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@fantagira more from that month

Time for a forest walk

*Monday, 13th of September 2021* Another week has started and with new week I decided it is about time to move more. I remember walking daily around the sunset time at the start of the pandemic and I was doing it for a good few months, but then I slipped and walked less and moved less and since my salsa life is starting to come back I realised just how unfit I became. I used my broken wrist as an excuse not to do yoga. Once wrist healed, I broke a shoulder, so that was a good excuse too, but for walking I don’t need a wrist or a shoulder, so not sure why I neglected it so badly. On Sunday, my friend Nunzia visited again to help me out on the allotment, so we had good 2 hours of exercise and that reminded me how good it feels. So I decided it’s time to get back to walking daily and if not walking, then other type of exercise. Today I settled for a walk in a nearby forest. Just before I was going to leave, my friend messaged me, so I connected my earphones and took her with me for a walk.

Not long after I enter the forest there is a quirky tree on my left side. I took a picture of it many times, but for some reason I keep taking more. It’s just an unusual looking one, I really like it. Actually my ex partner first noticed it and since then I always think of him when I see it.

Once I was a little deeper in the forest I strayed from the path to check if any yummy mushrooms decided to show up. I wasn’t too lucky this time, or maybe I was a bit preoccupied with talking to my friend. It was already an evening too, so not a great visibility, but at least I was still able to take a few good pictures.

One great thing about this forest, apart from being utterly amazing is that the terrain is rather hilly. Cute footpaths lead up and down the hills, which makes every walk a great leg workout. I don’t usually notice it that much while I’m walking, but I always feel it at the back of my legs once I’m back home.

I was happy to see the Jarzebina fruits along one of the paths. According to google the name of it in English is Moutain Ash or Rowan. Seeing these always reminds me of my childhood and that back to school feeling that September brings. We had many of these bushes/trees growing in the area where I was growing up.

Some piles of trees cut by the forestry earlier this year are still laying around. I can’t help but this of them as corpses. Seeing them still gives me a cringe and reminds me of total meltdown I had back in April when I saw how many trees they cut and what a mess they’ve made out of my beloved forest. I know for sure I was not the only one who felt this way, as some people painted quite loud messages on these tree logs and afterwards the forestry put up the signs explaining why they cut the trees and that they will grow back quickly. Looking at the size of some of those trees it is clear that the person who wrote that message won’t even be alive by the time a new tree will grow to the same size, but sure, give us more bs excuses.

Anyway, I better calm down before I go on another rant. As you can see from the pictures, the forest is still beautiful. I just really dislike it being cut down. In England we’re still lucky to have many beautiful forests for relaxing walks and foraging for mushrooms and berries. In the area of Netherlands where my ex partner lives for example there are no natural forests, as they were all cut down. There are many man made parks and gardens, all beautifully landscaped and manicured, but it doesn’t compare to a wild forest like this one which is just over 10 mins walk from my house.

Walking here always makes me feel good. Not only the greenery all around me, but also the smell of pine trees. It’s like a free aromatherapy session, coupled with endorphins from exercise and great childhood memories. Before I knew it, 2 hours have passed and I came back home happier than I was before I left. I am hoping that writing this article will serve me a reminded to visit this beautiful place more often. Until next time 💙

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