Cycling Belgium-Holland 2017

Bike trip is as much about the travel as it is to arrive anywhere. You see things vacationing by bike quite differently from by car or train. It's not simply about the physical exertion and speed of travel. In a car or train, you are a passive observer, in comfort, behind the window, quite detached from the scenery as if they are just flashing images with no sound or smell. On a bike, you are in contact with it all. You are in the scene - be part of it and moving through it. Or my favourite part, to stop (better still able to go back!) and take it all in. But I can imagine how the weather could wreck this ideal scenario and turn it into a bit of a misery..... Montage of 7 days ride log taken from Strava

Saturday 26 August. Cloudy start. Dry. Hard to believe that a week has passed so quickly but grateful that the weather couldn't have been any more kind to me. Quite a few places to visit in Bruges before checking out of this Airbnb and heading towards the ferry port. I have been telling people it's a tough 500km trip but Strava says I've done 521km and there's still 90km to go! Itinerary: Minnewaterpark-> Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna and Child) -> Basilica of the Holy Blood -> The Duvel bar in Historium Bruges called Duvelorium Grand Beer Café (which I didn't make).  

Friday 25 Aug . Another fine morning having breakfast on the sunny terrace next to the town hall Stadhuis.

I'm sorry no riding today.  Preparing spiritually for the next 100km south westerly ride into the wind.  Stroll and eat day. But first the more boring business of laundry.  

Probably the longest ride this year but I couldn't resist first riding into Antwerp Central Station and ended up riding around the zoo as well. It was just a lovely sunny day.

Relatively shorter day by today's standard (gosh last year 64km was the longest day:).

First of all gutted that I missed the the Broel Tower in Kortrijk (as I was riding out of Kortrijk) after getting the Begijnhof stuck in my head from talking to my host Jan and Hilde. You know how your mind suddenly got switched to a new thing and forgets the rest? Anyway they were wonderful host and it was a wonderful house that must be a treasure trove for their grand children. Her paintings are nice and her jam - ah shame I forgot to sample. Jan is a Scottish tour guide and a Kortrijk river boat tour captain. Lovely couple that enjoys a good life.

Arrived at Hilde's place in Kortrijk 7:45pm. Always delighted to complete a day safely. Never cycled 100km before and definitely not ideal after waking up at 4am, two hours drive (120 miles to Dover) and after 2 hour ferry (to Dunkerque).

Here's the big picture (Google map link:  https://goo.gl/maps/zqrAWvMmnwT2 ): Dunkirk Sat Aug19 - 8am ferry 8:00 (BST) - 11:00 (CET) Lunch in Dunkirk? 12:30-16:00 cycling to Ypres (64km, 3.5hr ride @20km/h) Ypres Cloth hall + cathedral, Menin Gate, 16:00-17:30 sightseeing Ypres 17:30-18:30 Dinner Ypres 18:30-20:00 Kortrijk (30km, 1.5hr) Kortrijk  Sat Aug19 68km to (via Oudenaarde) 3hr and 3 climbs (80m, 70m, 80m) Ghent   Sun Aug20 Castle Gravensteen ,  St Bavo ,  St Michael Bridge ,  Belfry and Cloth Hall (night)  Graslei , or 67km (Google) to or 64.6km (Google via Waasmunster)  https://goo.gl/maps/aDYb4JKftT12 64.0km (Strava) to Antwerp  Mon Aug21 Market , 104km! to Rotterdam Tue Aug22 Rotterdam Wed Aug23 100km to Middelburg Thu Aug24 10km to ferry  https://www.westerscheldeferry.nl/ 35km to Bruges Bruges Fri Aug25 50km to Veurne Veurne to Dunkirk (40km) Dunkirk Ferry o...