A few days ago I decided to go out for a walk and discover some new places in Umeå (Sweden). I was really curious about a forest so I made it my destination for that day.
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| This is the Forest I choose for my little adventure |
When I left home I had no idea what would await me in my so carefully planned morning walk. The sun was shining and everything was lovely. I checked the roads leading to the forest and was set to go. Ready and confident that I will have no problems whatsoever and would be home for lunch, I packed my camera and went out the door listening to music and enjoying the lovely sun. The path I had chosen to go by in the forest was not that hard to fin, and after 4 songs (15 minutes) I was standing in front of the entrance.
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| I use Google maps to show you where exactly it was....now there is no green...just white white snow :D |
I was really exited to be there. It seemed however that I was not alone. There were a lot of people, either walking their dogs or skiing. That forest has a lot ski paths and also tiny paths between the trees. It was like a little wonderland. Birds were singing and the bright and warm sunlight made you forget that it was actually still winter, it made you immune to the minus degrees, so you just had to loose the hat and gloves that were keeping you imprisoned. I followed the straight clear path that you can see in the first picture. As soon as I entered I wanted to take some pictures to capture this amazing moment. Assuming that the snow cannot be of no harm I stepped to my left towards the green army of trees to get a better shot at them and zboom...I was knee deep in snow :)))
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| This was taken as lay there with my right foot deep in snow =) |
I took some pictures and returned to the "right" path and thus going further. I kept looking at the amazingly tall trees and how majestic they looked. My green soldiers. Pictures were taken now and then but I mostly wanted to enjoy the outdoors after I have been trapped inside for so long because of my studies...
While I was slowly walking on my white path I noticed something weirdly shaped on my right side. I went closer and stood underneath a tree looking at it. It was the remains of a tree I believe, it looked just like a nature made statue so obviously I had to take a picture of it.
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| My Friend, my Saviour |
Now, why would I call it my saviour? Soon, I will come to that part of the story. For now I kept on walking and came soon to the end of the wide white road. It was then that I decided to head towards a much smaller path that went south from where I was. I continued on that road, not fearing anything. I was even slightly exited that I might encounter some interesting wild animal. After a while I decided to stop listening to music and just listen to the forest sounds, for it had been a while since I encountered some human beings and was now happy to embrace the whole beauty of my surroundings. I came to a sort of bridge, but because of the snow and ice thing, I was too scared to go over it. I only climbed on one side but when I looked down at the other side, I decided not to go down, cause the only safe way would have been to slide it down. =) I turned back and while I was heading back I observed a tiny path between the trees. So I went that way, head in the trees and heart wide open!. I kept on going like this until I came to a place where there were less trees and several other wider (ski) paths.
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| Wicked place where all went crazy! |
Confident and proud I managed to come this far and not get lost I decided to go a little further and then head back home for lunch time, a little sad though, that I had not encountered any wild animals. I saw a little boy and his dog come out from between the trees and naturally I was curious about where they came from and went to see. I crossed that wide place and in I went, inside the wide arms of nature. The path was not that long and I soon heard cars rushing along the street and decided to turn back since I was not interested in anything city related. While heading back I picked up some little souvenir from the forest and was ready to go home. Amazed by the bright sun and snow I stood there in that opening and was happy. After while I headed down the road I thought I came from....it was then after going up and down on it that I realised that I did not remember where exactly I came out from...Oh well I said, it must be this way! So I went with one of the ski paths, that sadly lead my right to the city. Okay, so I decided to go along the forest until I reached the point where I went inside it. And so I kept on walking along the street, still calm and patient hoping that soon I will see some street name that I knew?! I went like that for 4-5 songs (20 minutes or less) until turned right and I still had no clue where I was, so I went to one of the maps along the several forest entries and looked for the street I was on. Oh how my eyes fell out of my face when I saw where I was =))
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| The Green Star was where I cam in and wanted to go from the wicked place...but I ended where the red Star was... |
Okay, no need to panic... I went back inside the forest, this time not stopping to take pictures. I managed somehow to come back to the wicked place by walking on small paths but then, I faced the same problem again, where to from here? I choose another path, this time hoping it was the right one. Sadly while walking on it, with no humans to ask for directions I realised that it was again the wrong one =) I was heading now somewhere in this area:
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| Big Circle of Mine |
Okay all seemed lost... sort of, but I kept on hoping to come across one of the ski paths and maybe see some people and ask then how to get to the other part of the forest. No such thing happened, at least not for a while...and thus I kept on walking between the trees and snow piles when suddenly I noticed something odd on my left side. At first it seemed like two pair of legs and a behind of some animal. But it was too far away to be sure. I continued, slowly, just in case it was an animal, searching for a better view of it. It then appeared more clearly since there were no trees hiding it. It was a deer! And oh how sweet it was!. It was looking back at me with as much curiosity as I was looking at it. I grabbed my camera and tried to capture this moment. Sadly it was too far away and I had no time to adjust the settings to fit the light, since I was too scared it might get away. This is how this dreamy like picture came to exist:
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| Dreams |
But hey, it's something! Soon after that I was not scared any more and I continued on my path to find my way back home. After while I came to a ski path, with people on it but I did not ask them, I just followed them... then after a while we came to a cross road and I as well as a lady with her child turned left and it was then, after walking for some time that I recognised something! It was my dear friend, the weird looking tree thing, but from behind! I rushed towards the main road and was so happy that I finally found my way back. All this time while walking towards the main road and out of the forest I was listening to a song from a Korean Drama, called Secret garden (thus the name of this adventure) After I stepped out of it, it switched to Nightwish's Last Ride of the day and as I was walking downhill towards home, surrounded by little water rivers caused by the melting of the snow i was gliding on the sweet sounds of Lana's Video Games...
And thus my dear friends, I enjoyed a lovely adventurous morning and was right in time for lunch at home ^_^
