Namur region: Instameet and Geocaching

28.10.2016

On Saturday 1 October, my family and I set off with a high dose of curiosity to the Namur region, in particular Florée (in the Assesse region) and Wépion, to take part in the first Instameet organised by the Tourist Office of the Namur Region. #impaysdenamur2016

Also on the agenda during this inaugural Instameet was a Geocaching event, so we had our first taste of this new kind of treasure hunt! Basically, it was a super day organised by our two friends in the Namur Region and their fantastic trainee whom I would like to warmly thank for this discovery and brilliant initiative! Your involvement and good spirit ensured that it was a thrilling day…

But firstly, have you heard about Instameet? It's not very well-known yet in Belgium, but it's the latest thing. I think that whoever said social networks keep people chained to their computer screens at home, chatting away, will be happy to be proved wrong, because social networks are so much more than that! Social networks make it possible to create communities and bring people together! An #instameet consists of bringing fans of Instagram together to enjoy a day full of meetings, exchanges, sharing, etc., in a specific place where everyone can take original photos!

In addition to this novel activity, the Tourist Office organised a #geocaching event in the towns of Florée and Wépion. This is another new trend which I wasn't familiar with, but I really wanted to find out more. How about you, are you curious? Geocaching is an activity which has already existed on the other side of the Atlantic for over a decade. It is basically a huge treasure hunt played via a smartphone app, and of course using your GPS positioning! It's a bit like Pokemon GO... and just as exciting.

We set off early for a super family day out in the sunshine. We spent the morning enjoying a 4km walk through the village of Florée, which you can find in the walking routes suggested by the Tourist Office, followed by a geocaching session and a visit to the local sawmill. It was an absolute joy and a wonderful discovery for the kids! Suffice to say that they had a fine time!

After a hearty picnic and a crash course in Geocaching by the ardent fans of this hobby, we headed to Wépion for another walk, another geocaching session, and a visit to the Strawberry Museum. Wépion strawberries are a source of pride.

It was a busy day, but just how I like it, meeting lots of lovely people! We are fortunate to have such a beautiful little region full of charm and wonderful landscapes, so let's take care of it!