On Sunday I was bound and determined to go SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE!, rather than stay in on a sunny Belgian day with this stupid sinus infection.  I threw out some options at my husband, ranging from Kinderdijk in the Netherlands, graffiti town in Antwerp, to more castle ruins in Walloon Belgium.  In the end, we weren’t too keen on driving two hours to anywhere and my husband suggested Floralia at the Groot-Bijgaarden castle grounds. I had suggested this last year when we decided instead to visit the Abbaye de Villers, a place which is now a favorite and the origin of some of my most popular shots. I was convinced I’d never get my husband to go to Floralia, due to the likelihood of crowds, but he surprised me this year.

Groot-Bijgaarden is an ancient château dating back to the 12th century (with some expansions and improvements made over the next several centuries). The chateau…