October has always been my favourite month of the year. One reason could be it’s my birthday month. More likely, it’s the Autumn season. I’ve loved the change in the weather during this time. The air becoming crisper every day, The smell of festivities and excitement of colder months on the horizon. This year, I’ve also enjoyed the fall colours and falling leaves even more. Here are all things I loved and enjoyed this October- My October favourites.
The Fall
First of all the amazing fall season. Even though, I’ve always loved this season and have felt a sort of nostalgic connection with falling leaves (Patjhad as we call it in India). All I can think about is sipping a cup of coffee and buried in books. This year, I was charmed to see the leaves turning browns and burgundies in the Netherlands. Streets covered with fallen leaves made it look like a dreamland. To say it’s been beautiful would be an understatement.
Drives around the country
October has been the month of short drives and road trips. Recently getting the drivers licence has kept the excitement going and we spent whatever time we could find exploring the nearby areas. A few captures from the drive around the country.
Here are few of my favourites places we explored. –
Meijendel
It’s a nature reserve and a vast wetland dune in Wassenar close to Rotterdam and the Hauge. The drive there is beautiful and then you can enjoy walks and bike rides. There’s a nice cozy restaurant, very close to the parking where you can chill and have a couple of beers after your excursions. In last month we drove there a couple of times and took our cat as well one time.
The trip to Groningen
Groningen is a quaint place situated almost at the edge of the Netherlands, close to the sea. For the last weekend in October we decided to take a road trip and stay close to the Groningen harbour at Hotel de boegschroef near Delfzijl with a view to the Marina. We also chose this place as it allows pets. You can find hotels in all ranges here. The small peaceful town Delfzijl was idyllic this fall. We wanted it to be a relaxed weekend so we didn’t do much site seeing nevertheless, we were content with stepping out once a day and spending early mornings and evenings at the hotel.
One of places we visited was the Lauwersmeer National park. It is a huge park! You can choose any kind of activity from walking, biking, water sports, birdwatching to just admiring the forests. There are plenty of beautiful pathways for a walk or a bike ride where you can spend days if you plan to cover everything. If you’re looking for some quiet time where you aren’t disturbed by anyone for miles, this is the place for you. Especially in this season, with fallen leaves it’s nothing short of a paradise. I would definitely like to visit again for some water sports. One of the items on my wishlist is Supping. You can find more about it here.
For breakfast, we found a hidden gem – Restaurant De Basiliek Nicholas Church that used to be a church earlier. Obviously the architecture was amazing and I loved the food! Scrumptious and delightful menu for both vegetarians and meat lovers.
The colourful houses at Reitdiephaven were also a sight to see. The colours at the harbour in combination with boats are a pleasant sight for the eyes. I was happy to sip a cup pf coffee admiring the water and the reflection of colours in it.
Indian traditional attire and festive food
October was also the month of festivals. Navratri, Dussehra, Karva Chauth and Diwali all were aligned in this month. We all know festivities are a synonymous with beautiful attires and festive food. I’ve been experimenting with making some of the sweets at home and it proved very useful this year. Although the dishes I can brag about are quiet simple, this year was all about home-made sweets and snacks. From my kitchen, my favourite are – Besan laddoo, Khoya Barfi, mathri and sankhen. I hope I can find some places to buy Indian sweets as well soon. Donning Indian traditional attire puts me in a good mood any day. A few glimpses of what I wore this month.
I am ready for new excitements in November. See you next week! You can also see my September favourites here.
