END of AUGUST
12 - 30 Aug - 2004
The first half of August found us travelling to and exploring Lille and Dunkirk - or Dunkerque as the French spell it - in the north of France. By the 12th, we had passed quite quickly through Lille as there are no good ports in the city and the highway running next to the wall we chose to moor at was neither quiet nor picturesque. Lille, the city, had much to recommend it since it was the >City of Culture for 2004' but none of the much vaunted cultural events were on that week. We moved on to Dunkerque and it=s Gare d=Eau (port), situated conveniently (and quietly) adjacent to the old port where water and power were on tap and at a very reasonable price.
Here we awaited the arrival of >Admiral of the Fleet (Laser)= - Ian Palmer and his son Craig, from London. We hired a car to pick them up from the Eurostar as it emerged from the >chunnel= at Calais and spent the next couple of days exploring the WWII evacuation museums and the excellent maritime museum that dominates the old port area. Their stay was all too short and after a final BBQ dinner accompanied by a bottle of aged Moss Wood Cabernet we farewelled them as they took the train to Paris and on to Nice. We headed out for Belgium.
Travelling to Belgium by canal and river is different from the same type of journey in France as the Belges use many low bridges which swing out of the way or raise up as you approach - unless it is lunch time whereupon you wait for an hour for the operation. On the way to Bruges, our first main stop in this small but very industrial country, we stayed overnight in Veuve. Exploring the town we found large and elaborately decorated churches - (protestant) and lots of small specialist shops making chocolates, bread, meat products, cheeses and other comestibles. The area we were travelling was very flat and obviously prone to flooding. It was also an area fought over in both the first and second wars and is still littered with concrete pill boxes along the line of the canal.
This area is also littered with large shops on main roads selling alcohol, cigarettes and chocolates. Belgium is a country with very low taxes on consumer goods and so is a favourite place for the Brits to visit on a regular basis to top up their wine cellars and cigarette supplies. A quick trip across the channel, a day or two in the very tourist friendly areas around Bruges and Gent and home with enough product to start a shop and at least to cover the cost of the trip.
Bruges. We cruise into the town via a round lockwith four entrance / exits and were directed to the one that would take us to the WWW Yacht Club Flandria, conveniently positioned >en face= to a lovely park area, train manufacturing factory and bus park. The cost was reasonable, power was available (but not water on the side of the marina we were directed to) and we were asked to back in. On this afternoon we were experiencing a quite strong cross wind (30-40kmh) which would have driven us against the bows and sterns of the boats moored opposite our intended space if we had attempted such a manoeuvre. We ignored the direction and steamed in forwards, quickly and neatly securing the boat and arranging our power supply. I then swung the scooter out and rode it right around the inlet on which the Yacht Club is situated to the club house where I faced the ire of the imposing female manager.
I pointed out the benefit of leaving their members boats undamaged and inquired as to the reason for their advice on direction. It was a directive of the Commodore in case of emergencies so that boats could evacuate quickly. This must be a hang over from their days of fearing widespread outbreaks of fire in their predominantly wooden towns. I explained that evacuation would be possible with alacrity if necessary and after paying for our stay, relations became warm and even generous as the members got to know us over dinners in the club. We were even invited to stay over winter, an offer we considered enthusiastically given the beauty of Bruges and the generosity of its people.
Bruges is truly a spectacular tourist city ! Undamaged by the wars (or wonderfully restored afterwards), Bruges is a medieval city of grace, charm, beauty and warmth. Narrow cobbled streets lead inward to city squares faced by small shops, restaurants, hotels, museums, churches, city halls and ancient hospitals. Overlooking all are the ever present carillon, tall towers with bells to warn the populace of fires or attacks. On the canal and river sides are graceful windmills and lining the small streets are grandmothers spinning lace for the many shops that feature this speciality of the region.
During the time we were there, the city was featuring a nightly spectacular series of entertainments in seven city squares within a fenced off area of the old town. Starring hundreds of local enthusiasts, the two and a half hour event tells the story of the city as the audience of thousands walk from location to location for each of the 20 minute performances, sequential and different in each. Dancing, balls, parties, opera, plays, laser and sound performances and even a >water theatre= where a movie is played on a water curtain produced by jets of canal water in the centre of town. Amazing stuff.
Beer is a big deal in Belgium and each town seemingly has a range of small and large breweries. Bruges is no exception with dozens of brands vying for your thirst. Many of the small breweries are also restaurants where you can see your brew coming out of the huge copper pots while you eat local delicacies (moules frites, thick meat casseroles, crepes etc). In the small squares outside you might see a weekend jazz concert, lace making, artists at work or just the endless stream of people wandering and enjoying the ambience.
We did spend one night on the boat however as the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics was on - what a show !!!!
We left Bruges believing we had not really scratched the surface and headed to Gent, a one day trip with no rush as much of it is on a huge commercial canal with few locks or bridges to traverse. Arriving we stopped right in the middle of the city at a small marina (three boats) just short of the main city marina (with 25 boats). Some negotiation with the owner lowered the cost from i50 per night to i50 for three days and we set out to explore.
It is said that while Bruges is the best Belgian city for tourism, Gent is better since it has much of the same but fewer tourists. I think there are actually as many but since Gent is bigger, it seems to absorb them and expose itself more.
A huge cathedral and city administrative buildings from the 1600s dominate the main square while hundreds of similar age, 3 story timber or stone buildings line the many canals and narrow streets. Wandering is the answer as you can take the time to probe the interiors of the many shops offering really beautiful wares (lace, silver, foodstuffs, tourist items etc) and you come across the many museums and galleries ready to expose your mind to the fabulously rich heritage of this country and very reasonable cost.
Just a short walk from the city centre is the Castle of the Counts. Built from the turn of the Millennium (1,000AD that is) it was continuously added to and improved against first stones then cannon balls until it was damaged in WWII and then rebuilt as a huge museum of torture after the 50's. The way this culture sorted out its criminals was to ensure that a confession was always obtained before >punishing= the unfortunate - if they were still alive after the confession process. They really had some extremely uncomfortable methods that would do more than make your eyes water !
We passed a shop that featured absolutely fabulous linen and lace for home interiors and in one of the windows a large silver meat cover and tray from the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Having spent a couple of days there in November 2003 on the way to Italy this imposing piece seemed ridiculously priced at under i200. Should we ? Oh to hell with it - yes. We bought the piece and then had to carry it back to the boat - on the scooter. It was just about as big as our conveyance but looks fantastic in the saloon.
Trying to find modern shops like the supermarkets is a trick here - they are situated underground as a way to preserve the people against the cold of winter while also preserving the >look= of the city. The other >trick= about Gent is trying to find your way in the maze of seemingly illogically arranged one way streets.
Our stay in Gent was short since we were expecting the arrival of Doug and Susan Cruzan from the UK, a couple interested in this lifestyle who wanted to experience it for a few days. We figured the best plan was to backtrack to Bruges where they could easily find us, leave their car secure in the Yacht Club and cruise to and from Gent for their barging experience. That would also give us a second bite at both cherries.
They arrived at the right time of the week to experience the Bruges historical spectacular and we left the next morning for Gent, again having an easy trip and, with a booking arranged at the small marina, no problems with accommodation for the boat together with power and - now - water. We asked the marina operator where he got his water supply and then approached his mate, the restaurant owner across the street, for a deal on a couple of hours supply. There is always a way.
Doug and Susan had a good trip and planned to follow it up with a barge handling course and PP certificate exam at Cambrai - so saying we could well see them there in a couple of months - they headed back to their chiropractic clinic in London while we departed for Brussels.
The trip to Brussels is on a tidal river, requiring departure to be coordinated with the outgoing tide. We wanted to get through to the lock securing the water depth on the canal to Brussels befor nightfall so we arranged to leave a couple of hours earlier than the turn of the tide. Van Nelle is powerful enough to stem the tides of all but the most powerful rivers (the Rhine perhaps the only exception) so the slightly slower start was not a problem. What was a problem however was that we were fast running out of fuel.
A fuel bunker station is indicated on the Belgian charts, just out of the main Bruges lock on a tributary so we headed off there first to fill up. We soon realized that the indicated supply was no more and on the radio asked a passing commercial where we might get fuel. He indicated that the best place was past the lock we were heading for - some 6 hours travel away at near full speed - and therefore high fuel consumption. AGood Luck@ he added before also advising us that while on his holidays in a campervan down the Rhone River in souther France he had seen Van Nelle. We exchanged pleasantries and reversed our course for the main channel and with crossed fingers, pushed up the revs and forged into the current.
Having also been trained as a pilot, I am conservative in the matter of fuel reserves and so on arrival at the bunker ship after our 6 hours travel we had at least enough to do the same trip again - possibly twice. We filled up with 1,000 litres of Belgian (untaxed) diesel fuel at less than half the price of French >gasole= and continued towards Brussels.
Brussels. This is a busy commercial boating centre and therefore quite zealously policed, as we found out. The advice for plaisanciers is to stop at the Royal Brussels Yacht Club. As this is also noted to be well out of town and somewhat expensive, we opted to continue further into town and to moor in an area close to a new port facility. After having secured the boat and taken off the bikes we were hailed by a policeman in a rubber ducky with the advice that we could not moor there (despite several other boats being in the area) and that we should reverse our direction to the yacht club. I turned the boat and headed back, slipping VN into the narrow entrance backwards so we could exit easily and made my way to the office. Our fears were confirmed. i2.60 per metre per night ! That worked out to i65 (since VN had mysteriously shrunk to just 25 metres from her normal 27). AThat@, I said, Ais outrageous. Even Paris is only i50 per night@. That did not seem to faze the secretary who had heard such protests for years - especially from our Dutch friends. We agreed to one night (not enough to really explore this headquarters of Europe) and set out to see the sights.
We have worked out the best way to get to grips with a large city - take the >Open Tour= bus. These are in Rome, Paris, Lille, Brussels etc and take a circuitous route that passes all the best attractions. On the way you get an appreciation of the geography and the layout of the city and during the day=s value of the ticket, allows you to get off whereever it stops and get on the following busses later. In this way we went past the monuments, EU HQ buildings, cathedrals, royal palaces and up the hill to the fantastic Automobile, Military and Aerospace Museums. We arrived there at about 3.00pm and were directed out of the buildings at 5.30pm with much passed over too quickly or not seen at all. These museums are as good as the Smithsonian in Washingto USA so if you visit Brussels - don=t miss them.
The way out of Brussels and back to France is via a place called Ronquieres. This is famous for its ancient Ascenseur, a meccano like structure of caste iron that holds two box like trays in which a fully laden commercial barge could be lifted 15 metres, thereby bypassing some 5 locks. It=s operation was ceased in favour of a modern set of huge commercial locks in the 1960s but it remains as a museum. We stopped here for the full tour and inspection before heading off for the evn more spectacular modern version a day away.
At a place called Streppy Thieu there is an >Inclined Plane= and shortly afterwards a modern >Ascenseur=. These structures are enormous and take several modern day commercials, vastly larger than the old 38metre models of yesteryear. We were alone and dwarfed by these colossal engineering marvels that effortlessly lift the enormous caissons of steel and water containing huge barges, some 30 - 60 metres to the next canal level. Absolutely gob smacking !
The next town of note we visited was Mons, well known for its participation in both world wars. We saw a note in the tourist office that conducted tours were available by multi-lingual guides from the railway station through the town=s attractions to the town hall, which otherwise could not be accessed. We took the option and met our charming guide at the are, accompanying her through the cathedral and the beautiful Mairie (town hall) where we allowed into all the private and public spaces, including access to the roof areas and the marriage halls, mayors chambers and balconies - where we graciously waved to the assembled multitude below.
We too her to a nearby café for tea afterwards and took seats on the first floor to witness the gathering of the crowds for the annual > Tanks in Town= parade of some 15 WWII American tanks plus assorted other jeeps, half tracks, deuces and a plethora of crew, all Belgian but dressed in US WWII uniforms. There is no sign of anti US sentiment in this predominantly French speaking part of Belgium.
Leaving Belgium we took a short side track to Peronnes where >Captain Neptunia= has a large series of barges serving as fuel bunkers and ships chandleries, here to top up with 200 litres of cheap fuel before crossing back into France. We still had a long way to go this season as we had guests expecting to meet us in Champagne, Paris, Champagne again and other cities in the north before we would finally come to rest at Cambrai, our winter port so the extra fuel would hopefully allow all of that distance until we would be able to return here for our final winter fuelling.