Yesterday we discovered that for 13 euro each, we could see both Ín Flanders Fields and the Yeper Museums, so Bob and I purchased the tickets to both: that for the latter was valid for three days, such a bonus! As with ‘In Flander’s Fields’ Museum, this too was situated in the old cloth hall. After yesterday’s emotional […]
Flanders Fields contain so many monuments, cemeteries and museums dedicated to those hundreds of thousands people killed that it would take a person months to view it all. Bob and I have decided to focus on just a few places on the list, and several are in, or near, Diksmuide. Just across the river Ijzer, […]
With our New Zealand friends joining us this day, we took the train from Brugge to Heist, then completed the remaining 6km journey to the Zwin by bike. What a delightful dune and heath landscape this was, with its large tidal lagoons, tall grasses and multitudes of flora in bloom. Nosy geese peered, storks fed, horses […]
One of Bob’s wishes was to visit Zeebrugge where he could explore the marine shop and marina. Today was it! Roughly a 30km round trip, the weather was in our favour. The township, itself really was a true seaport town that, from the number of shops and apartments closed, appeared to be experiencing a slump in the […]
2018 Journey on Maps Vlissingen, Netherlands to Paris, France Return to Vlissingen, Netherlands Maps used come from Tom Sommers books on France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Day two at Versailles……… Discovering how large the estate was, Bob and I arrived just prior to lunch. Would you believe the crowd was four lanes across and growing! Thank goodness we visited the chateau yesterday. Did we really think we were going to see all in the gardens today? Not a chance we discovered. […]
A dream come true for me personally: what a birthday present!!!! Only 16km from the centre of Paris and easily reached via rail, set on 800 hectares of land, this French Gothic masterpiece with its English styled gardens was the dream child of Louis IV, the Sun King. Luxurious, opulent, ostentatious, extravagant, lavish and grandiose […]
Opening in 1859 as a railway in 1859, the line took travellers from Bastille to the suburb of Verneuil l‘Etang. Taking six years to complete and a short distance from the Arsenal Marina, this 1.5km link comprised of a 64 vaulted viaduct – Viaduc de la Bastille and tunnels. Operating for just over a century, […]
From Vernon, an 8km bike ride soon found us at the township of Giverny and the iconic gardens of impressionist, Claude Monet. Two bits of advice are to pre – purchase tickets online and to ensure you visit on a day when the large river cruise ships aren’t in. On arrival at their new home, […]
September! It can’t be already! At last, blue skies provided the most vibrant of colours on this pleasant no drama day motor down the Oise So often, it is the sights one sees that make the memories.
The morning was spent out on the bikes attempting to find cycle tracks into the exquisite de panne, all to no avail. There were plenty of paths for walkers, but the closest the cyclist could go was around the perimeter. We liked this critter….. Then to the beach we cycled……. What a beautiful piece of […]
Another early morning start took Gratis through the lock into the basin that led the cruiser either seaward or southbound. This morn, our path led us west to VYNieuwpoort and the slip. The lift ready, in and up went Gratis. It was now that the battle with the stony bank – resultant of that inept […]
Just a four kilometre bike ride from Beernem, a castle resides in the beautiful landscape of Bulskampveld. In this picturesque and tranquil landscape visitor finds walking and riding paths that lead one through heavily forested sections in which ferns grow, across open heathlands in across which water courses run, and a large lake where it […]
An exquisite summer’s morning had Bob and I alighting our bikes for the 14km trip into this UNESCO heritage Belgian city. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zTAR2TioU&feature=youtu.be Arriving at the township, it was wow! Beautiful doorways. waterways, interesting boats, and we loved the whale. One of the locks is still in operation: it’s colossal! Once there were seven, then there were […]
The bikes offloaded, Bob and I set off on a pleasurable ride to Tornai. Situated on the border of north – western Wallonia, what a town this was! With 2,000 years of history that dated back to 1BC as Tornacum under Roman rule, in our minds the oldest city of Belgium easily rivalled Gent. Our […]
Today’s was just a short leg to the marina at Peronnes. We wanted to check out the township of Tornai and its pontoons prior to continuing there. The 14m lock just outside of Peronnes marina was an easy drop with its floating bollards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRmNt2nJ8tc&feature=youtu.be
After the most peaceful of nights, the arrival of the lock operators at 8:30 it was an early start for all. With a barge joining the group, there were two teams, with us being in the second. Between Huissignies, the water level occasionally dropped to 1.7m, but mostly stayed at 1.9m and above. We found […]
Another beautiful bike ride through Belgian farming country led us from Geraardsbergen to first the township of Zottegem, then on to the museum in Velzeke. There was just one word to describe this museum: sensational!!!! Covering a time period from 300,000BC to the present, the past was brought to life via a variety of mediums. […]
We headed out to enjoy a ride through Kortelake Nature Reserve. Situated just south of Geraardsbergen, sadly, we found that like those we had attempted to enter before, this too only allowed the cyclist to enjoy the periphery. For those who, like Bob, can’t walk long distances this means missing out on enjoying some of […]
Today we undertook the bike ride up the Muur (wall of Geraadsbergen) which led us up Oudenburg hill that overlooks the township. Commencing near the Dender, with a length of 1,075 metres one finds themselves steering the bike up a steep – at times 20% – incline on which lay cobblestones set horizontally: this was […]
