FRAGMENTS_ Nazaré

FRAGMENTS_ Nazaré - by hannelore veelaert au pays des merveillesThese photos were taken during the time I spent with my family in Portugal, on the same day that we made the beach walk at Praia da Polvoeira in Pataias.  On our way home, we stopped in Nazaré, a town that is mostly known for its impressive waves and equally impressive surfers.  It’s a lot more touristic than Praia da Polvoeira (as the last picture shows), but we only watched the crowds from up high.  Instead of joining the sun lovers and the surfers, we took a short walk to Forte de São Miguel.  You’ll only see it from a far in these photos, as I mainly enjoyed the nature and the view from above.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as well, because these are the last photos I have to share from my stay in Portugal.  Luckily I’m not done yet with reminiscing about my summer holidays, I still have a lot to share from my stay in Leipzig and Berlin.  Check back soon!

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COLLECTION_ interior

collection_ interior via au pays des merveilles

Recently I’ve been shooting a few homes for new editions of the INSIGHTS series, which left me super inspired for my own interior.  I can’t wait to share the photos of these lovely interiors with you, but until I find the time to edit the photos and write the interviews, you’ll have to do with some sneak peeks I’m sharing on instagram and the other inspiration I’ve found on the web.  As you can see I have a soft spot for white interiors with wooden floors, lots of light and natural accents.  I wouldn’t mind calling one of these pretty interiors my own at all!

I strongly encourage you to click the “more” link after each description, because gushing over the rest of these interiors is totally worth your time.  I’ve also included the links to all the photographers and home owners (after all quoting pinterest or tumblr as a source doesn’t really count as giving credit), so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy your Sunday with this collection of inspiring homes and interesting people!  (And if you’re done with these and still hungry for more, you can check out my pinterest board on beautiful homes over here.)

  1. Bathroom of the Oslo based photographer and stylist Line Kay.  (more)
  2. Home office of interior designer Fleur from Studio 188. (more)
  3.  Studio of camellia fiber company and sonadora, shot by Mikaela Hamilton. 
  4. Living room of  Refinery29 editor Angela Tafoya, shot by Mario del Rio. (more)
  5.  Loft of designer duo John and Masa from LMBRJK and Klein, shot by Bart Kiggen. (more)
  6. Bedroom shot by Brooke Baker Eide.
  7. Wardrobe of blogger, designer and stylist Madelynn Furlong from Wide Eyed Legless, shot by Wing Ta.  (more)
  8.  Kitchen of blogger Dorothée Lafontaine from l’appartement living. (more)
  9. Home office in an apartment renovated by Josefin at Byggfabriken.  (more)

EXPLORED_ Wear in Leuven

wear leuven via au pays des merveilles-9

With brands as Sessùn, Numph, Komono and Nudie, it’s inevitable you’ll find something pretty at Wear in Leuven.  Here you’ll always find quality street wear, beautiful shoes and surprising accessories, and all of that for both men and women.  I’ll have to warn you though, these photos have been taken almost a year ago, so if you’re heading to find items you spotted in these pics, you might be just a little bit too late. (Sorry!)  However, this proves that it is about time I catch up with Leuven’s latest additions.  Thus, in a few weeks I’ll be spending another weekend in Leuven to check out some new places and finish up the city guide for Leuven I’ve been mentally preparing for the past year.  If you have some tips, do let me know!  In the meantime, I’m already looking forward to checking out the new collection at Wear…  The sneak peeks they regularly post on their facebook page look quite promising, so go check it out for yourself!

Wear Leuven, Van Benedenstraat 5, 3000 Leuven - facebook

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WORK_ Canopy by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh

canopy gijs van vaerenbergh - by hannelore veelaert via au pays des merveilles-35

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been working as an architectural photographer since a few years.  The first office I photographed for was Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, a duo that creates fascinating work, balancing between art and architecture.  One example of their more artistic work is the Hatching installation for Existenz Maximum in Leuven (see the photos here), while the projects featured in this blogpost categorize as architecture.  The two canopies in this blogpost are part of a series of 10, built on cemeteries in the Heist-op-den-Berg area in Flanders, offering shelter and a space to gather for ceremonies.

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FRAGMENTS_ Praia da Polvoeira

fragments_ pataias - au pays des merveillesYou’ll surely remember I spent some time in Lisbon this summer (thanks to my many blogposts about this amazing city), but this wasn’t the only part of Portugal I visited.  Before I went to Lisbon, I stayed a couple of days with my parents, sister and our dog at our holiday home near Alcobaça.  Those days were mostly spent reading by to the poolside but also exploring the  beaches in the area.  One of those beaches was Praia da Polvoeira and its beauty totally blew me away!  This beach is located in Pataias, a freguesia of Alcobaça, and not that far away from the crowded beach of Nazaré, but Praia da Polvoeira seemed rather undiscovered by tourists.  If you’re used to Belgian beaches, it’s quite an experience to feel like the beach belongs to only you!  However, that’s far from the only reason I loved walking here.  I’ll just let the pictures do the talking!

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COLLECTION_ books

collection_ books - au pays des merveilles

Written by women I admire and fellow bloggers, and covering topics such as architecture, inspiring people, photography, interior and food, there’s no doubt I’d be happy to come home from my new job and relax with one of these inspiring books.

  1. Friends of friends by Freunden von Freunde, get it here.
  2. L’amateur by Murielle Scherre, get your hands on it here.
  3. Thursday dinners by Louise De Brabandere, buy it here.
  4. Not that kind of girl by Lena Dunham, available here.
  5. De helden van het echte eten by Johanna Goyvaerts, Barbara Serulus and Mayken Craenen from Alle Dagen Honger, for sale here.
  6. The New Nomads by Robert Klanten, find it here.
  7. Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, get your hands on it here.
  8.  The first bad man by Miranda July, buy it here.
  9. Ugly Belgian Houses by Hannes Coudenys, get it here.

EXPLORED_ Jardim Botânico in Lisbon

jardim botanico lisboa - hannelore veelaert - au pays des merveilles-6

The Jardim Botânico in Lisbon is one of those place that doesn’t need a lot of explanation.  After our brunch at Tease, Miguel, Lisa and I enjoyed a peaceful walk in the city’s botanical garden, where the gigantic trees offered us some refreshing shade.  With an entrance fee of only 2 euro’s, it’s a must visit if you feel the need to escape the heat in the city!

Jardim Botânico, Rua da Escola Politécnica 54, 1250-102 Lisboa - website

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EXPLORED_ Tease in Lisbon

tease lisboa - hannelore veelaert - au pays des merveilles-6

On my last day in Lisbon, I met up with my friends Miguel & Lisa (who were coincidentally visiting Lisbon at the same time) for a late brunch at Tease.  I’d heard good things about this place and it turned out to be the perfect cure for our hangovers from NOS alive festival (them) and a Rabbit Hole party (me).  The tasty sandwich accompanied by chips (an odd side dish – at least for us – that often replaces regular potatoes in Portugal) and salad, combined with a detox juice made us feel like new in no time.  We only tried the sandwiches and detox juices, but Tease also offers breakfast, lots of cupcakes and other sweets, dinner and even cocktails!  And all that without any severe damage to our wallet: for less than 10 euro’s per person, you’re all set for a delicious meal.

But enough about the food, because as you can tell from the photos, the interior is pretty impressive too.  The pretty tiles, the colorful plates on the wall, the marquee letters and the cute pillows make Tease a lovely place to enjoy a meal and take a break from exploring Lisbon.

(Oh, and if the place is full, you can just move to the other side of the street, where Copenhagen Coffee Lab is located!)

Tease, Rua Nova da Piedade 15, 1200-296 Lisbon - website - facebook

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EXPLORED_ Copenhagen Coffee Lab in Lisbon

copenhagen coffee lab lisboa - hannelore veelaert - au pays des merveilles-3

Copenhagen Coffee Lab was one of my favorite discoveries during my most recent stay in Lisbon.  How I wish this little coffee place already existed when I was still living there!  It’s a 10 minute walk from my old apartment (and thus from the hostel I was staying at) and serves coffee just the way I like it.  As the name already gives away, this place’s roots can be found in Copenhagen, where their micro-roastery is located, and you can see it in the typical Scandinavian interior, with a clean aesthetic, lots of whites and natural materials.  On top of that, they have free wifi and their breakfast is extremely cheap (only 6,5 euros for all that plus a flat white!) and pretty tasty.  A new favorite in the city!

Copenhagen Coffee Lab, Rua Nova da Piedade 10, 1200-405 Lisbon - website - facebook - instagram

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EXPLORED_ Oasis Backpackers Mansion in Lisbon

oasis backpackers hostel lisbon - via au pays des merveilles-1

It’s been almost a week since I’ve returned from my summer holidays (in a nutshell: 4 days in beautiful Portugal with the family, 2 days in wonderful Lisbon visiting old friends, 1 day in surprising Leipzig with the girls, 3 days on the amazing Melt Festival with my friends and 4 days chilling out in Berlin with one friend) and I’m still adjusting to normal life.  So many bags to unpack, so much laundry to do, so many photos to edit, so many impressions to process and so many blog posts to write!  On top of that, I’m starting my new job at a young architecture firm next Monday (yay!), so I might need some time to adjust to that too.

Anyway, when I was in Lisbon I stayed at the amazing Oasis Backpackers Mansion, for old time’s sake.  This is where I stayed for a week and a half during my apartment search in 2012 and the place that immediately made me feel at home in this new city.  It’s where I made my first friends (both hostel staff and guests, who were also moving to Lisbon or just visiting and decided to stay because they loved the city so much) when I moved here and where I still keep coming back.   I’ve already mentioned this hostel in my Lisbon city guide, but I felt that it still needed a proper introduction, so take a look after the break for more photos and information!

Oasis Backpackers Mansion, Rua Santa Catarina 24, 1200-402 Lisbon - website - bookings - facebook - instagram - twitter

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