London to Salzburg on a bike - Stage 4 - Crupet to Bastogne - 97km - RV6 Picardie-Ardennes

Encountering the Ardennes - 9th September 2013

View to the West over the Meuse Valley

Crupet to Bastogne

Crupet Grotto in the morning sun

Do not let anyone tell you Belgium is flat. Anyone who thinks so has not been to the Ardennes.

Up before opening time in Crupet

Get your inner tubes here!

I made an early start at 8am as I had opted to skip the 12 Euro breakfast at my posh hotel. It was an up and down day in the watery morning sun, the mist just clearing. The school run is just like home, the Mum's rushing to get their little ones to school on time. Managed to keep out of their way and found a Patisserie in Hamois to take on some fuel about 9am. This town is on a major cycle path, an old train line, that goes North East towards Liege. I spotted a cigarette machine where you can buy a replacement inner tube so it is either a very popular route or someone locally is dropping tacks. Liege was not on my itinerary so I continued Eastward, on RV6, through very pretty countryside. There was a bit of a saw tooth profile to this section which meant long climbs and then long descents so it was pretty hard. On one such descent a vicious dog ran out in front of me, hope it learned a lesson. I think if I had been climbing, in the opposite direction, it would have taken a lump out of my leg.

Going Uphill - most roads are pretty good

View from the top

View from the bottom - a Belgian Stream

My trusty steed

Dense Forest in the Ardennes

Made it to Bastogne, turning point for the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Classic. Cannot claim to have cycled the pro's route but might just have crossed it? I found the Tourist Office, unfortunately they had no knowledge of  Hotel prices or availability but the Lady gave me a list of Hostelries to try. Any B&B's were out of town which is a problem when you need an evening meal. I picked a suitable Hotel nearby with a good place for Rosinante. Bastogne is where the Battle of the Bulge is commemorated. About 20,000 Americans died and it was their largest and bloodiest battle of the war. Many Americans still visit. One such family were on the next table to me at Dinner. It was a Mum and two sons who had an Uncle who had been badly wounded in a tank battle but did get home. Mum who was in her eighties was trying to keep her boys, one who was a Policeman, off the beer! I was on their side. Cheers! My Hotel Giorgo had a Pizza Restaurant attached so it was an easy walk to my evening meal.
My dinner was really great, I had a big Calzone Pizza and massive salad. Outside, the rain was setting in and was forecast to last for the next week. Ooerr!
Bastogne was where I would say goodbye to RV6, the Picardie-Wallonie cycle route. It continues to Wiltz in Luxembourg. Have to say it has been perfect, will miss the little Blue and Yellow (Ukranian Flag) stripes tomorrow.

That means you are going the wrong way at a junction

Follow me stripes, but no Roundheads allowed

Turning Point - Liege Bastogne Liege

London to Salzburg on a bike - Stage 3 Villers la Ville to Crupet - 93km - RV6 Picardie-Ardennes

Beautiful Belgium - Castles and Canals - 8th September 2013

Back to the Belgian Cobbles, a break before the bumps

After a good nights sleep and a hearty breakfast it was time to get back on the now familiar road to Villers le Ville Abbey to resume my trip across Belgium. Once on new ground a long stretch of pave had to be enjoyed, or rather endured. Fortunately, the roads were quiet on this Sunday Morning in September as I bounced along. I saw a quite a number of other cyclists on my Sunday ride but never any on the cobbled sections. Local knowledge perhaps? At Ham I joined the joggers and walkers along the River Sambre to take me through to Namur.

La Sambre River - Reflections on my Ride on the towpath

La Sambre River - Lock at this

There is a bike path along this river/canal that links all the way back to Tournai but it goes through very industrial areas. I chose the more northerly RV6 , a country route, and do not regret it. The towpath surface was a bit variable, smooth concrete then rough stuff. Some interesting locks along the way. Three big sliding door gates so they could use only half the 'ecluse' if there was only a small boat. I left my waterside route in Namur, where La Sambre joins the Meuse. I had a quick ride around town and found the Tourist Office. The Tourist Offices in Belgium are very parochial and only deal with their area so its difficult to get information on the road ahead and accommodation options. Looked quite a nice City but could not help noticing quite a few tramps with a fondness for alcohol at various points. After a pedal around town I headed down, or rather, up the Meuse. Somehow I had imagined the river would be flowing the other way? So I had a slightly uphill route on cobbles but still happy.

On the edge of the Sambre - Namur - approaching the Meuse

Chateau on the Meuse

I found a Patisserie near the Meuse and demolished a couple of Apple Turnovers. Many people were sitting out at riverside restaurants having their Sunday lunch but I was quite happy with my sunny park bench. Carried on up the Meuse to Profondville. I had noticed the name on the map, seemed quite profound. Spent a lazy Sunday afternoon around there. Pedalled down the river a bit further but the towpath became rough cobbles so I turned back. Certainly a pretty part of Belgium.

Nice riding on the Meuse

Found a Supermarket and bought a fresh baguette and some ham to eat down by the River. I did ask about accommodation but could not find anything available. After deliberating for a
long time I headed for Crupet, billed as the most beautiful village in Wallonie. Will not argue with that description. Getting there was a bit tricky though. Carmen sent me over a Lock and a long Weir followed by a steepish hill. Found a Hotel in Crupet with space for me and Rosinante. It was rather nice, over-budget but I had to have a phone. I needed to have a telephone because with a faulty mobile I could not text TW. She would be thinking there was a corner of a foreign field, or ditch or canal that would be forever England. Public phones have become a bit of a rarity now, particularly in Belgium and France. Had no success finding one that worked in Namur or Profondville. Not sure that some young people today even know what one is.

The Grotto at Crupet

The Devil is in the detail  - The Grotto at Crupet

With my call made and shower taken I retrieved Rosinante from her Stable and headed back into the pretty village. There is a very impressive grotto next to the Church, there is a medieval castle surrounded by water and a very nice pub. I went to the Pub sat outside and ordered Steak, well done this time, with Chips and a beer. Perfect! Friendly service and good beer. Very much enjoying my little ride through Belgium.

My Hotel in Crupet - Rosinate was in the barn with the cats

Watching Beeb 1 in Belgium

Crupet Castle

Looks like a good place for Steak and Chips

London to Salzburg on a bike - Stage 2 Tournai to Villers la Ville - Le Try Logis - 116km - RV6 Picardie-Ardennes

Heading East across Belgium on RV6 - 7th September 2013

Typical morning landscape - farming country in Belgium

Big old building needing repair -
 a good renovation project by the river

On the Canal - not all industrial

Fantastic cycling on RV6 today. Nice flat start in the sunshine along the canalised river before heading inland at Antoing. Now, that would have been a good place to pick up some food for elevenses but, misguidedly, I pressed on through the town. This part of the route was very countrified and quiet and Antoing was one of the few places to take on fuel. Part way through the day I noticed that my RV6 route was physically marked by blue and yellow strips, typically on the road sign support posts.

Yellow & Blue to Follow

These small marks, along with Carmen the Garmin, take a lot of stress and frustration out of the cycling. Can enjoy the day without having to resort to maps or taking wrong turnings onto busy roads etc. I don't think these marks started in Lille, certainly did not see them but they may have done? I did hit some cobbles along the way. Had expected some pave, it goes with the Territory, but these cobbles were vicious. I tried to speed up by going along the edges or sometimes along the middle but poor old Rosinante took a helluva of a beating. Now I know what the Classic Racers have to endure. Luckily the roads were quiet and I could find the best line. Soignies is a fair-sized town and I spotted a McDonalds. It was Saturday so many families in for lunch, eating their chips. I joined them. It seemed to be super efficient, it really was fast food.
Back to the farmland and the weather was getting a bit dull but the pedalling was enjoyable. The next significant highlight was the Brussels/Charleroi Canal and a stupendous lifting lock at Ronquieres. Was lucky enough to see an enormous barge come sliding down a ramp from the higher level in a massive bath tub. This arrangement is apparently a lot more efficient than having a series of conventional locks.

Not sure what this is - looks a bit fishy to me!

Moving on, my route followed the towpath for a while before heading east again. Quite an air of prosperity around this part of Balgium, the route goes through a smart Golf Course at one point. I was not all that far from Brussels but it was still good countryside. Most of the day was spent cycling through open farm land but towards the end there was a noticeable change with more trees and a change to stone rather than brick buildings.  There is not much guest accommodation around this area but took a chance on finding somewhere to rest my head near Villers de Ville. There is a old Cistercian Abbey there and a Tourist Office. The Lady in the Office was extremely helpful and found a Gites for me. Had to retrace my ride for a fair distance but it was well worth it.

Going down the ramp at Ronquieres - a barge hitching a lift

The Gite - Le Try Logis - gave me the perfect welcome. Rosinante was brought inside and parked in the hall and I was given a beer. It was owned by a Belgian Lady with an Austrian husband. He was modifying the kitchen when I arrived. The Gite opened in August and is a modernised farmhouse in a quiet residential area. Quite convenient for Charleroi Airport (Brussels in Ryanair-speak) and the best place I stayed on my little bike tour to Salzburg.

What a relief when the cobbles end

In the rough - RV6 passing through this smart Golf Course

Ready for Breakfast at Le Try Logis

Le Try Logis

My roomate - the mouse that got the cheese

So, after being concerned about finding a place in this area and even having a Plan B to nip down to Charleroi Airport to stay in an Ibis, I felt very, very fortunate. The only downside was that my HTC phone, borrowed from TW, did not survive the cobbles. And they used to sponsor a bike team?

London to Salzburg on a bike - Stage 1 - Lille to Tournai - 36km - RV6 Picardie-Ardennes

Course Found - turning up in Tournai - 6th September 2013

On the bike path to Belgium

Lille to Crupet 

I paced Lille station clutching my panniers and handlebar bag for about half an hour until Rosinante arrived. Made time for a Ham Baguette of course. Relief to get my bike though. It feels strangely awkward to have all the cycling paraphernalia of helmets, shorts, handlebar bag and panniers in public and no bike! Felt like bit of an imposter.

Lille Station - waiting for my wheels

Anyway, once happily re-united with Rosinante, we headed down the lift to a large square in front of the station. The difficulty then was to find the route I had downloaded, or 'course' in gps speak. I had an idea where it started but walked the opposite way until the route calculated and then tottered up the road in the correct direction. 'Course Found' is the magic message but today this was often swiftly followed by 'Off Course'. Took me a while to get out of Lille, my lack of Garmin operator skills not helped by heavy rain. At this point I had not developed the Garmin wet weather wipe. Being a touchscreen device its tricky to wipe the water off without changing the screen or setting. Once out of the City it was plain sailing through parkland and then farms before hitting Tournai. I am not quite sure where I crossed the border into Belgium but I think it was where the road turned to cobbles and the car number plates shrunk and had small red letters. Tournai was the only place where I booked my accommodation in advance. I thought a nice short afternoon ride of about 30km would allow me to get re-acquainted with cycling on the wrong side of the road and there was also a Youth Hostel in town which would be nice and cheap.

Oh cobbles - think this must be Belgium

Watch out for the wet patches - Belgian humour?

Grande Place - cafe culture - cobbled water hazard

More than one Museum to visit

Bit of character about Tournai

Decent decision I think. Tournai is a good-sized town but I had no problem finding my lodgings. Checked in at the 20 Euro Youth Hostel. For the only time on the trip Rosinante ( Don Quixote's Horse) had to stay outside in the rain. I asked the guy at reception if she could come inside. He started muttering something about people with Rolls-Royces wanting to park and sometimes he had twenty bikes to accommodate, blah-blah. I took that as a no and put a plastic bag over her saddle. I was in a room for four and made sure I got a bottom bunk. My roomies were a Spanish cyclist and an older guy who was a bit put-out that he had the elevated position. The cyclists hit the sack early but Grumpy came in about midnight, dropped an extremely smelly fart and then had a very noisy shower etc. I think he was trying to get his own back for being made to climb the ladder, I reckon he succeeded! Tournai is not a bad spot to visit, plenty of history. It has a magnificent Cathedral, currently being restored and plenty of pedestrian areas. The Grande Place has 'wall to wall' Cafe's and Restaurants so I had a wander up and down before settling on my dinner venue. Ordered Steak and Chips with a Beer, seem to remember that chips were the Belgian national dish. Ordered my steak to be cooked medium. I think it only had a very remote acquaintance with pan or grill but was nice and tender. Will specify Well-Done next time. Was asked 'the way' by people a couple of times as I looked around Tournai. Nice not to be seen as an obvious tourist but bit of a worry as most Belgians around town look as though they had had too much of the Bishops Tipple, or whatever they make in the Monasteries over here. Beers can be extremely strong - hic! Belgium have a good Football team at the moment and they were playing Scotland in a World Cup Qualifier so bit of a carnival atmosphere in Town as I made my way home.

Tournai by night

Not quite sure why they had to add a Water Hazard to the cobbles in the Grande Place. Hope they do not insert them into the roads as well.

Belgian distressed chic and multiple spires of the Cathedral

This part of Belgium is not pretty, its not like the Alps where flower boxes and smart paint jobs give the villages colour. The farms are more utilitarian here, bare brick structures and no carved wood balconies. Not a criticism, its good that it is different and has its own character.