A walk down memory lane

Yesterday I met my soul sister Samm at the "posh luncheon spot" aka Tim Horton's for coffee and bagel w/cream cheese for me and chicken salad sandwich without the bread and hot chocolate for Samm.

Our meetings usually last an hour and a bit and always seem to be over so quickly with so much more left unsaid. I love Mondays. Sitting with Samm for even a short time gives me such a lift and makes the rest of the week simply fly by. We have so much fun together, words tumbling out as fast as possible since we know we have a short time to get everything out. We laugh, we get serious, we hear each other out. Sometimes we don't though, we jump in between each other's words and leave some conversations unfinished only to remember hours later that we'd forgotten to give the punch line so to speak. And yesterday's lunch did not disappoint LOL

One of the things that Samm told me about was a blog by an incredible lady who lives in Norway; Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods. After Samm sent me the name of the blog I went looking since we both end up loving the same things. After looking and reading the first few posts I saw what Samm saw and I have to agree with her. This lady shares places she's been, sights she's seen with an open heart. She also shares herself with her readers.

Reading through her blog brought back memories for me as well.

I've been to Europe, seen some of the oldest cities and fell in love with the architecture, the history, the life. Her blog brings back those memories for me. If we had the money, we'd spend 6 months in Canada and 6 months in Antwerp. I fell in love with this old city when my darling husband introduced me to it in 2001. The blend of architecture, the influence left there by different people. Belgium's past being filled by different masters has left marks on Antwerp that will never be eradicated. And that is what makes it so beautiful.

I've walked down alleys to find myself in Spain, turn a corner and I'm in Germany, another corner and I'm in France.... and it just keeps going. Courtyards that look frozen in time, corners of history look down on you as you walk by. Madonnas alcoved into the corners of buildings peer down on us and make me wonder, "What are they thinking".

Buildings that have withstood the test of time, war, weather and pollution filled with  ghosts of events long past. Stairs that make you dizzy, the narrow turns so tight and rapid, windows so high you have to climb high steps to get on the window seat. Who sat on these window seats so long ago? Did they wonder at the panorama before their eyes? or was it just everyday ho-hum to them. I wonder what embroidery they were working on since only ladies of leisure would have been able to live in such beautiful homes with tall windows.

Is it possible to be homesick for a place that technically has not been your home in this lifetime? Coming to old town Antwerp for me felt like coming home, such a strong feeling as well. I couldn't get enough of the old city. Even found places that my darling husband didn't even know existed. Some days it felt like my footsteps were guided. The pride of Antwerp, the cathedral felt familiar, the echoing footsteps, Reuben's paintings, the tombs, even the archaeological digs housed beneath the cathedral all felt familiar.Looking at this beautiful city through the eyes of a child.

Reubens house was amazing, the paintings awe inspiring and this is coming from the view point of someone who used to paint. But what fascinated me even more was the gorgeous gardens he built behind the house. The pathways, arches, sculptures all selected with care. A garden that was wild, with plants growing everywhere, not manicured gems like english gardens but a proper garden fit for an artist. Chaos, colors, shapes, everything to stimulate inspiration.

I'd better stop, I'm getting really homesick now LOL See what she woke up! Thank you Samm for sending me the link to this amazing lady's blog. A walk down memory lane was a good thing  today.