One thing I did noticed doing this was, that we have only been to Belgium on our own and never with other members of the family
16th June 2003
We leave Épernay on the N51 to Reims, then round Reims on the A4 and A26. We then follow the A26 to the A2 and on into Belgium where the road name changes to the A7.
The last part of the trip from Épernay on the A7 was uneventful, until we went to go into a service area but took a wrong turn and ended up at a large supermarket, saved us having to look for one. The van was only half full of beer so we needed more. In the supermarket I could not concentrate to work out the prising system, so we went for some food from the slowest, fast food restaurant in the world, a McDonalds. Back in the shop I soon fathomed out their pricing system, and found many new beers, also some buy so many pack and get free glass offers. Was supposed to get cigs for a friend but defiantly could not work that one out.
 | Camping Druivenland Overijse Nijvelsebaan 80, B-3090 OVERIJSE Web Site |
The site is in the back of beyond and was just about empty of tourers, so we had the choice of anywhere in the field.
I asked at reception if there was a bar or restaurant near by and was given directions to the village. I set off on the bike to see if it was in walking distance, well I never did find a village with a bar or restaurant and gave up. We managed to trip the electrics (hairdryer & kettle) for first time but as the site was empty, I just swapped to another outlet and it was a long walk to reception. We spent our last night drinking in the van and although it had been very hot during the day, the evening was rather cold.
I wish I could say more about the area but we weren't there long and there was nothing to photo.
Day seventeen 10th July 2005
Travelled into Belgium from Saint-Quentin in France, we took the A26 from Saint-Quentin towards Arras then there onto the A1 for Lille. As we approached the turning we needed at Lille the GPS went off and during the mad panic to get it back on we where already on the wrong road, the A25 towards Dunkerque. We take the first turning off and end up in a trading estate (I seen to remember doing something very similar in Spain in 2003 but this time it is my fault for not remembering the route and just relying on the GPS). After restarting the computer and getting the GPS back on we are not lost anymore and head around the western side of Lille to the A22 via the N352, instead of the east side as was the plan. As we pass into Belgium A22 changes name to the A14 we turn off the A14 onto the A17 and then the A10 to the site.
Missed the turning off the A17 for the A10 and head straight into Bruges instead of heading for the campsite, had to go down a side street and do a U turn to get back on the right road.
 | Jabbeke Klein Strand Varsenareweg 29 - 8490 Jabbeke Web Site |
On arrival at the site in Jabbeke we park up and head over to reception, only to be informed that there is no room on the site if we have not booked but to drive over to the other part of the site where there is and ask at reception there. I think the first reception was mainly for holiday homes, static caravans, chalets etc and the second one for tourers.
The site is about 7 miles 11K from the centre of Bruges and the intention was to use the scooter to go to and from the city for sightseeing but as it was so hot and the site so nice and we did not really have enough time to do it, so we didn't (its not like we will not be back, as we certainly will but with more time for sightseeing).
The site has a lake with a sandy beach (when we were there they were constructing another lake which I believe is now being used, see site website), a large tea room, shop, Chinese restaurant and many sports facilities, also a good bar and takeaway on the real campsite. On the Sunday when we arrived there was, a market on the site selling clothes, shoes, toys, etc, and there was also a water skiing demonstration, no wonder we never got into Bruges.
Day eighteen 11th July 2005
Another glorious day, had a walk into town, found a supermarket (we will stock up with beer and wine there tomorrow), then had a lazy day on site.
Day nineteen 12th July 2005
Off home today but the plan was to drive to the sea, then north following the coast to Zeebrugge, for the ferry in the evening. But first we had to get more beer to take home, so we headed to the supermarket we had found the day before. Last time we stocked up in Belgium, I could not get my head round the beer pricing system (see Belgium 2003), so this time I got someone to explain it to me, it turns out that if you buy by crate (Krat), you pay a deposit on the crate, refundable when it is returned, simple. I had intended to take plenty of steak hachés back with us but as we are in Belgium and not in France anymore they've got none, should have stocked up in France. Anyway I got a lot of beer but at the checkout my debit card wouldn't work, also they wouldn't accept my Visa or MasterCard and the queue for the till was getting longer and longer. Eventually my purchases were put to one side and a very red me was given directions to a ATM back near the campsite. At the ATM I found the problem was I had no money in my debit account and I had to use my Visa to get cash. On the way back I met Dot walking towards me, she was so embarrassed she had left the shop, anyway all well that ends well, I got my beer in the end.
We get back on the A10 straight to the coast, then turned right onto the N34 north along the coast towards Zeebrugge. The first place we stop is De Haan, we park up at the side of the road and walk back into the town and have chips and mayonnaise, a Belgium speciality, there are chip shops all over the town centre but to tell the truth, we must have picked the worst one, they were repeating on me all day.
De Haan is a very nice place, although we did not see it at its best, it was cold and overcast, what a change from yesterday. The sea front has long clean golden beaches with windbreaks and a very smart promenade with shops and restaurants. A tram system seems to run along the coast from Ostend to Zeebrugge but I am not sure it runs the full length (looked here and it does Tramway ).
We parked up on the side of the road on the outskirts alongside the tramway and next to the place where they do sand sculptures. The beach between Blankenberge and Zeebrugge is partitioned off with windbreaks, made out of twigs and despite the weather there were people using them.
Before long though it was off the the ferry and home.
Day fourteen 16th June 2007
When we got up and opened the blinds, every other tourer had gone, we where on our own, that made us the only target for the zombies or witches or aliens or whatever else was on the site (did I mention that, in the bar the day before, through the smoke, I think I saw Mulder and Scully).
First stop diesel, then dropped in to the booze warehouse and bought that much, we were given four rather nice complimentary bier glasses. Back in the van though, I found €12.00 on the bill that I couldn't account for (had they charged me for the glasses?), I went back in to ask about it and it was the deposit on all the bottles of course.
Now off to Bruges, we have been meaning to visit of years and never got round to it, so it was time to make amends. Turned right out of the Booze place, onto the N6 and within yards we are in Belgium on the N4. Took the second on the left (looking at the map now, could have taken the first), narrow road that didn't look like it was going to the motorway but in the end it did. On the A4 to Brussels ring road, round to the north and off on to the A10, this looks simple. Well as we got on the ring road the havens opened and you couldn't see a thing, thankfully most of the traffic slowed to a crawl, we missed our exit, we were looking for signs to Bruges but should have been looking for Gent and Ostend. We turned round and headed back to the right turning, we now had the right exit number, but I still got it wrong, there was another exit alongside the one we needed and I took that one. Wherever it was we ended up, I luckily could do a sort of U turn and get back to the road we actually needed, the A10 all the way to exit 9 onto the N50 on the outskirts of Bruges. We followed the N50 to the R30 Bruges ring road (we actually we went through the village of Oostkamp that we should have gone round on the N50) to the N9 and then followed the signs to the site.
The note on the reception door said to find a pitch and come back to back tomorrow morning. I had my wifi card for the lap top with me and this site was supposed to have a free wireless internet connection, so I had to check. I had a key ring that detects these things, so I clicked it and sure enough a strong signal, I had checked every other site we had been to but all without success.
 |
Bruges
Camping Memling
Veltemweg 109, 8310 Brugge
|
After we drove round and picked a pitch, I checked again but got no signal so I had a walk round the site and the only place with any signal was reception but there was a room to sit in, complete with a computer for you to use free. It had been the site bar once upon a time and I think I would have preferred that myself, the internet it good to have but it doesn't compare with beer.
The hard standing pitches are not very large, in fact they are small but the people that have end ones get more room, well not more room but no one can pitch next to you on one side. There is one left and we decide to move, only another motorhome is up by reception, so we have to be quick to pack up and move (bit like in Koblenz at the start of the holiday).
Its getting late but Dot wants to go into Bruges, I thought we would just leave it until tomorrow but we have been talking to the couple next to use and worked out where the bus goes from, the number 11, next to a small bar (that gets me interested), so off we go, right out of the site the opposite way to where we came in. At the end of the road I haven't been listening properly and turn the the wrong way back onto the main road (this make sense to me if you want a bus). There is a bus stop opposite with two locals sat in so we wander over and ask if this bus goes into the centre, "yes" is the reply so we wait. Reading time table there is no mention of the No11 and the two locals get up and into a taxi, not a good sign. We decide to walk towards the town to the next stop, on the way I ask in a shop about the bus and we have been at the wrong stop on the wrong route and we are directed to the right place. This is getting too hard to describe so I will try to do a map,
We should have been at bus stop A but I had stupidly turned left and headed to the Useless bus stop before eventually ending up back on the right bus route at bus stop B, the only good thing about this was we now knew where the supermarkets where. The bus actually goes off the top of the map from B and then circles round to A, before heading to the town centre. The driver was very helpful and pointed out to us when we got to A, that this was the best stop for the campsite, later he also pointed out where to get off in the town centre. When we did get off I asked the driver, if this was the bus to get back, the answer was yes up until 20:00 but after then we would have to get one of three other numbers to get back , too complicated for me. By now the time was getting on and as we had two more days to explore we decided to have a quick look round and get the last No11 back to the bar close to the site.
After a walk round, we check back at the bus stop we were dropped at and find that is not where the No11 stops (as the bus we got off pulled away it had changed to the No3 and this is presumably why it was the wrong stop) the actual stop was just off the main square (I found out by asking another bus driver). At this point it started to rain, so we headed over to the right bus stop as the next No11 was due but the 19:20 bus didn't show and we assumed it had gone early. Luckily we could shelter from the rain in a shop doorway close to the bus stop, the 19:40 bus was also a no show and we were beginning to worry, at about ten to eight I asked the driver of another bus about the No11 and was assured it was on its way. The 20:00 (the last No11) also didn't turn up, at five past eight I stopped the No16 and again asked the driver about the No11 and again was assured it was on its way. I explained that three had not appeared and that the last one should have been here five minutes ago, he thought for a moment and said "get on I will take you". This driver deserves a medal, he finished his own route and then took us to the gates of the campsite (didn't like to tell him we wanted to be at the bar, thought that may be a bit cheeky). One moan I have is the No11 is a circular route and the tickets are valid for one hour, if we had got the bus we went for it would have been free, as it was we had to pay for this door to door service, although I think it was worth it to see the looks on the other campers faces as we pulled up.
And the reason for No11 bus no shows, there was a triathlon taking place and the fun run part of it, around the outskirts of the old town, had caused massive traffic jams all around the ring road, making it virtually impossible to get in or out of the centre, luckily the No16 driver managed to get us through it somehow.
We did walk back to the bar, where we met two other couples from the site and had a few different Belgian wheat beers with them, the locals on the other hand were drinking Bass.
Day fifteen 17th June 2007
After a morning shower I went to reception to check in and pay up front, €67.50 total, thats €22.50 per night, then off to the internet room and sent a few emails and checked the weather of the next few days (weather not that good).
Then we set off to walk into town instead of getting the bus, its not as far as I thought and we were there in about 20 mins. It was dinner time by the time we got there, so we stopped at the first chip shop we came to, a place was on a map for young visitors, that I had picked up at reception. We ordered set menu No2 (I think), burger and chips with mayonnaise, had to wait a bit, as everything was cooked to order. As I was eating, I though I had a bit of gristle in my burger but it was one of my front teeth had broken in half, not painful (it was a cap) but it put me off my food.
It was a bit of a gray day and a bit on the cold side but there were some good spells of sunshine, we spent the day walking round sightseeing and window shopping. Later as we got tired, we were deciding where to have a sit down and a drink, when we were just outside this tiny bar, so we wandered over and sat outside. It had a wonderful selection of beers and the food being served looked very good as well, the shame is we haven't got the name of the place (do now, Cafe Terrastje) but we do have photos. We did have to move inside for a second drink as it started to rain.
After the rest, and the rain stopped, we continued with our tour but not for too long as we were getting tired, this prompted us to decided on the bus for the return journey, so we headed in the general direction of the bus stop. Back in the main square (or what we assume was the main square), a street performer was just packing away all his gear, why do I mention this you may ask, well it will all become apparent later on.
Back to where the bus leaves but it was too early to be going back to the site so we looked for somewhere to have a drink. Well there were a couple of bars just opposite the bus stop so that makes it a no-brainer. The first one has wonderful views over the canal and as you would expect in Bruges, wonderful beers as well, Dot orders a Bell Vue Kriek and I settle for a Duvel. From our seats outside the bar we have a good view of the tour boats passing, dot wants to go on a boat trip but I don't.
The bar is actually a hotel and a couple of large BMW motorcycles pull in to the courtyard we are sat in, to book in for the night, soon after another eight or so BMW's show up as well. Soon the courtyard is getting full of parked motorcycles and the staff are starting to looked worried, staff from the other restaurants and bars around the courtyard are also looking concerned. I hear the leader of the motorcyclists being asked to move the bikes to an underground car park near by and used by the hotel, but I can tell they have no intention of moving them. Later (after another drink), when the bikers reappear, changed for the night, I discover (by asking) that they were a group on a customers day out from a London BMW dealership and were off back home tomorrow. They hadn't moved the bikes before we got the bus back to the site.
Back on the street, next to the hotel is a shop proclaiming to be the largest beer shop in the world (don't think it was, our local Tesco has more beer), anyway it had a bar so we popped in and it too had good views over the canal but not the same selection of beer on offer as next door had.
Back on site there is a rather old LDV van parked next to us, it has been partly converted for use as a motorhome (it has a mattress in the back) but not that much has been done to it and has a wooden replacement for window in one side. Anyway to cut a very long story short, it belongs to a very young Australian couple, over in Europe doing street theatre, we had just missed there performance in the main square. We help them by charging their mobile phones for them they have all of the wrong adapters. Story is they got this van free from a bloke in Germany and all they have to do in return is get it MOTed back in the UK and take it back, sounded like it was going to be expensive to me.
Had drinks outside the van with a couple who had just done up an old Hymer, he was a bit worried that it was a bit old fashioned but it looked good to me, I think it was because he was next to a brand new Geist, that looked amazing. I have since come across two of these new silver Geists broken down by the side of the road.
Day sixteen 18th June 2007
The plan was to go back into town, have a walk round following the canal/river and then a visit the Bruges Zot brewery. First I went down to reception to find the closest dentist, they were very helpful and even drew me a map of how to get there but in the end, as it wasn't hurting, I didn't bother, I just looked daft.
Walked in to town again, through the town gates along by the river passed the windmills and then anticlockwise around the town following the canal.
Stopped off for a while on the river to watch the road lift to let a pleasure cruiser pass through. We spent the majority of the day just enjoying the views along the canal, it is much quieter away from the bars and shops.
Stopped off in the centre for a bite to eat and also took some time in the shops getting a few presents like Belgian chocolates. We had a wander round an art exhibition just off the main square, very modern and I liked it a lot, not sure what Dot thought though.
By the time we got to the brewery it was late in the afternoon, just too late for the last tour, so we consoled ourselves a drink in their bar, anyway we can always do the tour next time we are here, probably as soon next year.
We made our way back to the area of the bars we had been in the day before only this time the other way round (we were coming down the street the other way), the largest beer shop in the world at least had a draught beer on this time. Next it was back at the hotel courtyard from yesterday, all of the motorcycles had now gone and we had a drink at another of the hotel bars in there, it was advertising 125 different beers but of course they didn't have them, only about seven at any one time. The barman recommended a beer with a hoppy taste, so I ended up the hoppiest beer ever, enough hops to last me for a while anyway.
Not really wanting another one of them we headed off for something to eat but the cafe/bar we went in on the canal had stopped serving, so we had a beer and decided we would head back to the van and that I would cook.
The bus was on time. As we got ready to get off at our usual stop, we noticed that the stop before ours was outside the Carrefour supermarket so we quickly hoped off there. The plan now was to get bread and something to go with it for a quick meal and we did just that but on the way out we noticed the cafe was serving a three course special. We didn't quite understand what the offer was but a very helpful waitress led us through it, so we got that and a couple of beers. We could use the stuff we had bought for a picnic on our drive to the ferry tomorrow. The food was good and cheap, so good we thought we would come back for lunch tomorrow, this would set us up for out travels home, we where intending to come back over for beer stocks and with our empties anyway.
No problem with the bus tonight, we got off at the bar we had used last night but it wasn't open, we did however get something to eat from the chip shop opposite. Just before the bus stopped to let us off, I though I spotted the American couple with bicycles we had seen on the campsite Kehl Germany a few day ago. They where on the main road next to the useless bus stop, so I popped round the corner to offer advice but there as no sign of them, very strange.
Had drinks outside the van with a couple who had just done up an old Hymer, he was a bit worried that it was a bit old fashioned but it looked good to me, I think it was because he was next to a brand new Geist, that looked amazing. I have since come across two of these new silver Geists broken down by the side of the road.
Day sixteen 18th June 2007
The plan was to go back into town, have a walk round following the canal/river and then a visit the Bruges Zot brewery. First I went down to reception to find the closest dentist, they were very helpful and even drew me a map of how to get there but in the end, as it wasn't hurting, I didn't bother, I just looked daft.
Walked in to town again, through the town gates along by the river passed the windmills and then anticlockwise around the town following the canal.
Stopped off for a while on the river to watch the road lift to let a pleasure cruiser pass through. We spent the majority of the day just enjoying the views along the canal, it is much quieter away from the bars and shops.
Stopped off in the centre for a bite to eat and also took some time in the shops getting a few presents like Belgian chocolates. We had a wander round an art exhibition just off the main square, very modern and I liked it a lot, not sure what Dot thought though.
By the time we got to the brewery it was late in the afternoon, just too late for the last tour, so we consoled ourselves a drink in their bar, anyway we can always do the tour next time we are here, probably as soon next year.
The bus was on time. As we got ready to get off at our usual stop, we noticed that the stop before ours was outside the Carrefour supermarket so we quickly hoped off there. The plan now was to get bread and something to go with it for a quick meal and we did just that but on the way out we noticed the cafe was serving a three course special. We didn't quite understand what the offer was but a very helpful waitress led us through it, so we got that and a couple of beers. We could use the stuff we had bought for a picnic on our drive to the ferry tomorrow. The food was good and cheap, so good we thought we would come back for lunch tomorrow, this would set us up for out travels home, we where intending to come back over for beer stocks and with our empties anyway.
Day seventeen 19th June 2007
By the time we had packed up there was just time to do a bit of shopping in the Carrefour before lunch, first we had to recycle all our bottles, as we had in Bad Liebenzell Germany. Like there, we had to stick the empty bottles in a hole in the wall and get a chit back for redemption a the till, only there was nowhere near the same amount of deposit here. It was hardly worth the bother. We got our shopping (beer) and went for the meal, only without the help of the waitress, we got the wrong things and it cost us twice as much (only certain things included in the offer), don't get me wrong though, it was still a cheap meal. One odd thing though, the lasagne tasted different, Dot suggested that it might be chicken but no, not chicken, it turned out to be salmon (never heard of it before, perhaps we should get out more).
Next we parked up further down the road in-between Lidl and Aldi and got more beer and wine and Dot got herself, a self inflating travel pillow (2011 and we are still using it). When we came out of the Aldi I spotted the American couple again, I couldn't resist asking if they had ridden all the way from Germany, they hadn't they had put their bikes on the train and they had also stopped in the occasional hotel or hostel along the way, not just the tiny tent. And the explanation for how they had disappeared a couple of nights before, they had popped into the Carrefour for an evening meal, just like we had yesterday.
The final thing before we left Bruges for the coast and ferry home, was to fill up with diesel. Then it was back out of town onto the A10 for the coast, then the N34 which goes all the way to Zeebrugge, but please note, this is not the quick way to Zeebrugge but the way to go if you want to spend a day by the coast. Another thing to note, is that the N34 is very good for parking up the van by the coast.
Our intention was to stop in De Haan for a seaside walk and then at a supermarket in Blankenberge for the final beer shop. If you look at Belgium 2005 we did the same thing then, so we know where we are going and what we are doing, so there was no stress on out last day. In fact I find travelling via Zeebrugge particularly stress free compared to some other ports.
In De Haan we parked up by the side of the main road just outside town and walked the very short distance to the tram station, about 100 yards. Then is was just a short walk down to the sea front, beach and long promenade.
Before too long though, it was time to continue with our journey, finish our shopping and get ourselves to the ferry. We had a look round a few shops and got a couple of things on the way back to the van and then set of for some serious beer shopping in the supermarket, on the outskirts of Blankenberge.
I prefer this type of beer shopping to the so called hypermarkets around the Calais area and for good beers the cost is just as good in this type of ordinary supermarket. I must add that is just my opinion and I may be wrong but the choice of beer was not that good last time I used one in Calais. Then again all it depends on what you want, if you want beer you usually get at home cheap, then Calais is ok, I you want something different, that would cost you a fortune at home, then ordinary supermarkets are the thing to do.
Did it, got more than I wanted and was very pleased, even got some chocolate and wine. Last thing to do in Belgium was to queue in the sun for the ferry.
Cabin was not as good as on the boat out, still an outside cabins but with bunks, and the entertainment was possibly worse. So it was back into the quieter piano lounge.
This is going to sound terrible but I even bought beer and wine from duty free, not like we didn't already have enough but they were special offers.
Day twenty-three 23rd June 2008This is going to sound terrible but I even bought beer and wine from duty free, not like we didn't already have enough but they were special offers.
Mick and Bren are off for the ferry home and we are heading to Ghent in Belgium, unfortunately only for one night and not the three we had originally planned.
To get to Belgium and Ghent we had to head back towards Compiègne on the N31 to get onto the A1 north as far as Lille. We then took the A27 to the A17 and A14 for Ghent, this bypassed Lille as we did not know what the roads there would be like. The GPS took us off the A14 early but the road it took us on (the N60) was straight to the R4 anyway, we turned off onto the N466 then followed campsite signs
Ghent
Camping Blaarmeersen
Zuiderlaan 12, 9000 Gent
Booked in and got a hardstanding pitch (needed my passport to book in, fist time for years), the site was very waterlogged, it looked like there had been a lot of rain around here. Could not find the electrics for ages it was in the bushes and took two leads to reach, the sockets were numbered a throwback to the days when the electricity was metered (as most sites we visited last year).
Went back over reception to find out about the busses to the town centre, they leave from outside the site every half hour and the cheapest way to get tickets, was from the machine at the bus stop. You get off the bus outside Mcdonalds in the centre of town and the bus back is from the opposite side if the road. We were in the centre for 14:30 so we had plenty of time for a good look round and it was nice and sunny and hot, which was lucky as in our rush to get there we had not taken warm cloths, umbrellas yes but no coats.
On arrival in the town centre we were a bit peckish, so I suggested that we walk around, find a chip shop or van and just get chips and mayonnaise, we are in Belgium after all.
Well we walked round the whole town centre for an hour and a half and didn't find one, by this time we were famished, so we got a chicken baguette each and sat in a square to eat them.
They were very good and as we were sat close to a small bar we popped in for some beers to wash them down (we had Dentergems Wit, Haacht Witbier & Orval).
After the nice refreshing beers, we continued our rest our feet by taking one of the many boat trips, the one we chose would drop us back off at a bar with dozens of different beers. The boat trip was very informative and had some great views, I took loads of photos, especially of the many bridges we passed under.
At the end of the tour we didn't have a drink, but continued with our walk, we only had one day to see all of Ghent centre and we could have a drink latter. We walked towards the river and passed where the confluence of the rivers Scheldt and Lys used to be, before it was blocked off when canals were built but there are plans to reopen this old channel.
It was a gorgeous day for walking in the sun but the heat does take its toll and we needed a sit and a drink eventually. We were lucky and managed to get a seat on the busy terrace of the Bierhuis, on the banks of the river Leie.
The choice of beer was amazing but I knew what I wanted, a Kwak, with the special glass and holder. Dot had a Blanche De Bruxelles and thankfully it does not taste of what the picture on the label implies.
Suitably refreshed, we walked back along the river, eventually found a frits and mayo seller and had to have some. Then it was back into another bar on the river for another couple of beers, a Ename and another Haacht, Witbier.
After this we went up on to the bridge to get the often seen photo of Ghent but I left it too late, the sun had gone down too far and the wind had started to ripple the river, oh well, always next year. By now dot was getting cold, as I mentioned before, in our rush to get there we had not taken warm cloths, so went to get the bus back to the campsite. We had just missed one, so popped into the bar opposite, just to keep warm you understand. As we were there we had a beer anyway, the beer we got was a Belgian White from the USA, didn't expect that.
Back at the site we had something to eat and as it was still early, we walked back over to the site bar but even though it was early, it was about to close. We did manage to have one drink though, Dot had a Bruges and I had a Maes, just because I hadn't had one before and I will not be having one again.
Day twenty-four 24th June 2008
Shame but this morning we had to leave and head to the ferry and home but we did have all day to visit Bruges. Straight onto the N466 to the A10 and off towards Bruges, missed the turning we wanted into Bruges and wasted time getting back to where we wanted to be. We parked up a the Carrefour we used last year, we intended to have lunch there but in the end just bought the ingredients for sandwiches, and lots of beer. Next, also like last year, we parked up further down the road in-between Lidl and Aldi and got more beer and wine.
Then we parked up on the ring road and walked in to the centre, through he Kruispoort (Cross city gate), for the rest of the afternoon.
Once settled in on the ferry I went on deck to take photos in the port, then back in the cabin, we watched a film on the laptop, had sandwiches and beers before going to the bar for the rest of the evening.
Day sixteen 21st June 2009
Leaving France today and heading into Belgium, back to Bruges to be precise, we set off about seven, but I had problems getting the van into gear. We eventually got going but on the causeway, the clutch just wouldn't work and I had to pull over. We got the warning triangles out and Dot placed them front and rear of the van, while I looked under the bonnet (hood), I don't remember if we used the hi-vis vests. This was not good, we had 360 miles to travel and seemingly no clutch, I was wishing we hadn't got out of the car park, as there was plenty of help back there from other motorhome owners. Before I set off back to see if I could get help, I had a quick look under the dashboard at the peddles (looking for snapped cables, or something) and the clutch peddle was flat on the floor. I lifted it up and down a couple of times and it became firm and started working again, I don't know if it was a trapped cable or a stuck automatic adjuster but it was back to normal and has been ever since.
So it was back on the road, followed the way we came, back out to the D456 and north, to the D875 and A84. At Caen we took the southern part of the ring road to the A13 then left onto the A29, then A28 to the A16 into Belgium where the road name changes to the A18. We followed the A18 to a right onto the A10 and then N973 into Bruges.
Turned right onto the ring road the R30 and round to the N9, then followed the signs to the site, although we did know the way. Only one small mistake getting on the ring road, at a set of lights, I got in the lane for straight on instead of turn right, but I thought it would be ok to turn right anyway. Do you know how scary it is, to turn right at the light and have two lanes of traffic coming towards you.
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Bruges
Camping Memling
Veltemweg 109, 8310 Brugge
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checked, in parked up and walked into town all before six o'clock, the first thing we did there, was to have a beer in Charlie Rockets on Hoogstraat.
After the beer we continued to the main square, where we got chips from one of the vendors below the belfry tower (Belfort). A tip if you do the same is, when you ask for mayo or ketchup or whatever, ask for just one squirt, or your chips will be swimming in the the usual amount they put on. I had to throw away the last bit away as the chips were in about half an inch of ketchup.
We continued walking until I wanted to sit and have a beer, I was tired from the long drive and couldn't be bothered to do anything else. We went into the first bar we came to (De Kuppe on Kuipersstraat), a bar that clamed to have 100 different beers, I asked for the barman to recommend a beer and had the featured beer of the week, a Gentse Tripel, very nice After that we moved on and sat outside another bar (Bar Des Amis on Eiermarkt), for a Vedett Extra White but later moved inside as it was cooling down outside.
We took a roundabout way back to the campsite following one of the canals and admiring the evening views and reflections, we even stopped for another beer before leaving the centre (it was really for me to use the toilet), for the proper walk back.
As we got close to the campsite we could hear a brass band playing in the distance, I bet Dot that they would be on our site, they were. A German band, all parked close together in matching motorhomes, were playing oompah music and drawing quite a large crowd to watch them. I just hoped it didn't go on for too long, to me its like bagpipe music, you either love it or hate it and it is not for me. They stopped about 11.
Day seventeen 22nd June 2009
Woken by a lone bugler at about eight, very considerate of him, by the time I got ready and went for my shower the band was already gone and the womenfolk with them were having their breakfast in peace.
We got into town about twelve, I did have to walk part of the way back when I remembered we had forgotten the spear batteries for the camera. We had also popped into Aldi to check out the beer and got food for lunch while we were there. As it was dinnertime and as we now had a picnic with us, we walked along the canal until we found a nice spot for us to sit and have it.
The spot we found was at a canal T junction, next to the vertical lift pedestrian bridge, a great place for watching the boats passing by. Where we sat, at what looked like it had once been the site of a swing bridge, anyway it was a nice sheltered place for our lunch.
After lunch we turned right and followed the canal into town along Predikherenrei, a walk we had not done before, it was very pretty and very quiet. When we came to another T junction in the canal system, we followed the canal to the left along Groenerei, all the time taking photos of the canal and bridges as we went.
Then, we did something we have been trying to do for three years, yes today, we eventually went on one of the canal trips. We did get to see bits of Bruges centre we hadn't see before and I took too many photos but I will only post a few here.
After the boat ride dot had an ice-cream and we had a sit in one of the old squares surrounded by pretty old building and watched the world go by.
Then it was time for a beer, we went into B-café, at the rear of 2be Foodshopping Brugge, it was not open the previous night and we thought it must have closed down but there you go, it was open and had been improved. Gone were the stacks of beer grates, replaced by glass cases full of beer bottles and matching classes, a very nice display. Anyway back to the beer, I got the worst beer I have had in my entire life and I am going to have a rant about it, so here goes.
Rodenbach is horrible beer, very sour and vinegary, not nice at all, it tastes like Cameron's Strongarm when the barrel has gone off, why produce a beer that you can not tell if it is off or not. I have been drinking beer for 42 years and did not know there was such a thing as Sour Ale, it must be an acquired taste but one the majority of us will never get, the sour, acidic taste made my throat sore but I did finish it.
Luckily they did have plenty of good, nice beers to take the nasty, nasty taste away, so I had a couple of them to take the taste away. We moved from the canal side, as the breeze was quite cool, and moved into the courtyard next to the beer displays, where the sun was shining and it was much warmer.
By now it was time for food, we set off walking towards a part of town we hadn't walked before (seen from the boat) and popped into a cafe offering beef stew and chips as the days special. We had it with a bottle of Bruggs and although the food was basic, it was very good and very cheap.
We continued walking to Wijngaardplein, the place where the horses from the many horse carriage rides go to rest and have a drink. There was a gated community there (Begijnhof Van Brugge), a square surrounded by houses around a green, I think it was a religious place but no photos were allowed so we did not go in. There was also a silence please sign in there but, there were car parked all around inside, what did they do, push them in.
After another walk we got money form an ATM and went for a drink to a the nice bar, Cafe 't Klein Venetië, I did look for a bar we had been to before, Cafe Terrastje, but could not find it. We had a couple of beers there before the walk back, it was our last night in Belgium before the over night ferry back to England tomorrow.
As we got close to the campsite we could hear a brass band playing in the distance, I bet Dot that they would be on our site, they were. A German band, all parked close together in matching motorhomes, were playing oompah music and drawing quite a large crowd to watch them. I just hoped it didn't go on for too long, to me its like bagpipe music, you either love it or hate it and it is not for me. They stopped about 11.
Day seventeen 22nd June 2009
Woken by a lone bugler at about eight, very considerate of him, by the time I got ready and went for my shower the band was already gone and the womenfolk with them were having their breakfast in peace.
We got into town about twelve, I did have to walk part of the way back when I remembered we had forgotten the spear batteries for the camera. We had also popped into Aldi to check out the beer and got food for lunch while we were there. As it was dinnertime and as we now had a picnic with us, we walked along the canal until we found a nice spot for us to sit and have it.
The spot we found was at a canal T junction, next to the vertical lift pedestrian bridge, a great place for watching the boats passing by. Where we sat, at what looked like it had once been the site of a swing bridge, anyway it was a nice sheltered place for our lunch.
After lunch we turned right and followed the canal into town along Predikherenrei, a walk we had not done before, it was very pretty and very quiet. When we came to another T junction in the canal system, we followed the canal to the left along Groenerei, all the time taking photos of the canal and bridges as we went.
Then, we did something we have been trying to do for three years, yes today, we eventually went on one of the canal trips. We did get to see bits of Bruges centre we hadn't see before and I took too many photos but I will only post a few here.
After the boat ride dot had an ice-cream and we had a sit in one of the old squares surrounded by pretty old building and watched the world go by.
Then it was time for a beer, we went into B-café, at the rear of 2be Foodshopping Brugge, it was not open the previous night and we thought it must have closed down but there you go, it was open and had been improved. Gone were the stacks of beer grates, replaced by glass cases full of beer bottles and matching classes, a very nice display. Anyway back to the beer, I got the worst beer I have had in my entire life and I am going to have a rant about it, so here goes.
Rodenbach is horrible beer, very sour and vinegary, not nice at all, it tastes like Cameron's Strongarm when the barrel has gone off, why produce a beer that you can not tell if it is off or not. I have been drinking beer for 42 years and did not know there was such a thing as Sour Ale, it must be an acquired taste but one the majority of us will never get, the sour, acidic taste made my throat sore but I did finish it.
Luckily they did have plenty of good, nice beers to take the nasty, nasty taste away, so I had a couple of them to take the taste away. We moved from the canal side, as the breeze was quite cool, and moved into the courtyard next to the beer displays, where the sun was shining and it was much warmer.
By now it was time for food, we set off walking towards a part of town we hadn't walked before (seen from the boat) and popped into a cafe offering beef stew and chips as the days special. We had it with a bottle of Bruggs and although the food was basic, it was very good and very cheap.
We continued walking to Wijngaardplein, the place where the horses from the many horse carriage rides go to rest and have a drink. There was a gated community there (Begijnhof Van Brugge), a square surrounded by houses around a green, I think it was a religious place but no photos were allowed so we did not go in. There was also a silence please sign in there but, there were car parked all around inside, what did they do, push them in.
After another walk we got money form an ATM and went for a drink to a the nice bar, Cafe 't Klein Venetië, I did look for a bar we had been to before, Cafe Terrastje, but could not find it. We had a couple of beers there before the walk back, it was our last night in Belgium before the over night ferry back to England tomorrow.
We got back to the site about 8, I was surprised that the Oompah band had gone.
Day eighteen 23rd June 2009
Dot got a shock on her way back from the showers, when the couple in the caravan adjacent to us asked her, if her name as Dot. Dot assumed that they had seen her in the shop back home and read her name tag but it was because, they had actually read this website. I was not sure anyone actually looked at it, I was impressed but Dot was embarrassed by it. Now here goes my useless memory for names again (see About us) but I think they were Roy and Ann from the Peterlee area of Durham (if you read this, please email me if I am wrong).
Same procedure as the last two years, packed up and drove to the four supermarkets on Maalse Steenweg (the N9), to stock up on unusual beers and some usual beers. First we went into the Carrefour where we met another couple doing the same as we were, we also met a rep from a brewery filling shelves, who did a very good job of selling his wares to us.
Next it was Delhaize where we also filled up with diesel, and met the same couple, like us buying more beer and coincidently, a big man stocking the shelves, heard me telling the couple how bad a beer was. And proclaimed, "what its the best beer in Belgium, its my favourite", so I thought I would give it another go and bought a four pack. Well he was wrong and I was wrong for listening to him, it is by far the worst beer in the whole world. Next we did Aldi and Lidl.
Then we set of for a day in Blankenberge, from the N9 we turned right on to the R30 ring road, anticlockwise to the N9 on the other side of Bruges and N31 to Zeebrugge. Where we tuned left onto the N34 and parked up on the side of the road just outside Blankenberge. We followed a path through the sand dunes and walked into Blankenberge along the beach, there was a bit of a breeze that made it feel cold in the open.
Blankenberge looked like many other English seaside resort, only in Belgium, it was also very busy for a Tuesday afternoon. There was a pier, beach huts, amusements, ice cream and a promenade, I liked it but Dot wasn't too sure, she preferred De Haan, where we usually go on our last day in Belgium. I do have to admit that De Haan is nice, smaller and less crowded though.
We walked along the promenade and here sheltered from the wind it was a lot warmer than the beach had been. Before we got to the far end of the promenade, we decided we should start to make our way back towards the van as it was getting late but we did have a quick look into town first. Then a quick hot walk back to the van and straight to the port about a mile away.
On the boat, Dot opened the door to our inside cabin, only to find someone else's bags already in there, so I wandered back to the purser to find out what was going on. To cut the story short (as this took quite a long time), someone on a return daytrip was already using the room and apparently the computers should not have allowed the room to be allocated to us at the check in. All the time this was being sorted, I kept insisting that I didn't mind if they found us an outside cabin, until eventually, I was asked if we minded moving to an outside family room, "that will be acceptable", I said. This sounds better than it actually was, as the four berth cabin is not that much bigger but we did have the window and it was quieter than the cabin we had outbound.
Then it up was on deck where I took some photos, then back to the cabin for supper and a film, before touring the bars prior to bed. There seemed to be several school trips onboard and at times, it got quite noisy. We did get a wonderful sunset though and I tried to get a good photo but to no avail.
Day eighteen 23rd June 2009
Dot got a shock on her way back from the showers, when the couple in the caravan adjacent to us asked her, if her name as Dot. Dot assumed that they had seen her in the shop back home and read her name tag but it was because, they had actually read this website. I was not sure anyone actually looked at it, I was impressed but Dot was embarrassed by it. Now here goes my useless memory for names again (see About us) but I think they were Roy and Ann from the Peterlee area of Durham (if you read this, please email me if I am wrong).
Same procedure as the last two years, packed up and drove to the four supermarkets on Maalse Steenweg (the N9), to stock up on unusual beers and some usual beers. First we went into the Carrefour where we met another couple doing the same as we were, we also met a rep from a brewery filling shelves, who did a very good job of selling his wares to us.
Next it was Delhaize where we also filled up with diesel, and met the same couple, like us buying more beer and coincidently, a big man stocking the shelves, heard me telling the couple how bad a beer was. And proclaimed, "what its the best beer in Belgium, its my favourite", so I thought I would give it another go and bought a four pack. Well he was wrong and I was wrong for listening to him, it is by far the worst beer in the whole world. Next we did Aldi and Lidl.
Then we set of for a day in Blankenberge, from the N9 we turned right on to the R30 ring road, anticlockwise to the N9 on the other side of Bruges and N31 to Zeebrugge. Where we tuned left onto the N34 and parked up on the side of the road just outside Blankenberge. We followed a path through the sand dunes and walked into Blankenberge along the beach, there was a bit of a breeze that made it feel cold in the open.
Blankenberge looked like many other English seaside resort, only in Belgium, it was also very busy for a Tuesday afternoon. There was a pier, beach huts, amusements, ice cream and a promenade, I liked it but Dot wasn't too sure, she preferred De Haan, where we usually go on our last day in Belgium. I do have to admit that De Haan is nice, smaller and less crowded though.
We walked along the promenade and here sheltered from the wind it was a lot warmer than the beach had been. Before we got to the far end of the promenade, we decided we should start to make our way back towards the van as it was getting late but we did have a quick look into town first. Then a quick hot walk back to the van and straight to the port about a mile away.
On the boat, Dot opened the door to our inside cabin, only to find someone else's bags already in there, so I wandered back to the purser to find out what was going on. To cut the story short (as this took quite a long time), someone on a return daytrip was already using the room and apparently the computers should not have allowed the room to be allocated to us at the check in. All the time this was being sorted, I kept insisting that I didn't mind if they found us an outside cabin, until eventually, I was asked if we minded moving to an outside family room, "that will be acceptable", I said. This sounds better than it actually was, as the four berth cabin is not that much bigger but we did have the window and it was quieter than the cabin we had outbound.
Then it up was on deck where I took some photos, then back to the cabin for supper and a film, before touring the bars prior to bed. There seemed to be several school trips onboard and at times, it got quite noisy. We did get a wonderful sunset though and I tried to get a good photo but to no avail.
