Along the Maas and into Belgium: We make great progress and aren't far from Antwerp

August 28, 2012

Dinner last night at the’RoseGarden’ was delicious and we both had a local casserole sort of dish with cinnamon in it. It was served with apples and a big cone of chips complete with mayonnaise – it was very filling and I couldn’t even finish mine. Ton had breakfast ready for us at 7.30am and very nice it was to. It was an excellent stay in Kessel.

We set out this morning determined to make good progress and we did. Riding along the Maas is lovely especially with the beautiful weather we have had today. When we got to Thorn we stopped and had a coffee. This was the town we had hoped to get to yesterday and very lovely it is with all the old houses and other buildings painted white. One interesting feature was the church which is stone with a brick tower. It is first stone church we had seen since we left Copenhagen, but the brick tower puzzled us. Apparently in 1944 it was bombed and the tower destroyed. The brick one is a restoration done since.

To start with navigation in Belgium was difficult and we relied heavily on the GPS which often took us on cycle lanes beside busy roads. Then just after lunch we came to signs for the LF5, the long distance cycle way we had been hoping to follow and this was so well signed that it made riding very easy. Eventually we decided we must leave it and headed for the town of Mol which looked big enough to have something. It is a fairly lack luster town but the guy at the Tourist Information found us this B and B which is about 4 kms out. It seems Ok but a bit expensive at 95Euros plus and extra 5Euros for an internet connection and we have to ride our bikes to find a meal tonight.

We have made good progress though and are not for from Antwerp which we will do our best to avoid tomorrow – 100km in a day is enough for me.

At the end of our meal we were given this little thing of sweets

The stone church in Thorn with the brick tower

Today's ride: 100 km (62 miles)
Total: 1,454 km (903 miles)

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