Rolls Around the World 2007: 12 - Brussels, Belgium to Uithoorn, Holland

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Miles for the day 103 (166 km) Mile to date 4,174 (6,717 km)

Sent some photos first thing, then headed for Mechelen to meet Koen Van Den Bosch, who we met travelling by train in Ecuador. Getting out of Brussels proved a similar challenge to getting in! We stopped at a police station for directions, which got us onto the right express way, but there were no signs for Mechelen, which is quite close to Brussels. When we finally spotted one, it was spelled Machelen, which we assumed was a spelling difference due to the two languages used in Belgium. This took us off onto side roads, where we would alternately see the spelling Mechelen and Machelen. We finally realized they were two separate places, so had a very slow 25 km drive on back roads to arrive more than half an hour late.

To compound traffic problems in Brussels, the police close part of the city to traffic three time a week for roller skating. There is also a unique traffic law called the "Rule of the right" in Belgium. A vehicle to the right of you has the right of way - including if you are on a major thoroughfare and someone enters it from a minor side road. It is a bit disconcerting to be travelling along when suddenly a car shoots out of a hidden side street - but it has the right of way!

When we arrived we were not at the agreed meeting point, but when I phoned with our location Koen decided it would be easier for him to walk the five blocks to us on crutches than to have us get lost again. (His ankle was damaged in leaping over a fence during the running of the bulls in Spain!) He was quite impressed that the 15 minute drive from Brussels had taken us an hour and a half!

Once united, he gamely took us for a tour of the beautiful old city of Mechelen. City Center is a fairy tale place dating from the 1600 that looks too perfect to be real! The old ornate churches, buildings, palaces and houses were picture perfect - Marilynn was burning through memory cards in her camera at a great rate. At one time Mechelen was the rich and prosperous capital of all Flanders. Boats bobbing in the canal were bathed in bright sunshine beside the lovely market square where I lunched on locally brewed beer with fresh mussels. Belgium produces excellent beer, cheeses, chocolate and world famous cuisine. After lunch we strolled through tranquil, narrow streets until we arrived back at our car.

Koen took no chances on our getting lost leaving town - he drove to the entrance of the correct expressway with us following, from where we found our way to a Belgian area called Baarle-Hertog, population 2,306. Signs says both Baarle-Hertog and Baarle Nassau- Baarle Nassau is Dutch territory, but the borders are so confused both are in one town.. Baarle Hertog consists of 24 separate pieces of land totalling 7.48 km, of which 20 are in the Netherlands and 3 on the border. To complicate things further there are 7 Dutch enclaves inside the Belgian enclaves, 6 in the largest one and one in the second largest. Some houses in the area are part in one country and part in the other. If the bar must close early in one country in a divided restaurant, it is only necessary to move to the other side of the restaurant to purchase another drink!

All signs led to Breda, where we planned to overnight, but we couldn't get there. A series of wrong turns kept leading us away, so after a final wrong turn Marilynn spotted an isolated hotel near Etten-Leur. It turned out to be a wellness, skin care and health centre - the elevators were of a size to take stretchers. A large patio on a pond had ashtrays on all the tables and the bar was well stocked, so obviously they didn't think life's pleasures should be sacrificed!

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Miles for the day 77 (124 km) Mile to date 4,251 (6,841 km)

We started late, not leaving the comfortable hotel until 11 AM. As the route we would take involved a number of connecting highways I made notes of the route numbers, and we navigated through the maze with no problem. Uithoorn is familiar territory - we have been there a number of times before - so it was easy to find a favourite pub on the Amstel River before phoning our friends Wim and Leni Zijdel. They soon arrived, and after a beer we followed them back to their home, where we will spend the next couple of days. Wim and Leni are fellow travellers who have seen a great deal of the world, but we met through Wim's brother Jack who worked with me in Canada for many years.

After a relaxing afternoon in their back garden they took us to a local restaurant for a fine meal. It was 30 C (86F) today - but we are not complaining! Wim was telling us that shortly after we crossed from England to France through the tunnel they had a massive power failure, trapping a train going each way in the tunnel. The whole system was down from 10:30 AM until 3:50 PM. We only dodged that bullet by a couple of hours!

Monday, August 6, 2007

Miles for the day 42 (68 km) Mile to date 4,293 (6,090 km)

Another lazy start, with an outdoor breakfast. Large formations of geese flying overhead contrasted with jets taking off from Amsterdam's airport. Marilynn wanted to get some shots of the car in front of a castle, so Wim & Leni directed us to the beautiful Castle de Haar. No one bothered us as we drove through the castle gates and around an enclosed courtyard while Marilynn took photos. We walked the landscaped grounds, but the castle, still the residence of the owner, is closed on Mondays. Marilynn and Leni went to photograph some deer on the property, for which they paid dearly when Marilynn got into some stinging nettles and Leni was stung several times by bees.

At a farm near the castle we purchased some of the best bing cherries and fresh strawberries I have tasted, then drove through picturesque towns along the banks of rivers and canals, stopping in the town square of Brenkelen on the De Vecht Canal for a leisurely lunch. On the way home we stopped at two banks to try to change money, but US dollars are accepted only as deposits by account holders. Marilynn got done out of some cloths purchases when they did not take credit cards and we had very few euros. (There were some advantages!) A suggestion to travellers - either change US dollars into Euros before travelling, or change money at the airport.

Our final stop was to see Wim's dad, who at 90 years of age still looks great and takes care of himself in his own apartment. I originally met him over 20 years ago.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Miles for the day 108 (174 km) Mile to date 4,401 (6,083km)

This morning we drove to Alkmaar to see Nan de Haan, who Marilynn and I met on the Island of Banda in Indonesia in 1998. Wim had not been to Alkmaar before either, and between us we got lost. A phone call to Nan had us back on track, although once in town we didn't know where we were again. This time when Wim phoned it was easier - Nan could see us from his office so walked over to personally direct us to the parking area.

We had a walk around the medieval part of the city, where the church was built in 1490 on a site originally settled between 500 & 600 AD. Most other buildings were from the 1500s. It is a very pretty town of 9,500 people and lots of canals. Alkmaar, once a prosperous trading town, is famous for its Friday cheese markets where the 1582 vintage weigh station is still in use. The townspeople are proud of the fact that when the country rebelled against Spanish rule in 1573, the first battle the Spanish lost was here. Most of the buildings in the old section of the city are original, as Alkmaar escaped serious damage during the Second World War.

After lunch in the square, we walked some more then took a canal boat tour under a number of bridges, some of which were so low that it was necessary to lay on the seat or kneel on the floor of the boat to avoid being conked on the head. The tour was a great way to be able to imagine the city as it was, and to learn more of its lively history.

We bade Nan a fond farewell and drove to Bergen Aam Zee, a resort town, where we had a drink overlooking the beach. Dinner was at a hotel restaurant, followed by the superb strawberries we bought yesterday back home.

Tomorrow we are on the road again, heading east for Warsaw, Poland.