You might have heard there have been some storm-ettes sur le continent. I can vouch this to be the case. I have seldom seen it rain so hard and the noise was incredible. It went on all night and eventually stopped about 930. So that's when I left. It's been unpleasantly humid all day, but hasn't actually rained. Hélas, that is not the case for tomorrow. I have to confess I am getting a wee bit hacked off with it.
I use a dedicated cycling GPS. It can best be described as quirky. It took me on the most vile route along a road infested with heavy vehicles. I put up with its nonsense for about 20km before intervening. 'surely' I asked, 'there must be a better option than this?' And I can assure you, I asked in a most querulous tone. 'Well,' it said, 'we could go on the cycle path along the Maas if you would prefer.' So we did. Don't get me wrong, we're not talking upper reaches of the Thames or a Hampshire chalk stream, but it was a bloody site better than Juggernaut Heaven. Unlike yesterday, this was a proper path, so perfectly ok for a road bike. Not a lot of choice of places to eat, but I did find a chip shop run by Indonesians, and had frites with a bami goreng. Not bad at all.
Crossed back and forth between Holland and Belgium (or Holland and Barrett as my predictive keyboard prefers) and Holland certainly seems the more prosperous of the two. On the basis you don't miss it till you lose it, Holland is a dream for cycling, cars just give way, you hardly need to look. Dedicated cycle paths everywhere. Not so in Belgium, I'm afraid. Still miles better than the UK, though.
The Maas is a working river. Although it's not pretty, it's interesting to see all the stuff that's moved by river, and it makes one thankful it's not going by road. An option we just don't have, unfortunately.
My B&B is conveniently situated at the top of a very steep hill in a village with a café that only opens on Fridays. Luckily I have some emergency rations thanks to Pat, and a bottle of Chimay I didn't drink yesterday. Oh, it's in Richelle, Belgium, not far from Liège. I keep forgetting to mention things like this, but because I know, it doesn't necessarily mean you do.
On the nature table
Well, we could do bullfrogs again, but we've already had them. I did pass an enclosure outside a factory with about a dozen roe deer in it, all looking miserable. How could anyone have thought that was a good idea.
If I had to describe today, I would go for 'harmless'.
I've just been talking to my friend Stan who lives near Chimay. I'm meeting him tomorrow and putting the bike in his car and staying with him a Marie for a few days. The forecast is not great so this seems sensible. They don't even have a phone, so you shall have to wait for a while to hear what happens next. One thing I can guarantee, it will involve drink. In copious amounts.
Some snaps:
bizarrely, these were in the forecourt of a garage.
don't see many of these any more.
another day, another country. It still has a certain frisson for me.
outskirts of Maastricht, a most attractive town.
rather good graffiti, about speed cameras, I think.
Evening all.
I use a dedicated cycling GPS. It can best be described as quirky. It took me on the most vile route along a road infested with heavy vehicles. I put up with its nonsense for about 20km before intervening. 'surely' I asked, 'there must be a better option than this?' And I can assure you, I asked in a most querulous tone. 'Well,' it said, 'we could go on the cycle path along the Maas if you would prefer.' So we did. Don't get me wrong, we're not talking upper reaches of the Thames or a Hampshire chalk stream, but it was a bloody site better than Juggernaut Heaven. Unlike yesterday, this was a proper path, so perfectly ok for a road bike. Not a lot of choice of places to eat, but I did find a chip shop run by Indonesians, and had frites with a bami goreng. Not bad at all.
Crossed back and forth between Holland and Belgium (or Holland and Barrett as my predictive keyboard prefers) and Holland certainly seems the more prosperous of the two. On the basis you don't miss it till you lose it, Holland is a dream for cycling, cars just give way, you hardly need to look. Dedicated cycle paths everywhere. Not so in Belgium, I'm afraid. Still miles better than the UK, though.
The Maas is a working river. Although it's not pretty, it's interesting to see all the stuff that's moved by river, and it makes one thankful it's not going by road. An option we just don't have, unfortunately.
My B&B is conveniently situated at the top of a very steep hill in a village with a café that only opens on Fridays. Luckily I have some emergency rations thanks to Pat, and a bottle of Chimay I didn't drink yesterday. Oh, it's in Richelle, Belgium, not far from Liège. I keep forgetting to mention things like this, but because I know, it doesn't necessarily mean you do.
On the nature table
Well, we could do bullfrogs again, but we've already had them. I did pass an enclosure outside a factory with about a dozen roe deer in it, all looking miserable. How could anyone have thought that was a good idea.
If I had to describe today, I would go for 'harmless'.
I've just been talking to my friend Stan who lives near Chimay. I'm meeting him tomorrow and putting the bike in his car and staying with him a Marie for a few days. The forecast is not great so this seems sensible. They don't even have a phone, so you shall have to wait for a while to hear what happens next. One thing I can guarantee, it will involve drink. In copious amounts.
Some snaps:
bizarrely, these were in the forecourt of a garage. 
don't see many of these any more. 
another day, another country. It still has a certain frisson for me. 
outskirts of Maastricht, a most attractive town. 
rather good graffiti, about speed cameras, I think. Evening all.
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