Following the numbers in Belgium to Ypres: Brugge to Nieuwpoort

July 14, 2016

Staying at Youth Hostel Herdersbrug,6 km north of Brugges, worked out well for us. We liked staying by the canal in a rural atmosphere, away from the touristic craziness of Brugges....and what a treat it was to ride our (baggage/trailer free) Seavo in to Brugges yesterday for some sightseeing. Suddenly we could accelerate to over 30km/hr in seconds - we felt less old and a lot more powerful.

Staying at youth hostels in Belgium has proven to be good for us - reasonably priced, located well and no problem getting a private room with bath. Manuel who seemed to do it all over a 15 hour period - front desk, travel tips, etc. was very good to us.

We have decided to deviate from our original plan to ride to Boulogne sur Mer in France from here. We want to visit Ypres first as Barry's grandfather was there during WWI with the Fort Garry Horse Regiment.

Belgium created the "number route" system for cyclists - which has also been adopted by the Dutch - and it makes for very easy navigation. You simply look at a cycling map, jot down the numbers and you follow the route. It is brilliant. We have been told that this system originated in mining where a number system was created to help workers navigate their way through the shafts without getting lost.

"My name is Manuel and I am not from Barcelona"- a reference to Fawlty Towers. We did not intend to give Manuel the little jokers hat, however, he has a good sense of humour and we think he wouldn't mind.

Manuel,as a local, gave us his advice and he helped us create a route with some wonderful detours along the way. His route will include a stop in Gistel (a charming village where he and his grandfather annually attended a commemorative celebration for Saint Godelieve), a stop in Veuvre (for a special meringue cake unique to this town) and also a stop in West Vleteren for the "best beer in the world" made by the Trappist monks. Apparently one can only drink it here as it cannot be purchased elsewhere.

The weather is cooler today with high winds. I guess this is to be expected so close to the coast and the North Sea. We had been warned by other travellers that parts of the coast here have a wall of high rises. We certainly saw that today. It is bizarre to be in the quiet countryside along a canal and look across the planes to a wall of buildings. We will not go to the coast.

The ride today was wonderful. Pretty canals, many lift bridges (made only for pedestrian/bike crossings), a memorable stop in Gistel.

In Gistel we visited the church that enshrines the remains of Saint Godelieve (from the 11th century). This church is devoted to honouring her - the incredible floral displays make it seem that her death was recent and not over 1000 years ago. We learned that she is a most important Saint for Northern France and Belgium. At the tender age of 21, this young noble woman who only wanted to be a nun, was forced to marry and was then strangled and drowned by her husband's men. Incredible paintings, stained glass, etc glorify her tragic life and ascendence to sainthood. It was a moving place to visit.

Across the road was a wonderful patisserie and we selected a few extraordinary cakes (Flan Parisienne and Apple Tart) to enjoy with our coffee on the grounds of the church. Then, we noticed a lot of activity on the road with police cars, officials, etc. It is our lucky day...a road bicycle race is about to start and we have a front row seat. We have learned in our travels here, that Belgians are passionate about cycling, rowing, beer and well cared for gardens with intricately manicured hedges. It was a delight to stay and watch the race. It makes our hearts race to see these young men racing on narrow tires over cobbles. Thankfully there were no accidents.

We finally made our way back to the canal and found a campground for the night. As we have come to expect, it is mammoth. There must be over 1000 pitches, but it is well cared for, the area for tenters is quiet (only 4 tents in the entire campground) and the price is right - 16 euros including showers and wifi).

It has been a hot day because of the hardwork fighting the wind - ready for a shower, dinner and bed. A good day.