Today, Alex, Sophia and I headed out on foot from our
apartment, past Gare de Boondael and once in Auderghem, we plunged into the
Forêt de Soignes. It had been Alex’s
express desire to go on a hike this weekend, and after yesterday’s torrential
rain, the sun emerged this morning (it is “Sunday” afterall!), so the time and
weather was right while he is home for a few days from London.
The air was crisp and clear, very autumnal. Despite some rather muddy wallowing spots
here and there along the trails, the ground and forest were surprisingly
dry. Though many others had set out with
similar intentions, the forest was big enough for all of us, and we could
easily distance ourselves from a rather noisy group of runners, a biking club
on an outing, several families with small children, and two women on
horseback. The Forêt de Soignes is
nearly 5,000 hectares, and one of the largest urban forests in Europe.
We certainly feel fortunate to be able to access such an
extensive and lovely natural spot so close to our own doorstep. Hiking and biking trails crisscross the
forest, with picnic tables strategically located. I was even envisioning a picturesque picnic
here for my next birthday celebration. (If I can possibly convince my
urban-dwelling friends to venture off the sidewalks…)
The sunlight shining through the large groves of giant
beeches that surrounded us dappled the forest floor, and created vistas of
northern lushness….moss-coated tree stumps and bridges, softened by time and
the ravages of lichens. The abundance
and variety of fungi everywhere we turned amazed and delighted us…I could not
help photographing them. Fungi have
always fascinated me with their ability to convert decay and rot into a thing
of beauty. Did you know that there are
approximately 75,000 known species of fungi, and scientists believe there are
as many as one million yet to be identified?
This includes molds, yeasts, mushrooms and lichens.
The many ponds in the Forêt de Soignes were also lovely to
photograph today as the beech trees begin to change from green to yellow and
gold. The reflections in the still,
algae-laden water produced a soft, dreamy effect. One pond with large water lilies on its
surface and a simple foot bridge made me think of a wilder, more rustic version
of Monet’s garden at his artistic home and gardens in Giverny.
We wandered through the autumn beauty, absorbing the energy and
peace that nature offers when you take the time to notice. The path leading
into the forest is named Chemin des Tumuli, in reference to ancient grave
mounds dating back to 1,000 B.C. As we
circled back round to our point of departure, a tiny chipmunk leaped from the
ground into a tree very near us, and scurried up the trunk at top speed, his
cheeks bulging with a nut….a tiny reminder that winter is coming…
No comments:
Post a Comment