A Picnic

On Saturday I had a good walk around Schuman area recceing next week's Bloom's Day Run (I'm co-hare) and afterwards, over a cold beer in the Mort Subite, I thought to myself "That was a nice walk, but it would have been better in the shade... and with a picnic".

As I had nothing planned for Sunday I decided to sieze the moment. I went straight to the supermarket and bought some pate, cheese, olives, salami and tomatoes and stuck a bottle of wine and a few beers in the fridge. I was all set to go by myself, but I realised I had quite a lot of food and wondered if there was anyone else feeling in need of a picnic and a walk in the woods. I wasn't sure who to invite, so I just put the message out on the internet on Saturday evening to the members of the BMPH3 suggesting a walk and picnic in the Foret de Soignes on Sunday meeting at a well known Hash venue on the edge of the forest, the station at Boitsfort at 1pm.

On Sunday when I arrived I was really expecting no one to take up the invitation, but to my surprise there was Trash Can Man waiting for me . He had only seen the message only an hour before. As he was stuck alone inside his apartment my suggestion struck a cord and he decided to come along, and I'm glad he did.

After an obligatory beer we set off at 1:20pm and returned to the station at just before 6pm having stopped for an excellent picnic lunch in the heart of the woods and for a couple of well earned ice cold beers at a bar on the outskirts of Boitshort village. We were walking the rest of the time, so I guess we covered around 18km (3 hours walking at 6kmph)!

The woods were beautiful, cool and peaceful. Once we got away from the edge of the wood there were very few people around, just some on horseback or bikes and one or two joggers but no crowd, no noise, no heat, just lovely green coolness - ah bliss... We stomped along for hours putting the worlds to rights and enjoying the wonderful woods...