This article first appeared in My Travelogue by Bhushavali
...THAT'S NOT A PLAYGROUND OR ANIMAL FARM
Here are some earlier articles on the associated topic:
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
STRAWBERRY PICKING NEAR BRUSSELS - FERME FRAMBOOS
Update 2024: They aren't organizing this activity this year.
Strawberry picking is an activity I've always wanted to do since Atyudarini
was a year old. Finally, I got the chance recently. Ferme Framboos is a
charming little farm on the outskirts of Brussels at Huldenberg. The farm is
quite large and produces organic strawberries, raspberries, blackberries,
cherries, etc. A section for strawberries is covered and there are about 7-8
rows of plantation.
It required quite some precise planning to visit here by public transport
while coordinating with Atyudarini's friends who accompanied us. But, we did
and we were there. We were, in fact, the first ones to go there by public
transport that, Ms.Marjolijn, the owner, treated us with some special,
farm-fresh juice to celebrate!
Ms.Marjolijn explained the dos & don'ts, and it was time for the kids
(& us too) to start picking. Soon it was time for us to start picking. She
gave us boxes (to be returned) that would hold approximately half a kg. After
picking, the strawberries were weighed and we paid for what we picked.
Atyudarini wanted to wipe clean and pick everything but I told her that we
would be purchasing only 2 box fulls.
Here's the highlight - after eating these strawberries, I realized that I
hadn't known the taste of fresh, farm-grown, organic strawberries all these
years! It was so so so delicious. What you get at supermarkets is too
tasteless in comparison!!!
Where is the Ferme Framboos (on Google Maps)? Ferme Framboos
How to reach Ferme Framboos? It is possible to take the DeLijn Bus 349 from the Hermann-Debroux
metro stop. This bus runs once every hour on weekdays and once every
alternate hour on weekends, so keep a tab on your watch. The bus stop is 1km
from the farm and there's a paved road. It's a downward slope! Very easy to
go but is one steep climb while returning. Give it some extra especially,
esp. with kids, to catch the bus.
Ferme Framboos Phone number: +32 (0) 488-664.620. She speaks
English.
Ferme Framboos Entry Tickets: €3 (kids under 6 years of age go free). The strawberry you pick is €10/kg.
Pay cash or by bank app on the spot. No card facility.
Ferme Framboos Timings: Wednesdays, and weekends only from 2pm to 5pm. That said, it is a
family-run farm and they may have their own commitments. So
msg/WhatsApp/call and then go.
Tips for visiting Ferme Framboos for Strawberry Picking
When is the best time to do strawberry picking in Belgium? Strawberries in May-June; Raspberries and cherries in June, and
July; Blackberries and plums in July, and August. That said, with the
current climate change & delayed seasons this could change. Call them
and ask if it is the right time to visit.
Can I do picking without buying? No!
Can kids pick & eat directly? They can taste 1. After that
weigh the plucked berries, pay, and then eat.
Make a day trip out of it by combining it with a meet-greet-feed session
at Sint-Alpaca-Rode, which is just 1.5km away
Bring boxes/crates to take the strawberries back home!
.jpg)
Photo by Bees Api Brussels
.jpg)
Photo by Bees Api Brussels
.jpg)
.jpg)
BEEKEEPING (APICULTURE) IN BRUSSELS - BEES API BRUXELLES
Recently while visiting a small music festival in Brussels, there was a stall
that sold honey and honey-based products like soap, beeswax lip balm, candles,
etc. It was an adorable family-run business and their son was almost the same
age as Atyudarini and they were hanging out together at the event. What caught
my attention was the presence of an actual bee hive (sealed in a glass box) at
their stall. On enquiring, I learned that they organize family days at their
apiary! I booked a spot on the next family day and there we were.
The tour began with, as commonsense would have it, putting on the safety suit.
Next, we stepped beside the beehives and Mr.Neset, the beekeeper explained the
types of bees in a hive, the life expectancy of the types of bees, their
tasks, and all about the Queen Bee and Royal Jelly. Soon, he took a piece of a
smoky stick, opened the lid of one of the bee hives, and lifted it. Quite
amusingly, some of the honeybees had made a little honeycomb on the lid
itself! There were a gazillion bees flying everywhere around us. It did scare
Atyudarini a bit but she overcame that and started enjoying it. Soon, it was
time to hold the entire bee hive frame in hand. While I could do it myself,
Mr.Neset helped Atyudarini to hold because with all the bees, and the jelly on
it, it was quite heavy. While this was okay, the next task was what was
totally loved by Atyudarini, and she to date talks about it whenever someone
mentions honey - putting her finger into the bee hive frame (while the bees
are still there) to pick up some honey and then, licking her finger! This was
the best moment of her visit to Bees Api Bruxelles. The next task was for the
kids to find the Queen bee while Mr.Neset explained more about where the Queen
bees come from (Spoiler alert: Beekeepers travel to find the best queens and
sometimes they come from even another country!).
The very last part of the tour is away from the beehives, taking off the
safety suit, and sitting on a comfortable couch to taste various types of
honey made here at Bees Api Bruxelles. This is indeed the best place to see
where honey comes from and how beekeeping is done in Brussels.
Where is Bees Api Bruxelles (on Google Maps)? The location is disclosed when you book a tour because it is the private
residence of Mr.Neset
How to reach Bees Api Bruxelles? All I can say is that it is
in Schaerbeek, in a locality near Parc Josaphat and is well connected by
both bus & tram.
Bees Api Bruxelles Phone number: +32 4709 52249
Bees Api Bruxelles Timings: Open only by appointment
Bees Api Bruxelles Tour Tickets: €25 for adults and free for kids under 12. Find their next tour date via the official Instagram Page of Bees Api
English Tour at Bees Api Bruxelles: It is possible to organize an English Tour but the entire tour would have
to be privatized with a minimum of 5 adults and a maximum of 5 kids. If 5
families with 1 parent and 1 child can come together, at €125, an English Tour of Bees Api Bruxelles is possible.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
BEST BIKE TRACK IN BRUSSELS - BXL PUMP PARK
As a bike enthusiast, my daughter wanted some more challenging paths to
explore and that's when I came across Brussels Pump Track. Located very close
to Tour & Taxis, the Bxl Pump Park has 2 tracks. The small dirt track with
2 wide stairs and 1 small u-turn is what Atyudarini calls the warm-up track.
Then there's the 110m asphalt track with several pumps, twists, and turns.
This is the absolute adrenaline from a beginner like Atyudarini (who could
learn to balance in those pumps) to a super-advanced biker (who would fly over
the pumps)!
The best part is that it is not just free of cost but also they have
free-to-rent bikes to try! Plus on weekends, vacations, and Wednesday
afternoons, there's a nice cafe too. Atyudarini has so much fun every time she
visits there, plus she also got to try out her 6-speed bike! She managed to
ride it on the kids track.
Where is Bxl Pump Park (on Google Maps)? BXL PUMP PARK by Velosolutions
How to reach Bxl Pump Park? 850m (11 mins walk) from Pannenhuis Metro / Tour & Taxis railway station
Bxl Pump Park Timings: Tue-Sun 10:00AM to 08:00PM
Bxl Pump Park Tickets: Free
Bxl Pump Park Bike Rentals: Weekends &
Holidays only. Free of cost.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
GREEN BELT HIKING ROUTE AROUND BRUSSELS - PROMENADE VERTE
Promenade Verte literally translates to Green Promenade. This is a 60km
way-marked walking & biking trail that goes through some of the greenest
spaces along the border of the Brussels Capital Region. When I say green, I
mean, it actually goes via parts of Sonian Forest, through wooded areas,
through marshlands, through valleys & vegetation, via some farms &
some parks too.
While many adults go biking to cover the entire 60km stretch in a single
day, we did this in bits and pieces while carrying the bike on public
transport to get from home to the Promenade Verte. Since bikes cannot be
carried on the bus, we had to the portions of the Promenade Verte that are
connected by metro, tram, or train. While we've covered most of the path,
some portions of Anderlecht and Laeken are still pending, but I already know
my top 3 favorite parts of Promenade Verte.
The first part is the Woluwe Valley. This is where I first came to know of
Promenade Verte while playing at Le Mat playground and I saw the way-marking
boards of the path, got online, and found it. So on our first walk on the
Promenade Verte, I took the tram to Tram Museum (STIB MIVB T44) and then
took the short walk to reach Le Mat and started walking on the way-marked
trail (after spending time playing there of course). Atyudarini was on her
bike while I walked beside her. Our next stop was Plaine de Jeu Parc Malou -
La Terrasse Enchantée, one of the best playgrounds in Brussels, complete
with a zipline. In the same Parc Malou, there is something very interesting
- Moulin de Lindekemale (Lindekemale Watermill). It is currently
defunct but it was fun for Atyudarini to see what a traditional watermill
looked like. Going a bit further ahead we were at the Moulin à vent de
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Woluwe St.Lambert Windmill). It was quite something to
reach this point, riding through dirt tracks. Just beside the windmill,
there were some horses and Atyudarini had fun interacting with them. The
windmill was defunct too, but it was one picturesque landscape. Following
the way-marked trail, by the end of the day we were at the Roodebeek Park.
Again time for a playground and a bonus - this is one of the animal parks in
Brussels as well! 1km away is the Roodebeek metro and we went home. This was
the 8km trail from Tram Museum to Roodebeek Metro.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The second part is the Sonian Forest. For this, we took the tram to
Fort-Jaco (STIB MIVB T92). A short walk from there connected us to the part
of the way-marked trail into the Sonian Forest. This was absolutely
charming. Unlike Woluwe Valley, this trail was pretty flat. It was
never-ending stretches of straight dirt tracks for Atyudarini to ride her
bike. We deviated from the trail a bit to further explore the forest. Soon,
we were at Parc Tourney-Solvay followed by the banks for Boitsfort Ponds
(Etangs de Boitsfort), a beautiful place for birding in Brussels. At this
point, we were out of the woods (literally!) and were in the streets, but
soon we were back again in Sonian Forest. After a short walk, we were at
Parc Tenreuken and Parc Seny which also has a nice playground. Again, a
perfect wrap for Atyudarini. A very short walk from here is Hermann-Debroux.
This was a 9km trail from Fort-Jaco Tram to Hermann-Debroux Metro.
The third part is the Jette & Ganshoren Marshlands. This time, we
ditched Atyudarini's bike and got her to walk too. This was a shorter 5km
hike with Exposition Tram Stop (STIB MIVB T9) as the starting & ending
point. A short walk from there took us to the Jette Marshlands (Marais de
Jette), the only surviving protected marshlands within Brussels City limits.
There was a viewpoint here but it was locked up. We went ahead in the
way-marked trail. However at one point, it turns left to Ganshoren, but we
turned right to explore Laerbeek. We walked into the forest, were in
front of the picturesque Chalet du Laerbeek, and continued on the hiking
path behind, the Bois du Laerbeek (Laerbeek woodlands) and walked along the
border of Brussels and Flanders. After a while, we turned and got into the
deeper woods and that's where marshlands are. This place gets closed
whenever it's the mating season for the little creatures that live here!
Soon we were at the open space in front of Chalet du Laerbeek which is
perfect for a picnic and in front of it is a playground which is again, one
of the Top 10 playgrounds of Brussels!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
BOATING IN BRUSSELS - WATERBUS
While cruising in the canals may be one of the top things to do in Gent or top
things to do in Bruges, in Brussels, it doesn't really isn't a priority. But
here's the thing, boating is not only very much possible in Brussels, but also
much cheaper than there!!!
Here, in Brussels, like the River Bus of the London Metro, it is a part of
public transport and is called Waterbus! However, here, it requires a separate
ticket and is not a part of STIB. You can also carry your bike in the boat.
Waterbus starts from the heart of Brussels (close to Yser metro) on the
Brussels Canal and goes all the way to Vilvoorde via Docks Bruxsel! One fine
day we took this boat and went to Drie Fonteinen (the stop just before
Vilvoorde). As usual, we took Atyudarini's bike on the boat and went biking in
Domain Drie Fonteinen and returned by the same boat.
This boat operates only from May to October. Since it primarily serves the
school/office goers (imagine taking the boat every day and then biking to go
to the office/school. That sounds so nice!), it operates Monday to Friday only
and the last ride is early, around 5PM. During the summer holidays, it does
operate every day though, but same time. So, even if you miss the last ferry,
you can take the train back to Brussels from Vilvoorde.
This isn't a fancy boat ride; as mentioned earlier, more of a public
transport. But is super fun for kids to sit on the deck and watch the scenes.
Waterbus Brussels Canal Boat stops: via Waterbus.eu
When does Waterbus Brussels Canal Boat operate: May 01 to October 31
Waterbus Brussels Canal Tickets: €3.50 for one way and €7 for a return trip. €1 for the bike.
Waterbus Brussels Canal Boat Timetable: via Waterbus.eu
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for visiting...! Why not leave a comment.? And tell your friends..!!!
By commenting you accept to our GDPR Policy.