Today me and my mom did a 10K walk, following a trail of yellow road markers. A part was on road, but most was in mud. We passed through forest and through towns where only recently a wolf was signalled (who killed a pony amongst other animals - wolves are slowly coming back to Belgium) as well as wild boars.
There was even a part on a wooden path which was about 20 to 30 cm above swamp area. It was really beautiful there, though we had to stop each time to look around, as otherwise you risked stepping next to the wooden path, ending up in the swamp.
The sun was mostly hidden behind thick clouds, but it was dry. It had rained past night though, causing the muddy ways to be even muddier. No plastic boots, but luckily my stout walking boots can handle a 'bit of mud'.
It was a rather heavy walk though and I fear my body is not getting younger. I know I am not 'old' yet, but the last 2 to 3 kilometers I was really aching in my lower back, legs, knees, ankles and feet. In the past I could walk 10K without problem and now I feel as if a horse and carriage ran over me, twice (was that me running 16K not even 2 weeks ago?).
I had planned a 10K run for tomorrow, but that will be postponed with a day extra 😅.
That’s nice to have some quality time with your mum, and it looks like a lovely area. I remember a while back that my walking seemed to feel a bit harder than usual, don’t know why, it’s really weird. Mind you, if I saw a wolf 🐺 or a wild boar, I think I’d be able to walk a lot faster! All the best Evy 😊😊😊.
I was hoping that the wolf would wait to come out until it was dark. Though I was worried a bit about possible wild boars. I think they would be nastier when meeting them than a wolf...
It seems that wolves and wild boars are getting nearer the UK, only the North Sea and the English Channel can prevent them from coming, good walk for you today Evy, despite the mud, take a few days off running and perhaps you could RUN the same route, another 10K. Of course you are not old. 😊 🏃🏾
Run that route? Eh... I don't feel in the mood for broken ankles 😂. Watch out for the wolf though, one of the wolves was spotted crossing (swimming) a canal. Maybe it can cross thé Canal too 😛
"Cross the canal" I think you meant Cross the Channel, The English Channel, well who knows, that wolf could think when sitting on a hill in France on a clear day looking over that 20 mile stretch of water over to England, The White Cliff's of Dover "should I try swim over there" if he was wise I doubt he would.
I used to listen to the Dutch Flemish service of Radio Luxembourg, I listened to the hit parade and got to know the numbers in Dutch from one hundred to the number one record, on the last week of November the Dutch radio station NPO Radio 5 broadcasts "The Evergreen Top 1000" so I now know the numbers in Dutch from 1000 to 1
I actually learned English as a child from watching the Australian soap Neighbours before I got English in school. It is funny how you can learn another language!
My French on the other hand is far from what is should be, while it should be my second language, oops!
Je parle un peu de français. Nous devons étudier du français à l'école car c'est normallement notre deuxième langue en Belgique.
At work I also have to know a bit of French as I work with Africa. I work mostly with East Africa where it is all English. But sometimes I have to pick up the phone dor a colleague who works on West Africa where it is all French. So...
With languages, my biggest downfall is learning the vocabulary. The grammar goes in and sticks first! I can often speak perfectly grammatically correct gibberish.
I have a smattering of French (at school), German and (North) Welsh. I did Latin as well at school, which probably explains the grammar thing.
That looks like an amazing walk but I can imagine it would be quite tough on your legs with all that mud! Poor wolf, he must've been starving to kill so many animals. Where my parents live they need pretty sturdy fences to keep wild boars out of their garden. When they first moved into that place, wild boar would regularly break through the fence and trash their veggie garden 😅🐗 my parents didn't find it so funny 😁🤣
The wild boars do here the same. In the Ardens (the hilly side of Belgium) they are used to wild boars, but here it is a bit new.
The wolves too are a bit new. I think 1 or 2 years ago the first 2 wolves came. They had 4 pups, but once of a sudden the mom and pups were gone. They think hunters killed them. Another female came and they had 2 litters of pups in the meanwhile. A couple of them have been killed in road accidents though. Belgium, especially Flanders is not really suitable for such wildlife. And there are more wolves in the meanwhile.
The wolves killed by cars I fear can't be avoided. Our country is not made for such wildlife. Loads and loads of roads. And the wolves aren't shy either. They just run on the roads, run along next to cars, etc.
The ones killed by hunters, that is something else. I prefer hunters above slaughterhouses in regards to how the animals live and die (I am vegetarian by the way). But they (hunters) have to follow the rules and keep to the restrictions and such.
I enjoyed reading this thread. I didn't know you had wild boar and wolves in Belgium! Would be great if we could reintroduce them in Scotland. They would prey on the deer and we might get more biodiversity. It's wierd that you were running 10k no problem but found it hard to walk. Maybe it was the mud and heavy walking boots that did it???
It might be indeed the heavy road plus going slow. I also tend to tire fast when 'going shopping' for example. I mean the slow walking and stopping regularly. Walking feels heavier than running. Call me weird! 😜
As for the wolves, it is nice to have them (back). But Belgium is not prepared for them. Meaning a lot of cattle gets killed as well as pet animals such as goats, ponies, etc. People should urgently invest in wolf-secure fences and such. Because now there are lots of people who want them gone again...
I honestly can't imagine them fibding enough wildlife to feed on in Flanders. The Ardens that is different. Flanders is flat with loads of fields between the cities. Not much forests really. At least not as needed by them. So not much in the way of deer or so. Ardens is rougher, more forests, hills, wildlife, etc. So more deer, boars, ...
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A second (but irresponsible) 10K
