Into The Netherlands! 6/22/24

 

Everywhere, and I do mean everywhere, there's water.  Rivers, big and small, lakes, ponds, skinny canals and wide ones too, ditches, major transport waterways with locks and drawbridges, and the list goes on.  Even puddles.  Most of it's been corralled, with levees, dikes, dams, and bulkheads on 90% of the waterways (except puddles).  Apparently it's been a rainy season for Belgium and the rivers are high.  No wonder the countryside looks so green.

I thought this was apt for our Antwerp departure!

Leaving Antwerp, the Magnifique III waited for this bridge to raise before she slid through.  The top right picture is looking back from whence we came.  (sun behind me)

Farewell to the harbor city famous for handling up to 80% of the world's rough diamonds.  I wish the sun had been shining on that monster of a diamond above, it would've blinded us! 

After leaving the busy port area and passing over the huge Kreekrak lock system, our ship dropped off 40 bikes and bikers.  One by one we'd find our own bike and gear up.  Hi, Jimmy!  I used the hair dryer on my bike gloves 'cause they were still wet from yesterday's ride, and even then they felt damp this morning. 

A Red Admiral butterfly stopped by my foot!

These paths are always a favorite -- into woods so quiet, it's heaven.

This area is called the Wouwse Plantage forest.  Sometimes on a road, as above (really narrow roads), or maybe an asphalt path, occasionally a dirt track ... the wheels on the bike go round and round 😄.

We pedaled to the Canadian War Cemetery, you see above and below.  The silence was palpable.  We walked a bit around the gravesites, seeing names (even a J. Wilkinson), but horrified at how young these men were when they were killed.

 

"Their name liveth for Evermore"

We continued on till lunchtime at Fort Roovere.  Tables and chairs were set up, drinks could be purchased, ice cream and chips, too, which add to our sack lunches.  Plus, the (miracle) Moses Bridge at Halsteren.  The fort dates from the 1600's and the Moses Bridge was begun in 2010.

Literally the Moses Bridge parts the water.  Top right is looking down on the water and bridge.  Top left, from the bridge, I'm looking up at Jimmy (see him?).  Bottom pics, the water is the same height as the top of the bridge!  It's built in such a way that you’re at the same height as the water level when walking across to the other side.  Very cool, made of some kind of wood.  One small section was leaking and I wondered if anyone suggested a thumb?

Deceptive Moses Bridge (red x).

Back on the bikes!

We rejoined the ship from Tholen (town) and sailed into Dordrecht.  Somewhere along in here we passed into The Netherlands and those of us present in the main salon stood at attention as their national anthem was played (and sung).  We did over 25 miles today and enjoyed some nice boat time, too!

After dinner, we walked Out and About, touring the City.  Above is the "street of the butchers," from long ago, and you can see Leslie pointing to an artifact.  I forgot to mention yesterday that we walked down the red light street in Antwerp, glancing at scantily-clad ladies in picture windows.  Several of us thought the first female we saw was a mannequin ... till she moved!  Anyway:  meh.  Peter advised "no pictures, please!"  

Canals that intersect with canals which flow under another street into a canal, etc., and it's amazing to see buildings in the water, like Venice.  We've loved all the brightly-colored flowers in boxes.

Narrowest house in Dordrecht.

Oh my!  These are called Stolpersteins.  They're 3.9" concrete cubes bearing brass plates inscribed with the name and life-dates of victims of Nazi extermination. Literally, it means "stumbling stone" and metaphorically "stumbling block."  They're placed in front of the house where a Jewish family lived.  Never forget.

Jimmy in front of a lighthouse tower on the river Oude Maas.

Weatherwise, you see how much nicer today was than the day before!  Although a number of riders went down on the slippery surfaces yesterday, nobody was hurt.  Jimmy and I are doing well, tired at night and eager to ride in the morning.  See you tomorrow!

Continuing on -- to Antwerp, 6/21/24

 

I tell you that not every day can be sunny and warm, though you might wish it so.  I've said it before, into each life a little rain must fall, and today was the day for rain.  The sky was cloudy, as seen below, when we began biking, but it was still dry.  I believe this was the Schelde River.

A decision had been made to split into two groups, the "sportive" and the "relaxed."  Sportive wanted to GO faster.  Relaxed didn't care about fast.  Of course we were in the latter group.  Each group had a guide and a "sweep," which was the last person in a group (to make sure everyone was accounted for).  We met up with sportive at the above Bornem Castle, and then we all took off again. Nope, didn't go in.

A nice break here in Temse, Belgium!  Leslie got herself a waffle!  We can use the municipal facilities in small towns like these.

This is the sign for me!  My nose has been under siege from Linden trees in full bloom, mown hay fields, "perfumed" towels, and I've used half a tissue box since we've been aboard the Magnifique III.  Honk honk

Jimmy and friend.

Temse Town Hall.

As we made ready to leave, the sky darkened and drops began to fall.  Most of us put on rain gear of some kind.  I dug in my bag and brought out a huge red tent-like thing with hood that covered much of me.  And, ahem, I'd put on my water proof shoes that morning.  We set off, not too happy with the weather, but we had miles to go!

We rode atop a levee for a long while, getting a soaking.  Lunchtime brought us to this covered patio and we retrieved our packed goodies.  I always made a PB&J, but everyone else made dagwood-type sandwiches.  At this point, Peter, our guide, reported an even heavier rain ahead and the judgment was made that both groups ride to the ship (no short/long rides today).

I needed windshield wipers for my eyes.  My waterproof shoes were wet, the red poncho kept flipping up, and so on.  Pretty soon we were wet AND cold.  I didn't take any more pics, obviously, in the rain.  We had to board a ferry (in our soaking duds) to get to our ship in Antwerp which only took us part way, and we continued riding till we hailed the Magnifique III.  All together, we pedaled 18 miles this day.  Boy were we glad to get off the bikes.  Jimmy and I retired to our cabin, undressed, and crawled under our big comforters for an hour to get warm.  Might have snored once or twice.

Haha, gluttons for punishment that we must be (!!), after dinner we went for a walkabout with Peter.  He assured me it wouldn't rain.  Did I bring an umbrella?  Above is Antwerp City Hall, a fantastic building.  Look closely.

Intrepid explorers out with Peter

(dark blue jacket with his back to the camera).

Grote (Great) Market in Antwerp is probably best known for its beautiful guild houses. Guilds were associations of craftsmen or merchants who practiced the same trade. They were particularly powerful in the Middle Ages.  Again, look closely at the tops of the buildings.

Pay attention to the statues at the top of the buildings. They depict the patron saint of the particular guild.  All golden, shining in the gray sky.  The little fella in the center depicts the tannery "piss boy."  The statue at right is the protagonist of Antwerp’s most famous legend:  the mythical hero Brabo.

Our Cathedral of Our Lady lacy-appearing steeple,

lots of history on this Cathedral!

The walls of Antwerp castle were reinforced to 39' high and 6.6' thick in 1104.  This is all that remains of the castle.  These ancient fortification remnants were found when another building was demolished.  

Meanwhile, it was raining again and I huddled under someone else's umbrella.  Our walk didn't seem too far as we went into the city, but it seemed to take a long time to get to the ship.  Four of us had a bite to eat at an Italian restaurant nearby (our one night out).  Jimmy and I crashed early!

Know what?  I can't remember what the heck this is/was or why.  But here 'tis anyway.  Antwerp is the City of Diamonds ... maybe tomorrow.  (spoiler alert:  no rain tomorrow)

A special day, Thurs 6/20/24

 

Happy Summer Solstice!  In our case, here in Belgium, we began the day with light jackets on as we started pedaling toward Amsterdam.  Nice to be out in the morning, riding and simply being present on our bikes.  We left Ghent and cycled downstream through a pretty diverse landscape along the tidal Schelde River to Dendermonde, but our ship's to be docked for the night in St Amands.  Woo-hoo, no rain was forecast for today! 

Imagine rolling along and then seeing two-humped camels beside the bike path!  Not what you'd expect in Belgium!  Everyone stopped for a photo-op.  Apparently they're remnants of a circus.  I also got a cute shot of Sheila and her granddaughter, Ally.  Today is a special day for Sheila.

Most of the towns we pedal through or visit have attractive Petunia displays.  Our guide, Peter, says Petunias are to Belgium as Tulips are to Holland.  

Our second stop was at Laarne to view the castle.  We couldn't go in (though I would've loved to tour the inside) -- it was quite regal-looking from the outside.

Jimmy and me standing on the outer moat bridge.

Looks very castle-y, don't you think?  Plus on either side of this main building are smaller houses, not sure if they're residences or what.  

Inner moat.

Back on the bikes till it was break-time so we could use the facilities and maybe buy a drink of some sort.  This was the place!  These breaks are always welcome! 

Here's a bit of trivia for ya.  Belgium is roughly the size of the State of Maryland.  Gives you an idea of how big the country is.  And the Red Poppy is its national flower.  Our lunch stop was a lovely spot on an artificial lake (formed when the locals dug for peat -- think heating homes -- and so much was dug up that water filled in the depression.  They say its full of eels now.  Also water lilies. 

And a Swan family. 😊

L-R:  Jimmy, Melissa, me, Leslie, Fran, Ross, Sheila, Carol, Tina, Cameron (grandson), Dee, Rod (son-in-law) and Ally (granddaughter).  13 wearing The Blue Shirt (just Sheila and family/friends).  These two pictures were taken at the lake.

Back story: Today is Sheila's 80th birthday.  She's the gal in the center holding the handlebars.  In early April, when Sheila mentioned she was booking this trip for her 80th, Jimmy and I looked at each other and said, probably simultaneously, sign me up!  We figured this-a-way:  He and I are also turning 80 this year (November), so the three of us in the '44 club could kinda celebrate together -- uh-huh, that's 1944!  Sheila and daughter, Tina, designed the shirts for everyone (13 -- including herself, her family and friends) and she decreed we all wear these shirts on her actual birthday.  Jimmy has his shirt backwards! 

Enlarge pic to see what it says.

We took another break in Dendermonde.  Above are buildings lining Dendermonde's market square.  Some of our crowd are sitting here and drinking a beverage.  Others are walking around or using the loo.

Dendermonde City Hall, center.  These old European cities all have at least one giant market square, which, IMHO, is perfect for us to park our bikes and get Out and About for a few minutes.  The photo above this one shows shops and cafes on the other side.

We rode 26 miles today.  Dinner was a delicious slow-cooked beef dish with sides, and after the dishes were taken away, many of the window curtains were drawn "against the bright sun," and table pounding began.  Loud and louder.  Then the cake appeared!  Imma tell you, this was one of the best birthday's I've ever experienced.  Top left, Michel, our chef, presented the cake.  The candles were lit.  Top right, Sheila was thrilled with the cake and wondered if she should blow out the candles (remember COVID?).  DO IT, we yelled.  Bottom left, it's a done deed.  We all sang HB, clapped, hooted, whistled and howled (like at a baseball game or something!)!  The cake was whisked away to be cut into at least 40 pieces (man, it was a really good cake!), and (bottom right) the two people from Quebec City came forward and asked Sheila if she wanted HB sung in French.  Icing on the cake, pardon the pun, their song was fantastic.  More clapping and hooting!  At that point, we settled down to "let them eat cake!"  

Up on the top deck, I waited and waited for the sun to set, and I believe it was getting close (after 10pm) in this shot.  It was bedtime for us -- what a wonderful, jolly day.  We all had a blast, regardless where we were from, and everyone reveled in Sheila's Happy Birthday!  Summer's here!

Let the Fun Begin! To Wed 6/19/24

 

Neither of us had ever thought we'd see Belgium (not on the wish list), but -- boy o boy -- it's a wonderful sight for the ol' eyeballs, and that's saying a lot because all we've seen so far is the City of Bruges.  I've read that Bruges is often referred to as the Venice of the North, but, then again, I've never seen Venice, either!  Bruges' historic city center is a prominent UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here we are, arriving by taxi at our home for the next week:  The Magnifique III, moored in a nearby canal.  She's a fine-looking vessel ... full of bicycles!  She was launched in 2018, meaning she's fairly new.

The upper deck has the salon, dining area, kitchen and several suites.  We didn't have a shot at one of the five upper deck suites since we booked too late, so we're installed in Cabin 7 on the lower deck, which has 14 roomy double cabins.  40 maximum passengers and she's full.

Here 'tis!  And doesn't this appear to be spacious and comfortable?  Plus there's a small closet and a fairly good-sized bathroom and shower, A/C and a TV we'll never turn on.  I'm sure we'll do just fine.

We were supposed to have a short 6-mile ride around Bruges, but it was raining and nobody wanted to play in the rain.  Tomorrow we'll start our real riding, all the way to Amsterdam, one leg at a time.

You see a misty Wednesday morning through the Magnifique III flag.

But, we were ready, and the bikes were ready as soon as we wiped the mist off the seats.  There were two rides offered today -- short and long -- and all 40 of us chose the long ride (roughly 38 miles).  We also had a choice of standard bike or E-bike and Jimmy and I picked E-bikes.  We'd emailed our heights to Boat/Bike Tour people, so our bikes could be sized for us in advance.  They fit us perfectly.

We would be pedaling to Ghent (or Gent), in the beautiful Flemish landscape along the Ghent Canal.  I can't remember ever riding in such a lovely area, much of it pastoral, and 90% of the time beside the canal.  In many places the lilting song of a thrush (which one? dunno) kept us company.  The morning was cool/ish, temp being around 60F, and we wore our windbreakers.

Our first stop was at the Canadian War Monument, made in 1994 from the wreck of a WW II tank, in memory of the battle of Moerbrugge (from Sept. 8-12, 1944), where 20 civilians, 48 ​​Canadians and 104 Germans died.

I could have taken two hundred pics (and shown you most of them!), the landscape was that picturesque.

We think these are Poplar trees which lined the canal.

Stately trees, whatever they are.

We didn't stop too often, but people need potty stops and this was one ... as in one bathroom, one toilet, and while you're in the shop, please buy a coke or a beer or coffee.  The folks who owned the shop used to operate a hand ferry to cross the canal, but no longer.  This language is beyond me.

By gum, while we paused at this little shop, the Magnifique III slid past, tooting her horn.  She is on her way to our next mooring in Ghent; we'll join her there.  Everyone gave her a rousing hoot!

Halt!  Moo cows have right-of-way!  We waited till those big girls were safely on the other side before continuing on.  I believe everyone loved riding through the countryside, with prosperous farms and fields of new corn starts, potato fields glowing white with blossoms, horses, donkeys, chickens, and some of the biggest cows we've seen!  Sometimes the farm fragrance would waft through the air, as in, pee-yew!

Photo op!

Our first windmill!

At one point we got off the bikes to inspect the strawberry "automat."  Insert some coins, a tiny door opens and a basket of delicious strawberries is your reward, and several people did.  Those were really good berries.  Seeing all the red poppies made my heart happy; we saw LOTS.  After all, we are in Flanders.  Behind the poppies in the top right photo are barley stalks.

We ate our lunch somewhere, but I couldn't tell you where ... then continued on.

Eventually we left the canal and our string of 40 bicycles made its way into Ghent, around 3:30pm.  Gee whiz, these Cities of Old have impressive cathedrals and towers.  Above is St Nicholas Church, begun in the 13th Century!  We didn't have time to go in, as our group was scheduled to have a boat tour of Ghent's waterways. 

You see pictures like these in books.  Here we are, seeing it in person, and wow, it is totally amazing to us.  Quite a few buildings have a year of origin on their facade, like 1626 or suchlike.  Our boat ride commenced from this dock.

Plus, the adornments on many, many buildings are fascinating.

Open air restaurants/cafes line the water, even at the waterline.

Part of the market from ages and ages ago.

The Castle of the Counts is in the background.

I felt as though I needed to duck going under those low bridges, but I'm sure I didn't; our tour of Ghent was very nice.  When it was finished we hopped on our bikes to pedal another four or five miles to our ship.  Riding through narrow streets with lots of vehicle and bike traffic was not much fun, but we did it.  The group as a whole was very glad to be off the bikes (6pm), in showers, and eager for dinner.  It was a great first day!  Jimmy and I hit the sack right after dinner.  We were tuckered out.