In the far south of Belgium, between the Ardennes, Luxembourg and France, lies Gaume. A surprisingly beautiful region with hills, streams, forests and quaint little villages. During the week we were in this area, we made some beautiful and varied walks and the Orval monastery was also nice to visit. Despite the many kilometres walked, I want to limit myself in this post, at least for the most part, to 97 (well, about then ;-)) linear metres along the stream right next to the campsite.
We had a mobile home at Camping Alaska in the village of Marbehan. This campsite consists partly of fixed caravan pitches. Behind a row of trees, along the stream Le Mellier, is a large grassy field with the camping pitches. At the time we were there (mid-June) it was lovely and quiet on the campsite, and such a small running stream gives you an extra sense of calm. The first evening we immediately noticed how many crickets and grasshoppers lived along the stream. At dusk, taking photos was no longer possible and I decided to walk along again the next morning. And those few metres (I didn't get much further) in the morning made me realise again how incredibly varied nature is.
In those first few metres, I focused mainly on a beautiful dragonfly. Unfortunately, it didn't feel like sitting still or posing, and on top of that I sometimes fiddle with settings on the camera. As a result, I didn't get the dragonfly in the picture properly. But because I had stayed in one spot, I noticed how many species of (often very small) insects were walking around or sitting in the grass. A little project was born; I resolved to study one or two spots along the stream for at least half an hour every day. And how interesting it was! Every day I discovered new species. Not immediately, but if I paid attention to the patch of ground I was standing on, I noticed that I started seeing more and more. A caterpillar hidden under a leaf, a beautifully coloured Goldcrest, various bugs in the grass. Well, too many to mention and sometimes in unusual places. In total, I managed to photograph almost 30 different species in five days, but at least the same number was either too small or too fast.
Apart from gaining more experience in macro photography again, this little project made me admire nature and life around us even more. What a variety and everything also has a role in the whole. And in addition, it turns out once again that paying attention to something (or someone) always brings something beautiful or positive. For another or for the environment, and thus also for yourself.
The surrounding area
Of course, we did more during the holiday than bird watching and photographing insects at the campsite. In fact, right from the campsite are 2 nice walks.
- A nice route of about 11 kilometres officially starts at the station but you can also start at the church (about 300 metres from the campsite). From there, follow the yellow signs.
-The second route is a bit shorter but very nice. Walk from the campsite towards the church and turn right before the church. If you walk about 150 metres further, you will find the small terrace of Friterie Simpson on your right. Take a seat there, enjoy and roll back to the campsite afterwards (possibly via a different route) :-).
A nice outing is the monastery of Orval. A nice mix of a relatively new building (1920s with exceptional architecture) along with the ruins of the old monastery and a nice museum. A number of walks in the immediate vicinity of the monastery also start at the entrance. We did the blue route. A nice route of about 6 kilometres through meadows and forests right along the border with France. At Orval, don't forget to visit the restaurant too. In fact, here you can taste the beer and cheese they make at the monastery.
Another nice walk, through a somewhat more rugged area, starts near the village of Muno. In the village, follow the signs for 'Roche a l'Appel'. You have to take the car for a short stretch on a kind of gravel road, but just keep driving until you have to go through a small tunnel. That's where the well-signposted walk starts, with Roche a l'appel as its literal highlight.
Finally, two nice and cosy villages from where there are also nice walks: Torgny and Chassepierre. The latter lies on the banks of a river and Torgny is a cosy village with pretty sand-coloured houses.
What a beautiful region is the Gaume in Belgium, it has surprised me at least and it will certainly not stop at this one visit!
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2 comments
Prachtige foto’s weer……
Met plezier gelezen!!
Prachtige foto’s!!