A change from the Thames – we finally did it!
Our first foray into European waterways – we went to Belgium and overall, it was most enjoyable.
The Channel crossing went smoothly enough, aside from the last hour or so approaching Nieuwpoort when the wind stiffened against the tide and we learned why a Dutch Barge isn’t always the most comfortable vessel to take to sea in!
Belgium proved a very good place to start: waterways not too challenging (provided you steer clear of some pretty monstrous commercials!) and mostly very pleasant. Belgium may be rather on the flat side, but some of the towns – Ypres, Bruges, Ghent – are spectacular, and the marinas were never less than friendly and welcoming.
The only real downside was that we both drank far too much Belgian beer and ate too many cones of chips with mayonnaise (a Belgian speciality, along with the beer!), so ended up regaining all the weight, and more, that we had managed to lose earlier in the year!
Grizzled Skipper is now on her winter mooring at the the Flandria Yachthaven in Bruges. For next year we’re torn between heading up into Holland, which was our original plan, or turning south and making a start on France. Holland comes with mixed reviews from the people we’ve talked to. Some love it, others hate it; there seems to be no in between! I suspect we’ll probably decide to go to France, but not sure yet.
Simon & Stella
