Wild boars can be dangerous. Actual attacks on humans are rare, but can be serious, resulting in multiple penetrating injuries to the lower part of the body. --Wikipedia
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| A wild boar in Spandau Forest. |
Whoops! I guess Mark Twain was right when he wrote: "All you need in life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure."
Had I read the above Wikipedia article before setting out on my Sunday run through Spandau Forest, I may have climbed a tree when a young wild boar came up to meet me, but instead, my ignorance gave me the chance to have an up close encounter with an adorable, and remarkably friendly, wild animal.
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| A farmer with his pigs. |
About 9km into my run, I stopped to snack on a Cliff Bar. I unwrapped the bar, put the wrapper back in my bag, and started eating. Someone else nearby was hungry, and decided to see if I was willing to share. I broke him off a piece of the bar and he gobbled it up.
I did not know pigs liked oatmeal raisin. I gave him a few more bites, waved goodbye, and continued on my run. I was hoping we'd be running pals, but he had business in the west and I was headed east. That's life.
I continued on for a few more kilometers and found a farmer with his pigs. He was petrified (punny?), but that did not stop me from taking a selfie.
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| 11km in and out of breath. |
A large portion of the Berlin Wall ran through this forest, and there's a trail dedicated to the path, along with markers for where folks were murdered as they tried to cross over from one side to the other. I need to look into this more, and may run the Wall trail before I'm done here.
At the end, I've added a few more pictures from the forest. It's a gorgeous spot, and you're as close to nature as I've found in a city of this size. The Germans have an interesting way of living with nature – there's a respect for the environment around and within the city, and that's quite appealing.
I'll be going back to Spandau and the nearby Tegeler Forst for some more excursions.
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Some images from Spandau Forest
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| Part of the forest borders a small lake / river |
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| Looking out on the field where part of the Berlin Wall used to be. |
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| There are many small footpaths through the woods. |
Lovely pictures. I've never been there.
ReplyDeleteBTW, as I was riding my bike to meet the group at the Reichstag, a fox crossed my path and scampered into the Tiergarten. Smack in the middle of the city. There is now all kinds of wildlife in Berlin.
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