sharp edges and pull the object into the very fabric of the garden.  Here are some examples of this from my photo album.....now if only I could find a 400 year old stone obelisk at cut price, with a nice fuzzy coat of lichen!

An elegant urn and pedestal at Threave Castle

Contemporary stone vases created with a dry stone technique at Threave

A touch of the Baroque at Crathes Castle, in the form a cheeky cherub

Also at Crathes, this contemporary slate circle and potted agapanthus reminded me of old millstones and worked well in what is otherwise largely an early 20th century garden, with an Arts and Crafts style

Hope those stone columns are strong enough

Even the practical can provide a decorative element, as in the case of this stone bench at Crathes.......

.....or this Doo-cot (pigeon house)

This is a favourite of mine - a stone font, at the end of a weathered flagstone path, framed by a series of golden hop covered arches

Again at Crathes Castle, I think the interconnection of the colouring between the plants and the stone vessel (and it's silvery patination from lichen), is perfect

This just makes me smile (chicken coop at Culross Palace)

These stone obelisks at Glamis Castle were so wonderfully weathered and mottled with years of accumulation of moss and lichen

The damp climate and fresh air in Scotland allows stonework to gather a thick accumulation of living materials

This would be a little too grand for my modest garden!

This basket of stone fruits almost looked as though it had been put up there to be collected later on, and then forgotten for 200 years

Although a little funereal, I like the elegant simplicity of this draped urn at Glamis

An armillary sphere at Cruickshank Botanical Garden in Aberdeen

A modern twist on the parterre concept, at Cawdor Castle

I wasn't quite sure what to make of this sculpture at Cawdor, but the golden sphere was mesmerizing

This dry stone sphere was the result of a re-roofing project at Cawdor Castle.  The old slates were formed into a visually arresting spherical fountain.....

.....and others formed this semi-circular seating area

This hand pump was in a bamboo garden at the Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire, near Menerbes in Provence

The fountain at Mas de Cabrieres

A little piece of the mediterranean.....but where?

Where do you think this is? Amalfi Coast? Santorini? Malaga? Provence?

Ok, surely Provence.....makes me think of the Luberon

But look at that massive rosemary....now that makes me think it must be the Aegean.  And I think you only get a sky like that in Greece

Figs - Greece for sure

Hmmm, now artichokes definitely make me lean more toward Italy or France

Grapevines

Hang on.....that looks more like Denmark...or Holland....

Quite clearly Northern Europe

Ok, I'm sure you are tired of the guessing game by now.  All is revealed:

http://www.scotlands-enchanting-kingdom.com/st-andrews-scotland.html

Located just across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh, on a chunk of land that looks like the profile of a scottie dog, in the Kingdom of Fife, Culross is a quaint village to visit.  The main attraction is the charming "Culross Palace", a National Trust for Scotland property, not so much a Palace as a gem of 16th century luxury.  The day we visited last July was picture-postcard perfect, and the steeply terraced garden of the Palace was baking in the sun, sheltered from cold sea breezes, and radiating heat from the ancient stone walls all through the garden.  As you can see from the photos, on a warm day, it feels very much like it would belong on the Mediterranean coast.  The garden is jam packed with huge rosemary, lavender and sage bushes, artichokes, bay laurels, figs, roses, centranthus, poppies, santolina and boxwoods.  The paths are cleverly lined with small clam shells instead of pea gravel, and the chickens were not at all camera shy! Hmmm.....I can smell the herby fragrance! Lovely!  Enjoy!