Springtime magic in the forest

It's that time of year again when parts of the woods get covered in a layer of white or blue or a mix of both. No matter how many times you've seen it it's impossible not to be impressed by it year after year. So, after this long time of no blogging from my side, I'd love to share that little bit of magic in the woods with you here, more specifically from the woods on Mont noir and in the parc Marguerite Yourcenar in Saint-Jans-Cappel.

Layers of blue wild hyacinths at the parc Marguerite Yourcenar.

You don't really find much flat areas here as this area that's right on the border of

France and Belgium is called 'Heuvelland' which means land of hills. 

 Believe me, if you just want to walk and not take pictures here you have to leave your camera and phone home because I think it's impossible to walk here and not feel the urge to take photos.

The blue carpet of bluebells may be magical but you know by now I always love a close-up picture and these bluebells are so delicate, beautiful and elegant.

 It's wonderful to be able to walk among these beautiful wild flowers. That's why I think it's such a pity people had been stepping on the Hyacinths on many places. There are pathways to walk on so I don't see why you would want to step on those marvelous flowers and ruin the blue carpet under the trees. I don't even get why one would do so. Really makes me angry and sad.

They may not get as much attention as the bluebells but these carpets of wild garlic really are amazing as well.

As if snow has fallen in some parts of the forest where the soil under the trees is covered in wild garlic.

At the parc Marguerite Yourcenar I always love that one spot where the redbrown leaves of a huge red beech (I think that's what it is) are twirling above the blue hue of the wild hyacinths. To me it's like a magical combo of Spring and Autumn happening. There's a wooden bench right at that spot which invites you to inhale the magic of it all.

Looking down at all that beauty,

don't forget to look up as well cause there's beauty to be found there as well.

Also, don't forget to soak in the surrounding landscape from 'Heuvelland' from time to time when there's an opening along the path in the forest at Mont noir. 

With this view I'd like to finish this long post with an overload of pictures, I know.

Just see it as a compensation of being absent here for so long.

Happy weekend all!

Marian

Walking in Bluebell woods

 

Wandelen in bossen vol wilde hyacinten. 

 

 

In België is vooral het Hallerbos bekend om zijn blauw tapijt van wilde hyacinten onder een nog pril frisgroen bladerdek van de bomen in de lente. Daar zijn we nog nooit geweest maar vorig weekend ontdekten wij dichter bij huis bossen van een kleiner formaat weliswaar maar toch ook met het wilde hyacinten tapijt en de moeite van het bezoeken waard. Geniet je mee?

 

Famous for its bluebells in Spring is het Hallerbos in Belgium(where I've never been sofar) but much closer by are also some interesting forests where the bluebells can be admired. Sit back and enjoy.

 

 

Eerst trokken we net de grens over naar Sint-Janskappel in Frankrijk waar je het regionaal park

Marguerite Yourcenar vindt. Een heel mooi natuurlijk park waar we naast wilde hyacinten ook een wit tapijt van daslook ontdekten.

 

Just across the border is Sint-Janskappel in France with its regional park Marguerite Yourcenar. A gorgeous natural park where we discovered not only bluebells but also a carpet of snowy white wild garlic.

 

 

 

 

 

Mooie natuurlijke mix van boshyacinten en daslook.

 

Beautiful natural mix of bluebells and wild garlic.

 

 

 

 

 

 Maar niet alleen de boshyacinten stelen de show,

ook de bomen zelf en de omgeving en vergezichten die je vaak hebt zijn de moeite waard.

 

Not only the bluebells steal the show though,

the trees themselves and the surroundings with often great views are worth the walk.

 

 

 

Grenzend aan het park Marguerite Yourcenar en pal op de grens van België en Frankrijk, is er de

Zwarteberg waar het blauwe tapijt zich gewoon verder uitspreidt.

 

Right next to the park is the forest belonging to de Zwarteberg (Blackmountain) right on the border of France and Belgium.

You can just walk from the park into the forest where the blue carpet just goes on.

 

 

 

 

Een eind van de Zwarteberg brachten we de Kemmelberg ook een bezoekje. Misschien kennen jullie de kasseistrook naar de top van de Kemmelberg als kuitenbijter in verschillende wielerwedstrijden. Wel, ik kan je verzekeren, als je de top te voet over diezelfde kasseien beklimt, is het al evenzeer een kuitenbijter ;) Maar we werden wel beloond met een mooi zicht op de hyacinten in het bos. Jammergenoeg was een wandeling niet mogelijk want ter bescherming van de begroeiing is het bos er helemaal afgesloten. Dan maar doorheen de afsluiting wat foto's genomen, net als veel anderen die hetzelfde deden. Neen, we waren er niet de enigen die het schouwspel kwamen bekijken.

 

A little further than de Zwarteberg is Kemmelberg which we visited as well. Kemmelberg is well known among cyclists as a hard one to climb and believe me, it is as hard climbing the cobble stoned street to the top of the mountain by feet as it is on a bike ;) but the reward is well worth it: A beautiful view on the bluebells in the forest. Pity we couldn't walk in the forest on the top as it was closed to protect the new growth. I just had to take some pictures through the fence then, like many other people who did the same. No, we weren't the only ones there enjoying the beautiful view.

 

Bij de Warande, een kasteel en het gemeentehuis in Kemmel, is er nog een stuk bos en daar kon wel gewoon in gewandeld worden, omringd door wilde hyacinten.

 

Near the Warande, a castle and the townhall of Kemmel, there's a smaller piece of forest as well and that wasn't closed, we could walk there surrounded by bluebells. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marian