Belgium – Our Travel Blogs

24/05/201912/05/2020

Bike and Barge – Flanders Fields to Bruges

This entry is part 6 of 14 in the series 2019 Europe

We awoke to steady rain on Sunday morning and while we finished breakfast our bikes were loaded onto a trailer. We then boarded the bus for an hour drive to Ypres for our tour of the First World War battlefields and museums. With rain still falling, we were given the option to stay on the bus for the 35km circuit or ride. Along with 5 others we elected to take the bus as we don’t enjoy riding in the rain.

After arriving in Ypres, bikers took to their bikes and we all headed to the Flanders Fields Museum.We spent a couple of hours in the museum, hearing stories of the battles in this region.

We then boarded the bus and headed to Zonnebeke to visit the Passchendaele Museum with its recreated tunnels and trenches.

It was then a short trip to Tyne Cot cemetery, the largest Commonwealth War Graves site with nearly 12,000 graves.

Next stop was the German Langemarke Cemetery – the resting place of 44,000 Germans including 25,000 in a mass grave and 3000 school students who were given 6 weeks training and then sent to the front to die within weeks.

Our final stop of a very full day was Essex Farm cemetery where there is a memorial to John MacCrae who wrote the poem In Flanders Fields.

We then returned to Ypres for dinner (Flemish stew) before attending the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate which has occurred every night since 1928 at 8pm to honour the over 54000 soldiers whose names are inscribed on the arch and who have no known grave. The ceremony was held in England during the Second World War but has otherwise run uninterrupted for 91 years.

We all returned to the barge at Kortrijk by bus and fell into bed after a long day. Burt and the crew had an early start to get the barge to Machelen so we could do our final ride to Bruges. The headwinds were not as bad as expected and we enjoyed a nice final day through forests and quiet country roads.

Morning tea stop appreciated in the cold weather

We arrived in Bruges at the same time as the Quo Vadis, so we left our bikes and gear and headed into the old town. We wandered around the old streets and visited the Saint Salvator Cathedral which had been closed for renovations last trip.

Our final nights dinner was a great 4 course meal put together by Agnes and Franko. Shayne entertained us all with a song he had composed describing our adventure and all too soon it was off to bed to get ready for leaving the Quo Vadis the next morning. It was a memorable trip – great companions, informative guides and masterful crew. A wonderful start to our time in Europe.

19/05/201912/05/2020

Bike and Barge – Middleburg to Ghent to Kortrijk (almost)

This entry is part 5 of 14 in the series 2019 Europe

Friday, 17 May to Saturday, 18 May 2019

At 0615 Burt fired up the engines and we waited for the bridge to lift so we could travel up the canal to the port of Vlissingen.

Here we left the barge to board a ferry across the inlet to Breskens. We had a headwind for the first 5 km and we started to appreciate how good we have had it the last week.

Bikes still rule – deck for bike storage on the ferry

Conditions improved when we left the coast and cycled along more country roads.

Morning tea was at IJzendijke and lunch at Phillipine. We had a long conversation with a local lady in Dutch and French. Unfortunately we understood very little of what was said but she seemed happy to talk to us regardless.

We then cycled across the border to Sas van Ghent in Belgium where we boarded the barge and motored to Ghent.

After dinner, Captain Burt suggested we go into town to visit a bar that had 500 beers. If you order a yard glass then one of your shoes is taken to make sure you don’t souvenir the glass.

We had a good night and took in the lights of town as the sky darkened. Spectacular.

On Saturday morning, we headed back to Ghent where we had the morning to look around. We visited St Baaf’s Cathedral and viewed the 15th century triptych Mystic Lamb by the van Eyck brothers.

After morning tea we headed off and cycled 48kms to Machelen. This was along the canals and passed many very impressive private residences.

Unfortunately our group was late back to the barge for the sail to Kortrijk and the lock was closed! We then had to backtrack to find a mooring for the night (not very picturesque I’m afraid)

10/05/201721/09/2017

Tournai to Arleux

This entry is part 13 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Another beautiful day that started with a breakfast cruise to Montagne du Nord where we alighted and started a slow ride towards our destination of Arleux.

The Zwaantje had to take a longer route so we needed a slow day to give them time to arrive. We started by cycling back to the Belgian/French border for a group photo.

We then set off on bike paths not quite up to those in Belgium but pretty none the less. We were soon stripping off layers of clothes in the sunshine.

We had morning tea at Saint Amand des Eaux and lunch beside the canal.

After lunch the route was on roads which I and many others did not enjoy as much due to the traffic.

Even with our dawdling we still arrived in Arleux an hour before Zwaantje so had a drink in the local pub where David practised his French. The barge finally arrived at 5.45 with us all looking forward to a hot shower and early night after a long day.

Route of today’s ride Montagne du Nord to Arleux – 51km

09/05/201721/09/2017

Oudenaarde to Tournai

This entry is part 12 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We awoke to bright sunshine and headed off about 9am. We were quickly onto a nice path that ran beside the canal. We spent most of the day on these paths with the occasional diversion into a town for morning tea or lunch.

It was also much warmer and our guide Fred was soon back into sandals without the socks.

We arrived in Tournai about 2.30 and spent 2 hours wandering around and seeing the sights. We watched a short video at the Tourist Information which explained about the various conquerors of Tournai over the last 2000 years – Romans, French, English, Dutch, Spanish and Germans.

A climb up the 257 steps to the top of belfry finished our day before we headed back to the barge which was moored right next to the last remaining part of the medieval wall that circled the city – the Pont des Trous. It was such a nice evening we had a drink on the top deck before dinner for the first time.

Route of today’s ride – Oudenaarde to Tournai – 44 kms

08/05/201721/09/2017

Ghent to Oudenaarde

This entry is part 11 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Another interesting day in the saddle. 48km over mostly bike tracks again although today it was a bit more “off road”. Asphalt, concrete, cobbles, gravel and dirt were all encountered. We had some rain today, drizzle actually, just enough to make it feel a bit colder. Our guide, Fred, gave us our first stop after only about 15 km at the small village of Melle. We went to a small barber’s shop that had added a bar and cafe.

The toilet was decorated like the flag of the USA! For some it was the first beer of the day at 10am. A great spot but my tea this time turned out to be black currant!

From here we cycled through some lovely countryside seeing horses, cows, deer and 1 pheasant. Fred did not know this area well but managed to find a pub that would let us eat our packed lunches if we bought a drink.

I have given up on tea so settled for soup – packet chicken but hot and tasty.

The last stretch saw more drizzle but we arrive in Oudenaarde for the final stop at Liefmans brewery where I tried their lasted brew called Yellow which came with ice. Made from pineapple and lemon, it tasted more like cider but was very refreshing.

After this, Warren and I left the group for a quick visit of the Tour of Flanders museum, the famous one day race that finishes in this town.

Some of the winners bikes – got to admire the early winners with little technology

Warren also bought a bike skull cap to keep his head warm. Looks like it is going to be cold for a few days yet.

Route of today’s ride – Ghent to Oudenaarde – 49 kms

07/05/201721/09/2017

Bruges to Ghent

This entry is part 10 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Day 1 of our cycling began with overcast skies and a temperature of about 10 degrees.

It was an easy 53 km though on flat roads with a nice tailwind all day. We had 3 falls, Paula, Kate and Barbara but luckily no serious injuries. We arrived at Ghent early afternoon and Fred took us to a small chapel beside St Baaf’s cathedral that was built in 942. The church was huge after the confined chapel and we marvelled at the money that must have been required to decorate the interior.

The crypt underneath the church was from the 12th century. We then went for a walk around the old town and visited the castle which had fabulous views over the town.

Trams running through the town were a stark contrast to the old buildings.

Route of today’s ride – Bruges to Ghent – 53km

05/05/201721/09/2017

Bike and Barge tour on MPS Zwaantje

This entry is part 9 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We joined the crew of the Zwaantje at 4pm and were shown our cabin for the next 2 weeks, cabin 12. Captain Martijn introduced the rest of the crew, wife Marjorie (boss), engineer Michael, chef Keith, hostess Nadine and guide Fred.

Also on board was mascot Gaston, a friendly King Charles mix. There are 20 cyclists on the tour, 6 Australians (including friends David and Jenny Boxer), 10 Americans and 4 Canadians. Our cabin is small but has an ensuite and comfy double bed.

05/05/201710/07/2017

Beautiful Bruges, Belgium

This entry is part 8 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We were looking forward to our time in Bruges as everyone we had met who had been here loved it. Of course, sometimes you can be disappointed after such a build up, but this was not the case with Bruges.

We had 3 days to explore and we started with a free walking tour of the old town. This gave us an overview of the main sights and museums and a brief history of this well preserved medieval town.

The golden era for Bruges was during the 12th to 15th centuries when trade flourished and the resultant wealth was used to build many impressive churches and buildings. Around 1500, the channel to the sea started silting up and trade declined. Lack of money meant that many of the old buildings and churches were not renovated and retained their original features. Bruges survived both World Wars with little damage so by the second half of the 20th century, restoration of many buildings led to a surge in tourism.

Bruges is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the North”. There are canals around the old town as well as several through the town.

After the walking tour we purchased a 3 day Bruges Museum pass and started with a trip to the City Hall built in 1376. Highlight was the Gothic Hall with its late 19th century murals and impressive vaulted ceiling.

Mechanism that controls the ringing of the 47 bells

The movie “In Bruges” featured the Belfort which is 83m tall and contains an impressive clockwork mechanism and a carillion with 47 bells.

This belfry was added to the market square around 1240 and housed the archives and served as a watchtower for fire or other dangers.

The Groeningemuseum provides a history of Belgian art and masterpieces from the Flemish Primitives including Jan van Eyck. They were in stark contrast to some of the modern art also on display.

The Church of Our Lady has a 115m high brick tower and a valuable art collection that includes Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child.

The Chapel of the Holy Blood was built in the 12th century and houses a relic brought back from the crusades that is said to be the blood of Jesus. There is a Procession of the relic on Ascension Day each year. The reliquary used for the procession was made in 1617 from 30kg of gold and silver and more than 100 precious stones.

We also did an evening walking tour that finished at a small local pub. Another great guide who expanded on the history of the town. The lights on the buildings at night made for some beautiful photos.

One different experience was a visit to the Historium which features a story of life in Bruges in medieval times. You travel from set to set and view films as the story unfolds. We finished our visit here with a Virtual Reality experience that included a flyover of the old town.

Bruges has narrow streets but few cars are allowed in the centre so walking the streets is enjoyable. There are lots of tourists but no one was trying to sell us a selfie stick. It definitely was as beautiful as we had heard.