Vous êtes Hollandaise, n'est-ce pas?

This spring first sunny and warm Saturday really spoiled us. But on Sunday the temperature dropped up to 13 degrees and started to rain bringing us back to reality. This is Belgium!

Let’s hope the bad weather won’t ruin our trip!

The rain gained in intensity until it became a downpour when we reached the little village of Houx, our starting point of the hike.
NO hiking without waterproofs today!

Cobblestone path led us from the village right to the steep muddy trail climbing up to the ruined castle of Poilvache. We’ve been here before, long time ago, then on a warm sunny day. It was beautiful!
But also today the lush woodlands were covered with windflowers, fig buttercups, cowslips and my favorite sweet violets.

By the time we reached the ruins we were already soaked. Luckily it felt quite warm so we decided to continue anyway.





The nature reserve along the river Meuse is a great hiking area but using this dated hiking guide it was a challenge to find our way.
Many times it was rather following our instinct. Most of the suggested paths were overgrown and impenetrable.


That’s how we came across this rusty bomb probably from the World War II. The boys were shaking with excitement, especially the bigger one, so I really had to rush them away from this place.
Up and down we went climbing and descending for several times, forcing our way through the thicket, we startled a deer in the brush… Finally, rather by a miracle we found ourselves on a path leading right to the searched Tour de Géronsart, ruins of a medieval watchtower.

Naturally Maarten couldn’t resist climbing those thick walls making me nervous, therefore I could hardly enjoy the marvelous views from the old bare windows overlooking the Meuse river valley.

Descending back to the valley it was muddy and slippery meaning Maarten was most of the time on his buttocks having blast of course!
Ooh, almost forgot to mention that it actually stopped raining somewhere half way.

An old jeep puffing up the hill with a little doggie behind the wheel stopped next to us and two laughing men went straight: "Vous êtes Hollandaise, n'est-ce pas? I can tell just by looking at you. This is actually a private area. Mais c'est pas grave."

Our guide book was dated, but what an adventure!

Vrahounek

Back in my teen years a dear friend of mine used to call me Vrahounek (a little killer) because of my aggressive skiing style. Well...

Maarten is about ending up the same way!
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, yes indeedy!

And the mornings spended with his favorite Zeno boosted his confidence even more.

Already last year it was difficult to keep him away from the big jumps in the snowboard area but then he wasn't heavy enough to 'fly'. Well, this year he succeeded in the latter!


I didn't see 'his landing' for myself because of the steep slope. I simply couldn’t keep up with him!

But considering his tracks he definitely 'flew' for some meters!

Luckily, he ended up 'only' with a bitten lip, some minor bruising on his arm and an egg sized bump just beneath the helmet.

Spring mud

Who would believe that even here in such an overcivilised place one can experience a challenging and muddy biking adventure?
Well, apparently not everyone was happy with that...

Rainbows (Krokusvakantie day 4)

"Happiness is in a rainbow
Painted across the sky
Colors sparkling and shining
As the clouds go drifting by

Red is for the roses growing in the garden
Orange is for the leaves in autumn
Yellow is for the sun shining upon the trees
Green is for the grasses growing in the meadow
Blue is for the sky up above
Purple is for the violets hiding in the shadows

Follow your rainbows
And maybe you will find
A pot of gold
With all your dreams inside"

~ W.L. Navarre

Spring in our backyard

"You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
~ Max Ehrmann

Oude Buisse Heide

Kleine paden slingeren over de heide
en komen aan de hutten der armen:
zij zijn de eenigen die zich erbarmen
over ’t verlatene van wie hier lijden.
Op de heide zwerven de maagre schapen
zij zoeken blatend naar een nieuwe streek
van milder kruid en waterrijke beek,
honden en herders zijn vermoeid en slapen...

by Henriette Roland Holst “De nieuwe Geboort” (1903)


The Oude Buisse Heide in North Brabant was of great significance in life of the Dutch poet and politician, Henriette Roland Holst. Most of her poetry, biographies and political books were written here. The peaceful, natural surroundings inspired her to write many poems describing the wondrous nature in such a beautiful way.


In 1945 Henriette Roland Holst donated her ancient estate to the Society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands.

Therefore even today we can still see for ourselves what she was then writing about.


This beautiful morning the sun was shining and the frost was beginning to melt away and... because we were travelling “with bears” there was no reason to hurry.

The knight of my heart

Op een groot kasteel, op een groot kasteel,
woont een stoere ridder hij heet Jan Fideel.
En je ziet het al, en je ziet het al,
dit is z’n zwaard en dit is z’n schild,
dit is z’n paard dat is een beetje wild!



Dus Jan zegt hu! En Jan zegt ho!
En toe nou, steiger steiger steiger toch niet zo….
En Jan zegt ho! Doe niet zo dom,
en nu stopt het paard en ridder Jan valt om. Rom-Bom.

Maarten 6

... In de wei staat een koe, en die koe zegt: I love you, Happy birthday to youuu...

Ridders en Jonkvrouwen

Just after we moved to Belgium and were staying in Ghent I wanted to take Maarten to Gravensteen, a medieval castle downtown the city. But then my little 'Californian' never afraid of camping in the wilderness seemed to be frightened to enter the thick stone walls rushing me out of the dark castle gate.


Today, after a year and a half he visited Gravensteen with his schoolmates and he really loved it.

Even though he claimes that the knight was fake!

"Koukni se má milá dozadu, sedí tam papoušek kakadu"

Maarten writes in Czech.