{"id":6790,"date":"2013-11-05T22:06:52","date_gmt":"2013-11-05T22:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=6790"},"modified":"2018-11-16T11:32:12","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T11:32:12","slug":"mycology-musings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/mycology-musings\/","title":{"rendered":"Mycology Musings – Weltwald"},"content":{"rendered":"

The weekend before last was just stunning.\u00a0\u00a0 Unseasonably high temperatures tempted even the grumpiest of us (I had a chest infection thing, and the Small People having just broken up for half term just wanted to laze) out into the great outdoors to make the most of it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This time we ventured to the other side of Freising, to the beautiful (and slightly tamed) wilderness that is Weltwald<\/a>.\u00a0 Set in over 80 Hectares of Kranzberg Forest, it’s easy to while away the hours in Nature’s company whilst surrounded by trees from all corners of the globe.<\/p>\n

It’s hard not to notice the amazing array of mushrooms and toadstools too, they have been incredible this year.\u00a0\u00a0 If you go down to the woods today, it’s doubtful you will find any bears having picnics (unless of course you’ve been eating mushrooms of a questionable variety), but far more likely that you will find instead many a Munchener armed with\u00a0 small wicker baskets that are more often than not filled to the brim with countless specimens of beautiful funghi.\u00a0 This quite often leaves me filled to the brim with an odd mix of both jealousy and\u00a0 respect.\u00a0 Jealousy that they are likely to be having the freshest foraged dinner ever that evening, respect that they actually know what they are looking for, and then that they are brave enough to eat them!…<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom\"<\/p>\n

And as the day wore on, the more diverse it became.\u00a0 From the close inspection of a large gathering of grasshoppers (a birthday party according to the 6 Year Old!), observations of the surfaces of giant ant hills that seemed to move and swirl in all directions.\u00a0 Discovering a pair of Giant’s binoculars, and the thorough analysis of the leaves of specimens we had first admired during our summer travels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Woods\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And of course trees made for climbing, and sticks made for wielding (no surprises there then!)…<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0160\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then, in the midst of a clearing (and almost straight out of folklore), we found the tiny immaculate (and thoroughly beautiful) forest church of St Clemens<\/a> with its rows of outdoor pews, and a carpet of autumn leaves.\u00a0\u00a0 A sacred spot from ancient times, it is open to the faithful just twice a year (one of those dates being Christmas Day), and might just be tended to by fairy folk at all other times…<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0146\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And the best bit about the whole day (apart from the beautiful sunshine)?\u00a0 The fact that the two Small People that hadn’t wanted to do anything much, now didn’t actually want to leave. \u00a0 We will be back…<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0187\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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