Look, I started this trip with a rainy morning, so I will make sure you relive it again with me. Sure, I had a couple of cakes and coffee to pump up my spirits when the joyful cloud of grey decided to accompany me on this vacation. And where else would I be headed to, but Gingelom, the most eventful of all municipalities in Belgium. I am being slightly sarcastic, but I actually had a great time—so why was I there in the first place?
Let me take you back one month, talking with my friends about how nice it would be to enjoy the summer of Belgium in a relaxing BnB somewhere we have never visited before. And in that research, we discovered Gingelom. The official webpage for Gingelom describes it as a landscape of sunken lanes, orchards, rolling fields, authentic monuments, and much tranquility. That was the bait, and we were hooked.
Right, back to the bus we come—fortunately rather empty and peaceful towards this side of town in Limburg—and to be at complete liberty switching seats and staring out the rear end of the SNCB bus, I wholeheartedly recommend this experience. Given the excellent cruise down these winding roads, I truly felt the grace and rise of this bus’s brakes and suspension. Don’t mock it till you try it!
Since the clouds gave way to a pleasant cool in the wind, I saw many farm animals roaming close to the fences, craning their necks towards our bus, and we saw horses, sheep, alpacas, and a multitude of poultry birds all along the way. One thing that you cannot miss along the roadside views is the clean spread of white concrete and stones that phase in and out of the ground. There are plenty of churches and corn fields and vineyards that perforate each frame of our route to the hotel, and it is quite apparent how mesmerizing just looking out of the window can be.
Another reason I say this is because many times the road needles through the farmland and residential areas like a textile patchwork, and I am quite sure if I had drone footage of Gingelom it would look exactly like one. There are patches of green and yellow, and trees fencing the contours of each fragment as we delight in the sunflowers and greenery surrounding them. Admittedly, right after rain everything looks super vibrant and outstanding against the grey clouds, and I assure you they look much more radiant in real life.
As the website had promised, we arrived at a very tranquil part of Belgium, and without further ado, we were inside the BnB. The woodwork in open spaces, antique pots, and painstakingly maintained shrubs in and outside the compound ushered us into our relaxing weekend. A large part of the maison had been renovated in the past few decades, and the remnants of its historic utility remained visible as we walked around the courtyard. We were looking forward especially to a swim in the pool here, which goes without saying, was our first order of achievement.
Starting our breakfast with the Belgian classics of bread, cheese, and meat, we looked forward to a day of doing nothing—and boy, did we do nothing! We hung around the playground, strolled across the green field, sunk into deep sofas with beer by the open bar; there was no end to our desires. The self-care that happens in the absence of a to-do list is not to be taken lightly. Moreover, if you think about the amount of things you have to accomplish in a traditional vacation, the joy of relaxing is rarely a priority.
Then one day, the sun gave us a chance to explore a bit outside the BnB, so I took a walk around the local parish and war museum—somehow located quite close to each other, and I am certain I am not the first one to notice the irony. There were US army tanks and helicopters, but I quickly lost interest upon the sight of a donkey farm. I mean, who can prepare you for the randomness of quiet places? It is something to be cherished and adored. Besides, I could get used to the luxury of dialing in dinner by whim more often as I did within the span of this staycation—although who can really refuse a great platter of sushi.
So much more to say about the joy of relaxation that resulted from this vacation, but I will leave you with my winning shot at billiards with my friends. It is enough to say that I’ve been chilling.
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