One of my walks in the Alps is a lovely wooded trail. It twists and turns, opens out and closes back in again. The sunlight filters through the trees. The woods are home to a myriad of fauna, from insects and birds to small and large mammals like Hares, Stoats, Marmots, Wild Boar and Deer. Sometimes you signs of life like tracks in the snow, sometimes you catch a glimpse of a tail, mostly I hear the birds in the trees chirping and chattering and I feel the calm of the woods.
There are clearings and signs of forest maintenance and cropping. Huge towering stacks of softwood destined for who knows where. Numbered and piled up, they will be moved in the Spring when the snow thaws, for now they give something else for walkers to wonder at.
And what better to eat after a walk than something rich, and yes a little bit naughty and creamy, Indian Style Cauliflower Cheese.
Wonderful photos, Claire. I can almost smell forest green. And oh….cauliflower cheese. Mmmmm.
Thank you, that is a lovely expression, a forest of green.
Thanks for taking us on such a beautiful stroll, Claire. And you’re right. That cauliflower sounds like a terrific dish to enjoy afterward. Yum!
Thanks John, somehow I manage to convince myself that eating rich creamy food is OK in the mountains 🙂
My lungs feel pure and fresh after lookign at those amazing photos! And cauliflower cheese? Yes please! Will be down in St Leonards briefly on 11th and 12th March – can´t wait!
Drat and dash, I won’t be around then. Hope you have a great weekend and that the weather is kind to you
Thanks – another time, I´m sure…I usually try to fit in a few days there when I go to the UK.
I hope you never encounter a wild boar!
Me neither Tandy!!
Mm. Pretty photos. Makes me want to go for a hike.
Thank you, there is some beautiful hiking to be had around here, and it’s fun to share it
Beautiful photos. Each one could be a postcard. I can imagine the snow crunching under my feet. BAM
Thank you BAM you’re very kind, and yes the snow definitely crunches under foot, it’s a veryy satisfactory sound!
Lovely pics! There’s nothing as calming as walking in a forest. Love it…every time.
I know, I keep going back on that particular walk, and stopping and wondering and peering into the woods.
What a lovely walk and a decadent treat at the end.. wished I were tagging along today! Btw, what is a stoat?
A Stoat is a small animal also known as a Weasel or an Ermine. I’ve seen a couple dash across the paths in front of me, too quick to get photos and properly identify them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat
Lovely! That’s the kind of place that springs to mind when I hear the phrase “Cathedral Pines.”
Cathederal Pines is so evocative, and yes these trees are tall, but nowhere near as tall as some of the species that grow in N America or Australia. I heard a fascinating programme the other week on the radio about some guys who were climbing the largest trees in the world, their enthusiasm and knowledge drew you in.
The cauliflower-cheese dish is fantastic. Those logging are too bad; I thought Europe was much stricter regarding chopping off woods and etc.
Hi there and thanks for popping in. The logging is very controlled, and these are managed forests not ancient forests, and up here in the mountains the logging industry is pretty big, I see trucks with trees on, and industrial plants in the valleys. But I don’t really know enough about the subject to say what is truly bad or OK. I know that in the Commune I’m living in, when you build a new house you have to buy a certain amount of extra land that is planted with trees.
Beautiful.
And now I want cauliflower!
Thanks, I hope you get some cauliflower soon 🙂
WOW! These photographs are amazing… I imagined to walk there, beautiful feeling… Thank you, dear Claire, with my love, nia
Thank you Nia, you are very kind. I love to share these photos and walks, and parts of my life. Claire
Love your photos of the sun throught the trees. Keep them coming!
Thanks for the encouragement!
That numbered and catalogued firewood is certainly something to wonder about, what a lovely lovely walk.. c
Morning Celi, thanks for coming along on the walk. I think a lot of the wood is for construction and housing, but of course heaps of it end up in the fireplace. I never know whether to weep or laugh!
enjoyed walking with you!
your pictures were incredible…
Take care
maryrose
Hi Maryrose, and thank you for your compliments
Claire, How beautiful. Just awesome! And the beautiful woods wasn’t enough…you added the cauliflower recipe! That’s pretty gorgeous, too! 🙂 Debra
Hi Debra the walks are very beautiful and glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Claire
You’ve brought back some very good memories with your description and beautiful photos. So glad for you that you had such a beautiful walk. And I do think you deserved the treat at the end of the walk. After all, that was a good bit of exercise, and the body had to burn fuel to manage with the cold. May there be many more like this one.
I’m pleased the photos brought back happy memories for you, although sometimes you can’t capture the exact image you want or the feeling you at least have the photos to trigger those memories. And yes please to many more great walks!
I love seeing a stand of trees, their trunks tall and straight — as if they are standing at attention. It makes me think that nobody can design a landscape better than Nature. Beautiful photos.
Nature is a clever old bird! These are planted forests but even so nature has a way of exerting her own dimension.
I hope you don’t cross paths with the wild boar…they are not so welcoming. Rabbits, thats better.
So true Karen, I’m not sure what on earth I would do if I saw a wild boar. Panic probably!
Lets hope the boar would too.
Gawd yes in that the boar would panic and run in the opposite direction !!
such magical light here! wonderful walk!
Thank you Mimo 🙂
You must be happy when you walk around there. Great place.
Yes, the walks do make me happy, breathing the fresh air, getting some exercise, and looking, looking, looking
What a great walk! And what a beautiful day!
Thanks Villy, sometimes the walks are in the mist and cloud which produces a completely different feeling, either way they are beautiful
I do so love going on these walks with you! Much as I’d love to do them in person, your photos and descriptions are definitely the next best thing–so very beautifully capturing the sensory qualities and spirit of the places. Lovely, Claire.
Thank you Kathryn, it’s something I’ve come to enjoy more and more as I’ve kept my blog, taking everyone on my walks. It makes me stop and ponder anew, and consider what is around me. I’m looking forward to some summer walks back home now, Claire
Oh Clarie, thanks for including us on your snowy walk! I had a lovely time! Here in the land of sunshine, with no rain in sight, I am fearful of a very dry year.
Lovely to have you along for the walk Deb 🙂 I know what you mean about being worried by the lack of rain, the resevoirs at home are very low. It could be a tough year for us gardeners…
Sad as it is tI see trees felled, I liked the dollops of snow on the knobby russet wood.
It is a shame isn’t it, but us humans do seem to consume a LOT of wood, and here in the Alps all the houses are made of it too!