Sunday morning at Renier Chalon playground

Oh my God, time has flown..... Since the last post I went back to work full time, went on our yearly family trip to Argentina and back, and have been so busy and generally feeling like a mad-chicken that I have neglected Brussels with Kids more than intended. So here I am, trying to get back on track.

On Sunday mornings, we typically go for breakfast at our coffee place of choice and then, weather permiting, go for a little walk. A couple of weeks ago, we headed to the nearby Plaine Renier Chalon, so that Bibu and Pingu could stretch their legs. Renier Chalon is one of the biggest playgrounds in Ixelles and certainly one of the best kept.

It consists of a huge sandy playground with climbing structures for grown-up kids and a separate area for toddlers (which was under renovation when we were there), a basketball field and a mini-football field. The toilets are clean and well maintained, with a nappy-changing table. There is only one entrance, which is importante in terms of safety.

But one of the best discoveries we made on our visit was the indoor play area for babies and toddlers (0 to 3 years) next to the basketball field. It is called "La Margelle" and it is open on Mondays from 14:30 to 17:30 and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 09:00 to 12:00. La Margelle was closed when we where there, but it looked well appointed, full of nice soft toys and books. Definitely a great idea, specially when the weather is not great.

Escape to Parc Tenbosch (Ixelles)

So, what do you do when, suddenly, both your children are at home during school holidays (the baby one and also the one you counted on being at the quite expensive hockey one-week stage you signed him up for but that he emphatically refused to go to after three days ?

Well, if you live in the Ixelles/ Uccle area, you escape to Parc Tenbosch for a spot of pic-nic. Obviously.

It's the yummy mummy park par-excellence here in Brussels, I think. Today, though, not a mummy and baby yoga class in sight. It was all very quiet and peaceful. All the loungers were empty, so Bibu and I settled and proceeded to attack our picnic sandwiches while baby Pingu proceeded to attack us (and steal some bites of my sandwich, after having eaten his own appropriate warm baby-meal)

As usual, picnics with two boys tend to last about 6 minutes, just long enough for Bibu to scoff his food as fast as he can and declare that he is ready to go to the playground. So there we went, wallking along the brick road, past the romantic, beautiful wooden benches:

And into the strange red wood chip playground

Parc Tenbosch is incredibly beautiful, definitely one of my favourite parks in the cityl. It's small, but big enough to house a couple of gated playgrounds (the woodchip one and one which is just a sandpit), a tennis, a petanque and a basquetball field, plus all the nice benches and greenery galore. The only thing missing is a toilet, preferably with a nappy changing station. Many other less nice parks in the area have toilets, so it's baffling why such a well maintained park doesn't.

That, and a nice coffee place just across the street is what would make Tenbosch the über-park. In the meantime, though, not to be missed. Boys and mamma very pleased with the bit of fresh air.