Trips into the countryside

That's what keeps me going!

About daydreamers and injuries

After weeks spent behind the PC trying to arrange all necessary documents for the Angolan visa, we were excited to go out on the hills of Wallonia again. As soon as we left the village of Grand Monchau and took the grassy path between fields Rob suddenly fell down moaning in pain.
This was the end of our long desired family outing!

Rob severely twisted his ankle and later at the emergency room the X-ray showed a ligament injury as well as a small bone chip.

So, there goes our hiking trip to Slovak mountains!

Rob's got the below-knee cast to wear for at least two weeks. Even though he is moving around well with the crutches we hope his ankle is healing on schedule so he can progress to walking boot by the end of this week.

As I’m not such a good nurse, luckily, there was no blood this time and I can manage handing crutches, ice packs or coffee quite easily.


Other issue is to keep Maarten in safe distance from Rob’s ankle.
Maarten is such a fantasy-rich child and I love to watch him build houses for hedgehogs and squirrels in our backyard and gnome dwellings in the woods.
He can weave never-ending stories about his future life on an island catching sharks and riding dolphins.

But sometimes his fantasy filled imagination is kind of dangerous. Like Friday afternoon while biking together he decided he doesn’t need his eyes. At first I thought he is not serious but before I could even warn him not to do anything such stupid he crashed into me at full speed. I flew over the handlebars and landed on my face. I realized Maarten is somewhere under the two bikes but incredibly, he didn’t have a scratch! I noticed a car that stopped right in front of us. My right calf bone was killing me as well as the right ankle. In an awful pain and furious I managed to get Maarten’s handlebars out of my front wheel and got us off the road.

I’d rather spare you the juicy details for now as I'm off to garden enjoying lunch with my special company.

Frasnes-lez-Anvaing: Le Sentier enchanté

Between Muziekberg and Mont d'Ellezelles

Creatures of the Night

All details about the encountered creatures were carefully recorded.

Snowdrop time

"... All the trees dream of leaves and flowers and light.

And see! The northern blank is much more white.

Than frosty grass, for now is snowdrop time."

~ Mary Webb

Op stap met Maarten en de heksen

"Brrrrrr. De gedachte alleen al. Dit weekend werd ik door Maarten meegenomen naar het zogenaamde heksendorp... Ik ben er ooit al een keertje overheen gevlogen, maar heb daar nog nooit durven landen. Ondanks de lekkere bessen en bramen die daar groeien. Nee hoor, veel te eng met al die ‘creatures of the night’.

Die stoere Maarten was daar al meerdere keren geweest en met hem vond ik het niet eng om het heksenpad te volgen en oog in oog te staan met heksen, duivels en weerwolven.




Gelukkig zat er geen bodem in de pot, wie heeft er nou zin in een Filou ‘stew’? Een prachtig dagje uit met Maarten. Maar toch wel lekker om veilig in mijn nest te liggen.

Dank je voor de leuke dag Maarten!
Groetjes, Filou."

(by Rob)

Frasnes-lez-Anvaing

The story goes that here in the woods of Martimont a lot of small ‘creatures of the night’ hide along the path, under dead leaves, in a hollow tree stumps ... you have to watch for them carefully and beware!




Before you enter this world you should better know a magic formula to keep you away from bad luck and to protect you against the evil eye of those mysterious fellows.




Walking through the woods over the snowy meadows, the falling snow just added to the fairy tale atmosphere.





Te snow started to fall slowly but picked up as the weather worsened and swirled in the fierce merciless wind hurting our faces.
The fun seemed to be over soon.





Luckily the friendly witch led us away from those bare windy fields back into the pleasant woods.

Lahamaide: Promenade de la croix philosophe

There was not much of an opportunity to philosophize as the guide pamphlet suggested. Maarten, traditionally obsessed with corn cobs collecting, cut his fingers with a sharp-edged corn leaf.




Then this black and white icy eyed cat followed him all the time and "creatures of the night" were waiting in the woods.
Also the sky was cooperating very well ready to swallow us whole.



No idea what was wrong with the cows mooing very loudly.
Were they haunted too?

Over the language border

This trip between the rivers Dender and Mark is another walk crossing the language border for several times.






Maarten was too tired after his adventures with Beavers the previous day and considering the length of this trip we were not able to take the detour to the local nature reserves.



Maybe next time.

Le Sentier de l'Etrange

Even though you can walk this trail in any season I was saving it for October, as the month of Halloween.





I found the idea of walking through the rural countryside decorated with relief depictions and sculptures of witches, goblins and all kinds of monsters pretty suitable for the spooky season.




A local artist Watkyne combined in his work the lush hilly landscape with its legends, folklore and traditions.





Our adventure started in the hometown of Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot, who supposed to be born here on April 1st 1850.
Maarten wasn't really interested in Hercule so he ran ahead to meet the "real" monsters all ready to fight them with his stick, hook and rope.


Just around the corner in a narrow alley we came across the first ugly witch Eul Pichoure crouching down she would pee on you for a 50 cent coin.





When we left the village another blue witch showed us the way around to the edge of the corn field.





Also the woods were inhibited by the most exciting strange creatures.






Even the picnic stools and table were ready to run in case they got scared or frightened.







As there was all the time something bloodcurdling to encounter Maarten was truly shaking and gasping with excitement talking without stopping loud and besides in English!




Through the woods, meadows and small hamlets we met many bizarre characters, colorful animals, devils, witches, dragons, a leaping werewolf and even a grey ghost of a donkey whose braying startled us all.



At first I was hoping for a foggy day to add to the eerie atmosphere but you won’t hear me complain about this warm and sunny autumn day.

Around D'Hoppe

Even the heavy rain in the morning couldn’t stop us getting outside. After a hectic week full of new activities Maarten insisted to head for the forest.

And you’ll never guess why!

He was traditionally chasing after grasshoppers and frogs and collecting nuts, acorns, chestnuts and other windfalls.
We may do some crafts together.




The cows and bleating sheep grazed in the pasture around the old “Ferme du Lieutenant”, a scenery as if the time has stopped here.





Too bad we had to share the country roads with the stinky and noisy groups on motorbikes.






PS: Isn't it nice to just go out in your back yard and pluck some mushrooms for dinner?

And they were yummy!