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| Le Tombeau du Géant, Belgium. May 2011. |
I spent the past weekend with a bunch of friends in the Belgian Ardennes, in a former water mill near the river Semois and a site called 'Le Tombeau du Géant' (the Giant's Tomb).
I'd been looking forward to this weekend for a while. After a busy few months, I needed some time away from my computer with nothing but good friends and my Kindle for company.
Of course, being me, I can't help pondering the paradox of wanting to go to places that are wild and virtually untouched by mankind, while by going there, we touch them - inevitably.
However, there are ways of being a respectful visitor, and I count myself lucky to have found so many people who understand this and try to live it.
Here's to friendship, laughter and heart-warming, mind-blowing beauty!
What are your favourite places to unwind?
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Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteI like to unwind in warm weather and flip flops.
Gorgeous! I love those types of place - wild, untouched. There is a special magic that cleanses, refreshes, and stimulates all the creative juices.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. So lush and green. We have beautiful mountains here, but they never green up quite like that.
ReplyDeleteI used to work as a naturalist in a state park, so I totally get the whole "hands off" approach to visiting natural places. I had to bust a woman once for picking mushrooms. Really, you weren't allowed to take even a stick. Probably a good policy. If you let every visitor take one piece of the park with them when they went, there'd be nothing left of it for anyone else.
And, Karen, I've been to Sky City/Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. It is amazing.
@Munk: flip-flops are of vital importance! :-)
ReplyDelete@Holly: so well said; that's exactly how I feel. :-)
@Karen: Ojo Caliente and Sky City sound wonderful. Such a big world and so little time to visit it all. :-)
@L.G.: I smuggled a stone out of a national park once, knowing full well I shouldn't have and why. I still feel guilty about it.
What a beautiful place!
ReplyDelete:D
@Arawn =)
ReplyDeletegorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos. I love anywhere beside the sea. I live near the countryside, but I always prefer the days I'm walking along beside a river or shore. Never for sunbathing, as I don't like the heat!
ReplyDeleteEverything on your post looks pretty darn near perfect. The greenery scenery, the building, the ambiance. I like your choice.
ReplyDeleteManzanita@Wannabuyaduck
What a beautiful place and I love the name of it. Glad you didn't run into any snow. Wish it would warm up this way so I could get sun bitten.
ReplyDelete@V: totally :-)
ReplyDelete@Rosemary: me too. There's something about the sound of water rushing past that is so soothing!
@Manzanita: 'pretty darn near perfect': that describes it well. :-)
@Mary: it's the perfect name. You can see the giant's face quite well in the first picture, but it's more obvious when you're actually there.