Stories of November

As I sit here writing this blog post and listening to the wind and rain outside, I can’t help but marvel at this year’s autumn. While it felt short, it was as magnificent as always. It made me so happy and I never really regret it leaving. While I do wish it held on a bit longer, I think we appreciate it more because it’s so fleeting. It feels like you miss it in the blink of an eye. But the first two weeks of November are unparalleled. Nothing beats those vibrant autumnal colors.

And as the long evenings of autumn arrived, I found myself craving for a comforting book. So I finally decided to revisit my childhood favorite, the Harry Potter series. While I read the first three books in French a few years back in order to familiarize myself with the language, it’s actually been 10 years since I finished reading the series. I’m currently reading the 3rd installment and knowing what awaits me, I can’t help but be a bit emotional. I’m happy to be ending the year with this series and mugs of hot chocolates. Really, is there any better thing to do while the wind howls outside?

A small tradition of ours, this year we also dined out for our wedding anniversary. We chose Barisart where we both enjoyed the best lentil falafels! And lucky for us, the rest of the 4-day long weekend was sunny and surprisingly warm. We were in a different forest every day, taking photos, playing with Miles and just enjoying the most charming week of autumn. I can never believe our luck each year because we always get to enjoy the sunshine alongside golden leaves. I live for that magnificent week of autumn, it more than makes up for the terribly cold weather that follows it! This year must have marked a record concerning the number of photos we took!

One of my favorite outings was the one for photographing this beautiful pinafore dress. It had been a perfect day; one of those when the chill nips at your cheeks but the sunshine warms up your face. While I always prefer overcast days from a photography viewpoint, I enjoy those sunny November days that seem to make the leaves vibrant and gold. This one was no exception and to top it all off, a small flock of sheep joined us out of curiosity! I admitted to Grégory that my dream photo shoot would be one that includes baby sheep or baby cows. Just imagine how adorable that would be!

I must admit that attending two concerts one week apart wasn’t our smartest idea. I’m still recovering from the late bedtimes caused by late trains and other pesky matters. But both The Lumineers and Radical Face were unforgettable and beautiful. While slowly recovering from those short trips to Brussels, I realized autumn had come to an end. A few windy rainstorms made sure there were next to no leaves left on the trees. Reluctantly, I had to let autumn go. It arrives too late, doesn’t stay long enough and then we’re supposed to throw ourselves right into Christmas. I always wish there was a bigger gap between the two.

All in all, November didn’t disappoint and was its usual magnificent self. It flew by faster this year due to us being busier than usual. But the last days of November included lots of frosty mornings and subtle hints of winter. And I never say no to wintry coziness and Christmas lights! Rather impulsively, upon Grégory’s suggestion, we booked a little trip to Amsterdam right before Christmas. Last time we visited, it was 36° and we felt so uncomfortable and tired. Ultimately, we skipped out on the museums, even though I was interested in them the most. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to finally visit them and also see Amsterdam decked out for Christmas! And now, onto slowly getting into that Christmas spirit!

Loading Likes...