Saturday 31 May 2008

Fri., May 30th - Sandy's Jezus Eik Walk


Here are today's walkers gathered for our photo at the start of this afternoon's walk in Jezus Eik. With 13 of us and 2 doggies it was a fine group to make our way through the forest with lots of chat along with our exercise. Thanks again for our photographer's services this afternoon.
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Fri., May 30th - Sandy's Jezus Eik Walk

Almost any time of year is the right time to enjoy a stroll through the Arboretum ... nést pas?
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Fri., May 30th - Sandy's Jezus Eik Walk


With 13 of us this afternoon it was not easy to gather at one table. We had to split up and I think those at the 2nd table will thank me if they could see it for not putting their photo on the blog!!! It was refreshing to sit for awhile and enjoy our drinks under cloudy skies ... It never did rain but the humidity was high.
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Monday 26 May 2008

Cakes

For those of you who asked for the recipes, here they are:

Apricot, Orange and Almond Cake
Ingredients
225g/8oz soft margarine
225g/8oz caster sugar
275g/10oz self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
275g/10oz no soak apricots, chopped quite small
grated rinds of 2 oranges
Demerara sugar, the juice of the oranges and a few flaked almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Grease and base line 30 x 23cm/12 x 9in roasting tin with greased greaseproof paper.

Measure all the ingredients except the orange juice, Demerara sugar and almonds into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
Mix the orange juice, sugar and almonds together.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed in the centre with your fingertips. Leave in the tin and pour the sugar mix all over the cake while it is still hot.


Capuccino Tray-Bake
Makes 18 squares

Cake:
3tbs instant coffee
4tbs milk
4oz butter
6oz caster sugar
6oz SR Flour
2 eggs

Icing:
3tbs milk
2 drops pure vanilla extract
Icing sugar
Cocoa powder for decoration

Add 3 tbs instant coffee to 4tbsp milk, and leave to cool.

Cream 4oz margarine with 6oz caster sugar in a large bowl, and sift over 6oz self-raising flour.

Fold it in gently with a metal spoon. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs, then fold this into the mixture.

Finally, add the coffee. Pour the batter into a buttered 20x30cm tray, and bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes.

While it cools, make the vanilla icing. Measure 3tbsp milk into a bowl and add 2 drops of pure vanilla extract. Add sifted icing sugar slowly, until you reach a drizzling consistency.

Drizzle thickly over the cooled cake, dust with cocoa powder, and leave to set before cutting into square pieces.

Jennifer's Everberg Walk

A dozen of us walked today. This morning's rain disappeared and it was a lovely sunny afternoon - in fact, a bit too hot as we tackled the last hill. We started on roads and tracks then walked through the woods and back for tea. We did 6k and took 90 minutes, but as the Garmin and the Computer don't seem to be speaking to eachother at the moment I can't tell you how many calories we used.

Saturday 24 May 2008

Fri., May 23rd Denise's Auderghem Walk


Fourteen (out of 16) of us gathered for this photo before heading into the forest. Denise offered to lead the walk through her "neighborhood" for Sandy who was delighted to let her do the honors. The weather was fine for our outing this afternoon and we were fortunate to have an"official" photographer also!
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Fri., May 23rd Denise's Auderghem Walk


Denise started us off with a brief walk through nearby Boitsfort and stopped for us to see the home of the Belgian artist and sculptor, Ric Wouters, (see plaque).
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Fri., May 23rd Denise's Auderghem Walk


It was back into the forest for the remainder of the walk and we were all enjoying its beauty after so many months of leafless branches!
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Fri., May 23rd Denise's Auderghem Walk


Those of us who could stay for refreshments drove a short distance to rendezvous at Au Diable Vauvert where we could gather again on their outdoor terrace. It was a splendid afternoon for our walk and to enjoy our drinks outside.
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Fri., May 23rd - Denise's Auderghem Walk


And, our many, many "thanks"to Anne (middle) for sharing such wonderful pralines with us all in honor of her Birthday today!!! Yum, and Marcolini no less ... We were pleased to welcome Joan's sister, Mary, (2nd right) who was visiting on today's walk.
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Friday 23 May 2008

FRI., MAY 23rd WALK - AUDERGHEM!

Hi Walkers,

I'm back!!! Unfortunately, I am computer challenged right now which is why I have not been in touch with you until now. I have borrowed Bruce's laptop to put this message on the blog. I look forward to seeing all of you who can join me this afternoon at 1pm at Rue Nisard (#3 walk) in Auderghem.

See you soon, Sandy

Tuesday 6 May 2008

FRIDAY MAY 9

Subject: Friday, May 9

Christa Haberer has kindly offered to do a walk from her house ending with coffee in the garden on Friday, May 9 at 13.00 as usual

Directions are almost the same as for the Waterloo Golf Club #35.However don’t go quite as far as the Golf Club on the Vieux Chemin de Wavre. Turn right where there is a sign to the Cricket Club. Christa’s house is the third on the right.

Her computer is NOT working so you must phone her in the morning.

Sheila.

Leefdaal - 6th May 2008

It was the hottest, sunniest day of the year so far and 22 ladies turned up for the walk, a circle of the St Verena trail around Leefdaal. Martha and Jennifer were learning this walk so led, clutching the map and the attached nature notes, and checking with Sheila every few minutes to be sure they were right.

At the end of the walk we arrived at the cafe to find that it had changed its opening times, so it was closed, but two of our braver members rang on the bell and persuaded the owner that we were a worthy cause, so she let us in and we enjoyed cool drinks in her shady courtyard.

There is a Google map to go with this walk, but Sandy is the only one who can post pictures on the Blog, so it will appear later.

Sunday 4 May 2008

HIGH FENS COUPLES WALK, 1 JUNE 2008

High Fens Couples Walk, Sunday 1 June 2008

This will be a full day out. Allowing 1½ to 2 hours for the drive, the timetable should be as follows:
09.00 Set off from Brussels to Baraque Michel (see directions below)
11.00 walk departs from Baraque Michel 12.30 lunch at Signal de Botrange
14.00 walk back (by different route) 15.30 walk finishes.
17.30 Everybody should be home.

Travel directions (about 150 kilometres each way)
Drive east from Brussels on the E 40 motorway, direction Leuven, Liege.
After junction 31 come to Liege by-pass, with several confusing junctions.
Take care to remain on E40, direction Aachen.
After about 130 kilometres reach junction 38, signpost Eupen.
Leave motorway, turn right towards Eupen.
Drive 3 or 4 kilometres on N 67 through busy commercial area towards the city.
(this is a German speaking area, note the publicity in German as well as French).
At a big T junction (roundabout) turn right (west) on N 61, direction Verviers, Liege.
Immediately turn left (traffic lights and several small direction signs to KMILE-IRMEP etcetera),
drive south on a small link road,
Go straight across at small roundabout, curve gently upwards to right then left.
At junction, go straight forward down a steep hill.
At bottom of hill reach large roundabout next to church, opposite Ambassador Hotel.
Turn right, across bridge, on N68, direction Malmédy.
Steadily uphill for 12 kilometres to go past a road junction with N672 (for Verviers).
Two more kilometres to Baraque Michel (signpost and tavern), gather in the big car park on left.

You are now at 672 metres above sea level, in the heart of the national park.
The Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) make up a spectacular area of wild, open moorland, now heavily protected for the sake of its unique vegetation.
The climate tends to be cold, wet and windy, with snow in winter, but it can also be very clear with long-distance views across towards Germany.
You will find peat bog and rough grassland, surrounded by huge forests, and scattered lumps of quartzite rock dating back up to 500 million years, for this is geologically ancient country.
There is a good deal of history, because this is also frontier country. The Romans built roads here. There were medieval tracks, some used to carry copper from Germany to the west. The dukes of Limbourg, Luxembourg, the prince bishops of Liege and the abbots of Stavelot-Malmédy all fixed their boundaries here. Later it became the frontier between Belgium and the kingdom of Prussia, and you will see boundary posts marked B on one side and P on the other.
The whole area finally passed to Belgium under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

The walk will go for four kilometres along the edge of the Fagne Wallonne to the Signal de Botrange, the highest point in Belgium at 694 metres. Here we pause at the big tavern for food and drink. A monument exists for those who wish to climb up to 700 metres!
The slightly shorter return passes through the forest and then the Fagne de la Polleur, with an educational path showing where forest dwellers dug out peat for their fires until the 1960s

The walking is on mostly good paths and duckboards, but we will find some mud. Wear boots
As a high-level walk it can be windy, so bring hats and anoraks.
It is a long drive so please make your own arrangements for car-pooling.
Lunch menu offers omelettes, croques, salads, plates of Ardenne ham, and local beer.
For a different and attractive return journey, follow the main road to Malmédy, then direction Stavelot, pick up the E42 motorway, direction Verviers, Liege, Brussels.
We need exact numbers to reserve a table, so can you please reply to me by Monday 19 May.

Sheila