woodland weekend
This Easter break has really flown by; tomorrow the last school term starts for the year and then before I know it the summer holidays will be upon us. It even felt like summer, a bit, today, with the sun shining brilliantly and not a cloud in the sky. We even got the electric BBQ going on the balcony and had grilled lamb chops for dinner. I foresee the coming week is going to be filled with extra laundry loads as I wash and pack away the winter gear... only for them to re-emerge in six months' time.
Somehow we all managed to be quite busy during this break. There was our short Amsterdam trip of course, and then bunking down while La Bise blew (hopefully no longer for many many more weeks) and going to places like the Natural History museum or Annecy in France, a short drive away. Then when J went back to work, the kids and I spent our days drawing (them) and doing housework (me), going for playdates (ah, to be able to sit drinking tea with a friend while the children dig for worms in the garden), hanging out at the park, and visiting the library. The time simply flew by. Maybe it was all the sunshine. Sitting outdoors on the grass while the children dig for rocks and behead daisies is a very good and very quick way to pass the time.
This weekend was also mostly spent outdoors. We were home only to refuel and rest, only to dash right back out again to make the most of the day. On Saturday J and I had decided to visit the Arboretum, a nature reserve dedicated to the study of trees. I was very excited about this because, as I mentioned in my previous post, The Bun and I are working our way through spotter's guides for trees and flowers so a visit to this place would be perfect for us.
Unfortunately it began to rain while we were on the motorway, and I stared at the sky for the entire drive hoping that we could somehow escape from under the big grey cloud that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. When we arrived and parked the rain had died down to a drizzle, so we put our hoods up, took a couple of umbrellas, and set off. Thankfully the drizzle eventually cleared up and although the sun didn't quite peek through, it was good enough for us.
None of these axes were secured to the table.
We explored the tiny Musée du Bois (Museum of Wood) which was devoted to all the tools associated with carpentry and logging. Thrilling, eh! There was no one staffing it and plenty of axes within reach of the kids - good fun. After that we went outside again and spent a long time walking through a small part of the reserve. The trees are mostly planted together in sections so that it is easy to study the similarities and differences between species across a genus. The signs were all in French but each tree was labelled so with the help of Google and my book it was possible to look up some quick facts about them. Walking around we covered sequoias, cypresses, birches and my favourite of all, magnolias.
There is probably something to be said about living in Switzerland when you start thinking that tree-gazing is a perfectly acceptable hobby. What else would we be doing, otherwise, if not walking around outdoors? I feel a bit sad when I think about how no one can really identify trees and flowers properly these days, let alone things like birdcalls. The children love being outdoors and they are learning so much about nature and the four seasons, and this I feel is one of the most valuable things about our life here.
After our walk we had lunch at a pretty good SE Asian restaurant in a small town close by. We have eaten there before, and the portions are minute for the prices but the quality is good. Bao fell asleep afterwards in the car so we drove a bit, stopped at a cafe for some coffee and cake, and then ended our day at a lovely beach/park at Saint-Prex. Now, they call it a plage (beach) but it's not really a beach, more like a swath of large rocks that lead into the lake. The park is simple, with a small play area for children, tables and benches.
Simple as it was, we spent ages there, sitting on the rock wall looking out into the lake, trying to spot swans and lizards and watching a couple of brave men dive into the chilly lake.
_________________
This morning we drove a short way towards a suburb called Vernier. J had done some research the night before and discovered an easy trek through the woods. The weather was glorious - sunny without being too hot - and everyone was out. As we walked through the forest we passed bikers, joggers, other families, and even a woman on horseback. Her large chestnut mount stepped delicately along the trail, which was steep and narrow in parts, and the kids were awestruck by the sheer size and majesty of the animal.
Nearly everyone we passed would greet us with a 'bonjour' and a smile, even when they had obviously been running for ages and could hardly catch their breath. I like this a lot. In Singapore if you smile and say hello to random strangers that you pass, even in a park, you'd get suspicious what-do-you-want-from-me? looks.
Gorgeous day to be out. We were in the woods on the right of the river.
In the afternoon, after Bao's nap and the usual Sunday Skype chats with both sets of grandparents, I didn't want to go too far so J drove us to another woodland reserve in Versoix, Les Douves as it is popularly called. The last time we had visited was in autumn 2013, when we first moved here. I remember walking with Bao in the sling, she was probably nine or ten months old at that point. The Bun likes it because of the boardwalk over the marshlands that offer great views of the pond life and waterfowl. Today we saw many frogs (sorry, my nature identification spree only goes so far) that had an interesting, clicking sort of croak.
This nature reserve was quite crowded today though, with quite a few families at the visitor's area in front having barbecues and drinks, their children running wild - a great day out. There are many well-laid trails for families and kids, even small ones like Bao. For some of our previous walks she had been alternately whiny and cranky, demanding to be carried along the trail, or asking for snacks endlessly. Her brother loves these walks, but I think she gets a little bored being surrounded by trees everywhere she turns.
At Les Douves, though, she picked up a twig and waved it around, shouting 'superpower!' and then ran madly with her brother along the wide trails meant for horses. At least J and I didn't have to keep coaxing her along through the woods this time.
_______________
Over the next couple of months I plan to revisit the Arboretum to explore the other trails and to see how the trees have progressed. It's wonderful to see how everything is furiously budding and growing, especially the flowers, and soon it will be time to go fruit-picking. And then before we know it, the summer will be drawing to a close and the trees will be changing colours and we will be looking forward to the first snow of the season.
Somehow we all managed to be quite busy during this break. There was our short Amsterdam trip of course, and then bunking down while La Bise blew (hopefully no longer for many many more weeks) and going to places like the Natural History museum or Annecy in France, a short drive away. Then when J went back to work, the kids and I spent our days drawing (them) and doing housework (me), going for playdates (ah, to be able to sit drinking tea with a friend while the children dig for worms in the garden), hanging out at the park, and visiting the library. The time simply flew by. Maybe it was all the sunshine. Sitting outdoors on the grass while the children dig for rocks and behead daisies is a very good and very quick way to pass the time.
This weekend was also mostly spent outdoors. We were home only to refuel and rest, only to dash right back out again to make the most of the day. On Saturday J and I had decided to visit the Arboretum, a nature reserve dedicated to the study of trees. I was very excited about this because, as I mentioned in my previous post, The Bun and I are working our way through spotter's guides for trees and flowers so a visit to this place would be perfect for us.
Unfortunately it began to rain while we were on the motorway, and I stared at the sky for the entire drive hoping that we could somehow escape from under the big grey cloud that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. When we arrived and parked the rain had died down to a drizzle, so we put our hoods up, took a couple of umbrellas, and set off. Thankfully the drizzle eventually cleared up and although the sun didn't quite peek through, it was good enough for us.
None of these axes were secured to the table.
We explored the tiny Musée du Bois (Museum of Wood) which was devoted to all the tools associated with carpentry and logging. Thrilling, eh! There was no one staffing it and plenty of axes within reach of the kids - good fun. After that we went outside again and spent a long time walking through a small part of the reserve. The trees are mostly planted together in sections so that it is easy to study the similarities and differences between species across a genus. The signs were all in French but each tree was labelled so with the help of Google and my book it was possible to look up some quick facts about them. Walking around we covered sequoias, cypresses, birches and my favourite of all, magnolias.
There is probably something to be said about living in Switzerland when you start thinking that tree-gazing is a perfectly acceptable hobby. What else would we be doing, otherwise, if not walking around outdoors? I feel a bit sad when I think about how no one can really identify trees and flowers properly these days, let alone things like birdcalls. The children love being outdoors and they are learning so much about nature and the four seasons, and this I feel is one of the most valuable things about our life here.
After our walk we had lunch at a pretty good SE Asian restaurant in a small town close by. We have eaten there before, and the portions are minute for the prices but the quality is good. Bao fell asleep afterwards in the car so we drove a bit, stopped at a cafe for some coffee and cake, and then ended our day at a lovely beach/park at Saint-Prex. Now, they call it a plage (beach) but it's not really a beach, more like a swath of large rocks that lead into the lake. The park is simple, with a small play area for children, tables and benches.
Simple as it was, we spent ages there, sitting on the rock wall looking out into the lake, trying to spot swans and lizards and watching a couple of brave men dive into the chilly lake.
_________________
This morning we drove a short way towards a suburb called Vernier. J had done some research the night before and discovered an easy trek through the woods. The weather was glorious - sunny without being too hot - and everyone was out. As we walked through the forest we passed bikers, joggers, other families, and even a woman on horseback. Her large chestnut mount stepped delicately along the trail, which was steep and narrow in parts, and the kids were awestruck by the sheer size and majesty of the animal.
Nearly everyone we passed would greet us with a 'bonjour' and a smile, even when they had obviously been running for ages and could hardly catch their breath. I like this a lot. In Singapore if you smile and say hello to random strangers that you pass, even in a park, you'd get suspicious what-do-you-want-from-me? looks.
Gorgeous day to be out. We were in the woods on the right of the river.
In the afternoon, after Bao's nap and the usual Sunday Skype chats with both sets of grandparents, I didn't want to go too far so J drove us to another woodland reserve in Versoix, Les Douves as it is popularly called. The last time we had visited was in autumn 2013, when we first moved here. I remember walking with Bao in the sling, she was probably nine or ten months old at that point. The Bun likes it because of the boardwalk over the marshlands that offer great views of the pond life and waterfowl. Today we saw many frogs (sorry, my nature identification spree only goes so far) that had an interesting, clicking sort of croak.
This nature reserve was quite crowded today though, with quite a few families at the visitor's area in front having barbecues and drinks, their children running wild - a great day out. There are many well-laid trails for families and kids, even small ones like Bao. For some of our previous walks she had been alternately whiny and cranky, demanding to be carried along the trail, or asking for snacks endlessly. Her brother loves these walks, but I think she gets a little bored being surrounded by trees everywhere she turns.
At Les Douves, though, she picked up a twig and waved it around, shouting 'superpower!' and then ran madly with her brother along the wide trails meant for horses. At least J and I didn't have to keep coaxing her along through the woods this time.
_______________
Over the next couple of months I plan to revisit the Arboretum to explore the other trails and to see how the trees have progressed. It's wonderful to see how everything is furiously budding and growing, especially the flowers, and soon it will be time to go fruit-picking. And then before we know it, the summer will be drawing to a close and the trees will be changing colours and we will be looking forward to the first snow of the season.