It all started with the magnolia trees in Liège the day I saw Call Me by Your Name at the cinema. It was the first proper sign of spring this year and it made me incredibly happy. Soon after the magnolia trees around Spa followed up and I found myself outside with my camera every other day. I always know spring is here when our daily evening walks come back into our daily routine. And I especially love those when we meet a family of sheep that comes to say hi to us! Basically, April came swiftly, almost grew into summer, and turned everything green and pink.
I think April is my favorite month to reflect upon in these blog posts. The folders on my computer overflow with colorful photos and I find myself unable to pick my favorites! Despite not traveling very far this spring due to lots of planning for our trip to Greece, I still managed to photograph the beauty of spring in our region. In the middle of the month, the weather immediately jumped to summer which was a delight. We would take our food outside and have dinner as a picnic. And after the wood anemones painted the woods white, we finally witnessed the cherry trees turn pink all over the city.
As I mentioned, initially I had more plans for this month since it’s the most picturesque month with everything blooming. However, I was pleased with the photos I took in the vicinity of our home. I captured the local spring in and around Spa and I must admit I can’t find flaws in it. I do have one place on my wishlist for next year’s spring and that is visiting the apple orchards of Haspengouw. Can you imagine rows and rows of apple trees in bloom? But back to this year when magnolia trees seemed more like fluffy clouds and cherry trees seemed more vibrant than last year.
Seeing all the branches turn pink inspired me to try and get some portraits next to that lovely background. So with Grégory’s patient help and some soft morning light, I was pleasantly surprised with the result. Not that I talk of it that often but some of you might know that I adore vintage clothes, specifically anything from the 1930s and 1940s. So I decided to wear a beautiful handmade blouse from the 1930s. Having an overly-excited labrador means that I obviously don’t wear vintage clothes on a daily basis so I usually keep them for special occasions. Be it photoshoots or outings with Grégory.
On the last day of April, Grégory drove me to a dandelion meadow he stumbled upon earlier that week. As you can see from the photos, the dandelions were so dominantly yellow. From afar this spot looked like a canola field! Wearing my 1940s dress and my fateful straw hat, I felt giddy and happy under the overcast sky. That’s how I know Grégory knows me so well. He’ll discover a field of flowers and whisk me off there to take photos. It almost seems it’s becoming a bit less scary to face the camera with him behind it. Two days from now we’ll be escaping the Belgian rain for Greek sunshine and I’m so excited about it! This will be our first long trip abroad, visiting a friend of ours. I’m looking forward to taking things slow and exploring Athens and possibly more!
