May 26, 2011

The weather is not looking good today – clouds and a bit of sunshine but with a gale-force wind that is not in our favour.

The first few kilometres are off-road along very pleasant tracks through woodland.  The next 20 km are not so good – passing through endless suburbia and spending most of the time studying the map, road signs and generally getting nowhere fast. There are cycle paths here but not very well sign-posted which makes them really difficult to navigate as they run along back-roads and leave you lost in the middle of some housing estate. We are starting to climb up and down hills again.

When we eventually emerge into the countryside, we find ourselves coping with ever-increasing gradients as well as ever strengthening head-winds – not a good combination.  The total of 54 km for today does not really do justice to the amount of work we have done.

We do reach the Belgium border and the cycle paths disappear instantly – clearly Belgium is a country for the motorist.  We have really been spoilt over the past few days, but now we´re thrown back into the battle with the traffic. What is worse is that Ken´s bike has developed a new noise – a sort of click this time and almost at the same moment my bike develops a squeak when going over cobbles (however, my noise is not important, apparently).  Time to call it a day.  With no campsites to be seen and black clouds gathering, literally as well as metaphorically, we check into the most luxurious place we have stayed in yet on the trip – blow the budget.