Wordless Wednesday: Leaves Of Fall

The Spiders Of Belgium

A Cross spider, one of many
Belgian varieties

I've been absolutely loving the fall weather we've been experiencing over the past few weeks. Cool mornings are giving way to warm and mostly sunny afternoons. The days are noticeably shorter with sunrise coming long after we get up and sunset occurring before I can even get dinner on the table. While the leaves lack the vibrant colors of New England autumns, they are slowing turning to shades of red and yellow. I'm loving all aspects of Belgian fall except for one: the spiders. Yes spiders.

I had been hearing complaints from fellow Americans here in Belgium about the plethora of seasonal bugs that inevitably invade their homes but I figured these creepy creatures appeared because these houses were located in more rural parts of the area and were surrounded by farms and fields. I figured that by living in the city center we were safe. But alas, that is unfortunately not the case. We too have been invaded by spiders and I don't like it at all.

These spiders are literally everywhere. I first noticed them in the high corners of a few rooms in the house. They were mostly the Daddy Long legged variety that I had grown up with and appeared to be limiting the building of their webs near the air vents leading to the outside of the house. I would sweep them away only to have them return the next day but they were essentially harmless and with our high ceilings, didn't really bother me. But then they began appearing in our large windows. These were larger spiders, often sporting huge egg sacs, but fortunately they spun their webs outside of the house rather than inside. But then I realized that they were not just hanging out in our windows; they were extending their webs to our climbing rose bushes and other shrubs. And they are all connected, meaning our small yard has become a booby trap of spider silk. These spiders move fast too; on more than one occasion I've discovered newly spun webs being built on top of my fresh laundry. But it gets better since I've gotten caught in more than one web because I didn't see the fine silk strung before me. Now I don't like spiders but for the most part I can abide by these. But getting the silk stuck all over me is a whole different story. Its horrible.

So I've been doing my research on spiders here in Belgium and have discovered that there are over 700 different species of spiders in Belgium. Fortunately, none of them are really venomous but that doesn't make me like them any more. Fall is apparently the season when spiders hatch their egg sacs so apparently it is only going to get worse before it gets better. I also found out that spiders are a common topic to blog about in Belgium. In fact, there are numerous blogs discussing this very topic. Again this doesn't really make me feel that much better but at least I am not alone.

Now I know spiders are good since they eat other bugs. And we don't have other noticeable bugs....maybe because we have all of these spiders? Or maybe not. I've been told that spiders don't like peppermint oil and spraying a little in the vicinity of their webs is a non-toxic method for getting rid of them. Of course I couldn't find any peppermint oil in the local markets--maybe because everyone else has already bought it? So I've ordered some from trusty old Amazon.com and am now anxiously awaiting its arrival. In the meantime I'm staring down the big old spider hanging out in my window and have tasked Glenn with clearing the webs from the backyard before our company arrives this evening. Perhaps the spiders will simply move on for the winter on their own. But I will now be prepared for the next time they return because just like rain in Belgium the spiders always return.

All About Apples

Nothing says autumn more than apples. When fresh local apples start popping up in the markets I know that fall is really here. When we were in Normandy last month apples and apple products were everywhere. Although I had a hard time accepting the fact that apples were ready--I mean, after all it was still August and to me, August is still summer---I thoroughly enjoyed the apple products I sampled. In most restaurants hard apple cider was more readily available than beer and I found myself enjoying its fresh, crisp taste. Normandy cider is less sweet than American versions and is very easy to drink. Mussels Normandie, with the shellfish being steamed in apple cider, was also popular and very tasty. And of course there is Calvados, that distinctive apple brandy that the Normandy region of France is known for. Our weekend in Normandy got me thinking about apples and wondering when they would be ready in Belgium. The answer, is now.

 Growing up we always had apple trees in our backyard so there was never any need to go apple picking at an orchard. Later in college we would pile into cars and go apple picking at a near by orchard. Never mind that we all lived in a dormitory and had no need for copious amounts of fruit. It was more about the tradition of picking apples in the cool New England air each fall. When we lived in Albania we may have been able to pick pomegranates, lemons and Mandarin oranges in our yard but no apples. When asked, Sidney would tell me that apples came from the store. So I loved the fact that this past weekend we were able to take Sidney to the source and introduce him to the fall tradition of picking apples.

Apples that even Sidney could reach

And boy was he excited. Following rough directions and the memory of what we thought was the location we found on Google maps (a large apple orchard is actually quite easy to spot when looking at the area from a bird's eye view), we made our way to the rural village of Henripont. Set along a canal, the village itself was quaint and once we entered the village proper all we had to do was follow the red, hand painted apple signs in order to reach our destination. In typical Belgian form it began to mist when we arrived but that didn't deter us. (The orchard actually has a supply of rubber galoshes that apple pickers can borrow if they like). And unlike the apple orchards of my childhood, these trees were were small with the fruit being low to the ground meaning that even the smallest of apple harvesters could actively participate in the process.

Look Mom! We have apples

Using Google translate and very broken French to communicate we were given the lay of the land, handed a wagon and off we went to pick our own apples. There were several varieties of apples to choose from with all of the trees being heavily laden with fruit. Sidney did most of the picking, carefully selecting the fruit then placing it in our bag on the wagon. Prior to arriving we had cautioned ourselves that we wouldn't pick too many apples and we stayed true to the promise. Sidney wanted to pick more but we told him we would come back again. If you don't feel like picking your own fruit you can buy it pre-picked. They also sell pears, plums and squashes as well as apples for cider or sauce. And their freshly made apple cider? Be sure to buy a bottle or two. We'd go back again just for the cider.

So now that I have apples what are we going to do with all of them? We're eating them of course and I'm doing a lot of cooking. If you have apples on hand why not try apple speculoos bars, apple spice carrot muffins, apple cinnamon scones or apple skillet cake? Or if you want to go savory try apple Dijon pork saute or an apple and cheddar bread pudding. As you can see, we like apples in our house.

Apples for as far as the eye could see

If you go:

Culture Fruitiere du Point du Jour
7090 Henripont (Braine-Le-Comte), Belgium
067 55 22 64
Open every day except Thursdays in September and October, weekends in November
Bring your own bags or boxes as the orchard does not provide them
Prices for pick your own apples start at 1 Euro / kilogram; 1.50 Euro / kilogram for pre-picked

Follow the apple signs or because GPS coordinates may be the most helpful:

Lat    50 36' 10" N
Long 004 11' 03" E

Autumn Cometh Early?

When you move as often as we go, it is often difficult to determine what is "normal" on the weather front. When you move from one continent to another or one climate zone to another (from the Mediterranean to a country bordering the North Sea for example) it is even more difficult. I had been warned that Belgian weather wouldn't be what I was used to; the hot and sunny days of Albania would be a thing of the distant past while cool and cloudy with lots of rain would be my present and future. But how do you really know what to expect? Well, I've learned to expect the unexpected.

I tend to judge weather by the clothing I wear; the warmer the weather the fewer and lighter the layers. It was on Sidney's final day of school at the end of June that it really dawned on me what Belgian weather was like. Why? Because I was wearing the exact same outfit, complete with number of layers and a jacket, that I wore on his first day of school back in February. I kid you not. If we had been back in Albania or even the United States I would have been slathered in sunscreen and wearing a light dress. Instead I was wearing jeans, a long sleeve sweater and a raincoat. I found myself wondering whether summer would ever make an appearance.

But she did. On July 3rd to be exact. We were hosting a cookout at our house and it was hot. Up until that moment I hadn't wished for air conditioning, but on that steamy afternoon I was ruing the fact that Belgian houses didn't have any cooling units. But not to worry; July 4th broke to the cool and cloudy weather I had grown accustomed to. That week we wore two sweaters and windbreakers while visiting a North Sea beach. So much for my Belgian summer......

In anticipation for our trip back the the US I broke out my summer clothes and packed my suitcase with  the light and airy summer clothes I hadn't seen since last fall in Albania. And I needed them; southern Virginia in July is hot and steamy. Everyone there said it wasn't as hot as usual (whatever that means; my body had long since forgotten) but to me it was hot. Unbearably hot at first but then I adjusted and welcomed the heat. I enjoyed being able to once again wear those long forgotten clothes. But then I flew back to Belgium.

It was cool when we returned with the weather feeling decidedly fall like. Cool crisp mornings with warm but not hot days. I thought it was a fluke but one fallish day turned into two then three and four. I was once again wearing cozy sweaters and fleece and thinking about making stews and baking with pumpkins. These are definitely fall trends for me and I found myself checking the calendar to make sure I wasn't missing a month. Yes indeed it still the middle of August but here in Belgium Mother Nature is saying otherwise.

I've talked to other people here in Belgium and they have only confirmed what I am now suspecting; summer is over and we are settling in for a long drawn out fall. As we prepare for school to start once again it actually feels like those new back to school clothes can be worn without over heating. The days are getting significantly shorter; the 23.00 sunsets of July are now 20.45 August sunsets. But I'm not going to complain. I'm a New England girl at heart and love my autumns. They are one of the things I missed the most while we were living in the Mediterranean. Sure the days are shorter but I'm a fan of sweaters and cozy clothing. We have a new fire pit that will make these cool dark evenings enjoyable. I love the hearty foods of autumn and look forward to cranking up my oven again. Perhaps this year we will be able to go apple picking, find a pumpkin patch and carve jack-o-lanterns for the first time in years. Yes, I love fall and I'm looking forward to enjoying it for the first time in years. And if it comes a month (or two, three or even four) earlier than I have grown accustomed to, so be it. That just means there is more time to have fun. And I intend to!

Welcome Autumn

The weather has finally turned cooler here in Tirana and I dare say that autumn is upon us.  Sure it warms up by mid day but the mornings and evenings are decidedly chilly.  We finally broke down last night and turned on the heat in a few rooms and will be digging out the space heater for our bathroom today. (The bathrooms in our Albanian house are all unheated which makes for some bone tingling showers in the morning).  It is now sweater weather so I've been breaking out all of my woolen items from their summer hibernation and thoughts are turning to the months to come.  I've turned the oven back on and have baking treats and cooking up a storm making the fall comfort foods I my body seems to be craving.  Yes folks, fall is definitely upon us. 

 

Camden, Maine in autumn

Autumn is actually my favorite season and there really is nothing like autumn in New England.  Because of this, fall is also the time of year I am the most homesick since I have great fall memories of growing up in New England.   As a child an annual fall chore in our household was cleaning up our tree filled yard.  My brother and I turned this chore into a game by jumping into the piles of crisp leaves for hours on end. Even today, while I'm unlikely to jump into piles of leaves, it is hard to resist the urge to give them a kick or two as I pass by.  In college, the Pioneer Valley was always a colorful mecca for leaf peepers** from all over the world.  The colors were undoubtedly beautiful and Mount Holyoke celebrated with the ultimate autumn event.   "Mountain Day", was a much anticipated day off from classes where the entire campus got out and enjoyed all that autumn in New England has to offer.  Some of my fondest college memories include eating Atkins cider donuts at the Summit House atop Mt. Holyoke. Mountain Day 2013 was this past week but even from half a world away I paused to take in the changing seasons and long for a cider donut or two.

Mount Holyoke in all its autumn glory

The Connecticut River

While I have yet to find foliage that even compares to the brightly colored hues of a New England fall, regardless of where we are in the world, the crispness of the autumn air is always the same.  Living in southern Virginia the changes were subtle but they were there none the less and with the large oak trees anchoring our property, the raking of leaves continued to be an autumn tradition.  The leaves aren't as colorful here in Albania; in fact, here in Tirana leaves tend to turn brown and whither on the trees before falling to the ground.  But fall is definitely in the air and no matter where I am currently calling home, I love this season.

**As defined by me:  Leaf peeper:  One who travels specifically to take in fall foliage.