Nathalie Diot
Member for 5 years 5 months
Alone or with my family
Simplicity is the key
La Planche Farm
Walk relaxed, walk barefoot
5 mins OF ESCAPE
A barefoot nature walk to go back to our deepest roots... 4-year-old Samuel and his mum, yours truly, couldn't wait to try it but his father and Gabriel, his 7-year-old brother weren't so keen. But we're a curious family so we all tried the barefoot trail at La Planche farm in Gouvy. 3 km of mutual pleasure and a truly relaxing experience. Even with the children!
Acting naturally
There's no need to book for this nature experience. In summer, La Planche farm is open every day from 10 am. For the rest of the year, from April to November outside school holidays, weekends and bank holidays, it's best to phone ahead. But there's never a fixed closing time: "everyone walks at their own pace here," explains our very nice host, José Thiry, who's a farmer most of the time. "The trail can be completed in an hour and a quarter, but the record is 7 hours and 15 minutes!" Really? Can we really get lost for that long?
Sharing the passion and knowledge of country life
The warmest of welcomes for everyone
Well you might get lost in a daydream, but it's impossible to lose your way on the very well indicated path. There are three options: a green path for toddlers, a yellow path for children aged 4 and above, or an orange one with sections through water and mud. "I don't recommend doing this trail with young children," warns José Thiry. If necessary we'll split into two groups. The paths join up again anyway. Around us, families are resting or finishing their meal at the picnic tables. "You can eat on the way if you like, but don't leave any rubbish!" Everything is recycled here. The farm is organic and there are solar panels... Here they're great supporters of sustainable tourism.
An information panel with indications on how to behave depicts calves, cows and horses saying thank you for taking care of them and their ecosystem, as well as looking after ourselves. On our left, there's a covered area with benches where we can leave our shoes. A timber gateway marks the start of the trail. The adventure begins! While Samuel is still full of enthusiasm, Gabriel is dragging his feet, but only in the figurative sense because being barefoot forces you to walk properly. We step through the gateway into a different space-time dimension. We're welcomed by protective trees and authenticity is everywhere. For a few metres, we can feel natural corks under our feet. Then we step onto a timber path made of logs. The trail leads round the back of the farm where we meet the horses before continuing on a path of straw, then a sand dune!
An environment that's both protected and protective
One step at a time, Gabriel loosens up. Once at the dune, all's well that starts well. Both boys roll and slide, bursting with joy. Filip and I love this sensation of the hot grains of sand and instantly start dreaming about summer days at the beach. Not nostalgically, just with a feeling of wellbeing sparked by the mere sense of touch. To think this is only our first response to stimuli. After another twenty or so metres, the decor changes again.
We come to a strange little round door that promises lots of fun for the children. Further on there are other wooden doors, each leading to a new universe with a different ambience. They seem to offer a never-ending diversity of landscapes and sensations, yet it's all extremely simple.
A born-again family experience
Paths of bark, slate or stone, undergrowth, wood, grass, leaves, damp or dried vegetation... We make the most of it, spreading our toes. We linger at an attractive stone, massaging the arches of our feet on it. All our senses are sharpened. We watch where we're stepping, we listen to the silence, breathe the fresh air and feel the cool earth. We're mindful of our step and the sensations beneath our feet. Why don't we stop for a snack? The boys ignore the picnic tables and choose to sit instead on a rock overhanging a meadow full of grazing cows. In the shade of the trees, we enjoy this revitalising moment of authenticity.
Nature teeming with life underfoot
It's so quiet! Although we're not alone on the trail, there's so much space that it's unlikely we'll get in anyone's way! There's room for everyone to recharge their batteries and find that inner harmony. In bare feet we walk more slowly than usual and are more mindful of the surroundings and our sensations. The children continue to walk at a faster pace, it seems quite natural to them. They stay ahead all the time and their cries of joy give us prior warning of the surprises in store. That's strange, suddenly they're waiting for us. Because they're not too sure about the next encounter: a herd of grazing bullocks.
Magical encounters
More cries of joy from up ahead as the children come to a stream. Gabriel succumbs to the temptation to walk in the water and I follow, while Samuel and his father opt for the yellow trail instead. The virtuous water is invigorating. Then we come to a muddy section and a fallen treetrunk across the stream. Filip and Samuel are waiting for us. Another, incredible surprise. A herd of Alpaca cross the stream and come to meet us. Amazed, we stand rooted to the spot for a while. Just a few hundred metres to go, we're almost at the end of the trail. We wash our feet in the stream. None of us really want to put our shoes back on. We prolong the pleasure by stopping one last time in the shade of a wooden sculpture of a giant foot. We finish by feasting our senses on farm icecream and traditional beverages. This walk is delectable, from head to foot.
Try this experience
La Ferme de la planche
75 Montleban, B-6674 Gouvy
Tel: +32 (0)4 98 05 30 41
www.sentierpiedsnus.be
Location and offers of restaurants/accommodation « brand Ardenne » nearby
Walk relaxed, walk barefoot!