Spring is finally here and I couldn’t be happier about it! I have bought some cute plants and flowers for my flat and small balcony, and watering and taking care of them has been so nice. The only thing is that I feel like I never have enough so I constantly want to buy new ones and turn my flat into a spring garden…
My favourite things about this month:
- Flowers: this is not really a surprise, as I have just said how many I wanted to buy this month, but they just make every place prettier! From a beautiful bouquet of roses at home, to a street filled with Japanese cherry trees, to a magical bluebell forest, this month has been filled with them, and I am very happy about it!
- Brunch on the terrace: the bars and restaurants are only open for take-away here, so on a Sunday we grabbed some bits and pieces for brunch at an amazing Italian restaurant in the centre, then warmed everything up and enjoyed this delicious brunch on my boyfriend’s terrace, soaking up the sun. I loved being able to eat some of the things that I love eating in Italy, and being outside in the sun felt so nice after the cold winter.
My latest trips and adventures
- At the beginning of the month, I had to go to Italy to stay with my dad for some time, and luckily it was also during the Easter holidays. Even though we weren’t able to do much because of the restrictions, I could see some of my family and spent a lovely week there, eating delicious food and chilling at home. It had been a very long time since I hadn’t seen any of them and this change of scenery was very much needed!
- Hallerbos is a beautiful bluebell forest, just a few minutes away from Brussels. Every year, thousands of bluebells bloom at the end of April and cover the ground with their purple colour. It was one of my goals to visit it this year, and even though I saw many beautiful pictures of it, it was even more beautiful in real life – and the pictures don’t do it justice. The ground is actually purple, and the rays of sunshine passing through the new leaves of the trees just make this place seem magical. It really felt like a magical, fairy-like place, and if you haven’t been, I highly recommend you to go (or to find a similar one next to your place)!
Hobbies and distractions:
- During the holidays I finally saw Jojo Rabbit, a movie that I had wanted to see for a very long time now. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it is a satirical movie set during World War II in Germany, where we follow a young boy, whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. Despite this “risky” plot, I found that the movie was absolutely brilliant. If you have seen it, what did you think of it?
- Since I liked Jojo Rabbit so much, I also decided to watch a movie by the same director, Taika Waititi, and I stumbled upon an hilarious movie called What we do in the Shadows, where some cameramen follow a group of vampires who all live together and try to fit into modern-day society. It is fresh, light and incredibly fun, so I would also recommend it to anyone who likes more “absurd” humour.
General thoughts:
I have to say that I have been quite impressed by this Belgian spring, as it was mostly sunny and warm – not what I expected! With the warmer and sunnier days, it was also possible to hang out outside a bit more, which allowed me to see a bit more of my friends. I also felt an overall regain of energy and motivation with the longer days: my mood is better, I feel less stressed and anxious, and I basically just want to do stuff.
Looking forward to:
- Bars and restaurants opening: here, in Belgium, the bars and restaurants should open (for outdoors dining only) next week, after a 6-months long period of take-away only. Other restrictions are also going to be eased out in the next weeks and that makes me incredibly happy. This doesn’t mean I will rush to a restaurant the second they open again, but that there is hope and that we are finally seeing an end to it. I know it is not the same everywhere in the world, but I hope things will start improving in every country.
- Days off! The month of May is, somehow, filled with public holidays + I took some days off to have longer weekends, so I’m just really looking forward to that.
How was April for you? What are you looking forward to?
Published last year in April:
Walking around Triana in Seville
– Exploring Granada
Sunny Days with Juliette 
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