FNRttC The Fridays Tour 2025: Flanders Frontiers Foray, 14th-21st June

[StuAff]

It's only been…checks diary…three weeks (and I didn't write up anything for last years adventures in Normandy, oops), and as it's a day off- ITV4 on, naturally- thought I might actually start writing something. More (should be) to follow, and (ditto) pictures added.

Day Minus One : Home to Dunkerque
In order to get to day one, and the start in Dunkerque…we had to get to Dunkerque. For most of us, this involved tangling with multiple train services, and multiple TOCs, in order to get to Dover & hence the DFDS service to Dunkerque. Some went for services to Calais and rode along via various route options (Ian McS would join us halfway on Sunday). In my case, up bright and early, rolling just before seven to get the first fast-ish service to Waterloo. I was erring on the side of caution- booked on the 1400 sailing, so last check in 1300. National Rail website suggests best option is the (awkward & slow) schlep over to St Pancras for the HS1 service into Dover. Fortunately, I checked plan B, the slower- but more convenient depending on timings- Charing Cross line stopping service, which calls at Waterloo East. For some reason, the journey planner seems to think getting from one platform to the other in fifteen minutes is impossible- no, it isn't, I did it in about five, even allowing for briefly forgetting I had to use the lift to get to the step free footbridge over to the East platforms. Even with spending forty minutes longer on the train, this worked out faster than going over to STP, into Dover Priory, along with a few others on the same train, at 1055. In my case, I made a detour to Morrisons for lunch purchase before the twisty turny awkward route through the town, and the straighter bit to the ferry port, and then the even more awkward cycle route through it.

I have taken bikes on international ferries from Portsmouth, Harwich, Newhaven, Hook of Holland, Dieppe, Le Havre, Dunkerque, Ouistreham ('Caen' as Brittany Ferries refers to it), Cherbourg and Calais. All of those make getting round the port, checked in and on the ship simple. You just use the car lanes to get to check-in desks and to the big boaty thing. On occasion you even get your own lane. Dover port authorities, on the other hand, think they know better, that using the car lanes is too darn simple for mere cyclists. So, there is a red line. You must follow it as it winds here, there and seemingly every ******* where through the port. There are gates, and crossings. After going through passport controls- that bit is at least simple- you get a docket (and try not to let it blow away, DAMHIKT), then you have to check in at a hut/outbuilding, along with the lorry drivers. Which can take Some Time, if one of those drivers has a problem with his paperwork (guess what....) before you finally get the magic bit of paper that lets you on the ship. Only a couple of other cyclists joined us, including a young lady from Ghent, who had been visiting London and riding the north downs. Unlike the routing, the port staff were very helpful and efficient, and we were soon rolling round, onto the ramp and getting the bikes secured on board.

The sailing was very pleasant, weather perfect for it and the ship had clearly had a (very nice) refurbishment since I last used the route. Restaurant prices were a bit rich for my liking, the meal deal much more in my price range. No Calvados in the duty free though! Into Dunkerque port bang on time, and our little peloton was rolling again in about twenty minutes. Dunkerque port is quite a way out of town- as far as Ouistreham is from Caen, about ten miles- and a fairly straightforward ride, if you go the right way. A very awkward and uncomfortable one if you go the wrong way(s)- been there, done that, a couple of times. Unfortunately, we started off the wrong way- Andrew, leading the group, I think suffered Acts of Garmin- so we were going south, with lots of trucks on a fast D-road. After backtracking, round the roundabout and the correct turning, east, this time, adding a mile and a half or so to the trip. From there on, it was straightforward- east on the Route des Dunes, following the road round the lovely, lovely oil refinery, then on to the D1 all the way into town, the last stretch on excellent segregated cycle lanes. Even though we went past my hotel, I rode along to Fridays Central (for each tour, we ride to and then start from a meeting point), in this case the Hotel de Ville, and the Tour de France countdown timer (opening weekend all in the region, stage 3 finish in the town), which now bore a Fridays sticker (it was still there when we returned).

After Stephen's evening briefing, back to the B&B Hotel, which I knew well from previous visits, a good, convenient, reasonably priced option. After the shower and kit wash, dinner was at the splendid L'Estaminet Flamand (a Belgian restaurant seemed apt), where I resisted the carbonnade- decided to wait until Actual Belgium- in favour of tartiflette, which was jolly good.

 

[Domus]

The ride from Calais to Dunkirk was very easy, flat and a tailwind all the way to Gravelines then it went a bit pear shaped. The, up to then, superb bike path was diverted a few Kms south. It was well signed all the way around which would NEVER happen in the UK. We would just get route closed.
John and I had a nice picnic en route and good coffee in Gravelines and so not feeling too hungry ate dinner in the very nice Ibis. A nice gentle start to the tour.

 

[Patty1961]

It's only been…checks diary…three weeks (and I didn't write up anything for last years adventures in Normandy, oops), and as it's a day off- ITV4 on, naturally- thought I might actually start writing something. More (should be) to follow, and (ditto) pictures added.

Day Minus One : Home to Dunkerque
In order to get to day one, and the start in Dunkerque…we had to get to Dunkerque. For most of us, this involved tangling with multiple train services, and multiple TOCs, in order to get to Dover & hence the DFDS service to Dunkerque. Some went for services to Calais and rode along via various route options (Ian McS would join us halfway on Sunday). In my case, up bright and early, rolling just before seven to get the first fast-ish service to Waterloo. I was erring on the side of caution- booked on the 1400 sailing, so last check in 1300. National Rail website suggests best option is the (awkward & slow) schlep over to St Pancras for the HS1 service into Dover. Fortunately, I checked plan B, the slower- but more convenient depending on timings- Charing Cross line stopping service, which calls at Waterloo East. For some reason, the journey planner seems to think getting from one platform to the other in fifteen minutes is impossible- no, it isn't, I did it in about five, even allowing for briefly forgetting I had to use the lift to get to the step free footbridge over to the East platforms. Even with spending forty minutes longer on the train, this worked out faster than going over to STP, into Dover Priory, along with a few others on the same train, at 1055. In my case, I made a detour to Morrisons for lunch purchase before the twisty turny awkward route through the town, and the straighter bit to the ferry port, and then the even more awkward cycle route through it.

I have taken bikes on international ferries from Portsmouth, Harwich, Newhaven, Hook of Holland, Dieppe, Le Havre, Dunkerque, Ouistreham ('Caen' as Brittany Ferries refers to it), Cherbourg and Calais. All of those make getting round the port, checked in and on the ship simple. You just use the car lanes to get to check-in desks and to the big boaty thing. On occasion you even get your own lane. Dover port authorities, on the other hand, think they know better, that using the car lanes is too darn simple for mere cyclists. So, there is a red line. You must follow it as it winds here, there and seemingly every ******* where through the port. There are gates, and crossings. After going through passport controls- that bit is at least simple- you get a docket (and try not to let it blow away, DAMHIKT) you have to check in at a hut/outbuilding, along with the lorry drivers. Which can take Some Time, if one of those drivers has a problem with his paperwork (guess what....) before you finally get the magic bit of paper that lets you on the ship. Only a couple of other cyclists joined us, including a young lady from Ghent, who had been visiting London and riding the north downs. Unlike the routing, the port staff were very helpful and efficient, and we were soon rolling round, onto the ramp and getting the bikes secured on board.

The sailing was very pleasant, weather perfect for it and the ship had clearly had a (very nice) refurbishment since I last used the route. Restaurant prices were a bit rich for my liking, the meal deal much more in my price range. No Calvados in the duty free though! Into Dunkerque port bang on time, and our little peloton was rolling again in about twenty minutes. Dunkerque port is quite a way out of town- as far as Ouistreham is from Caen, about ten miles- and a fairly straightforward ride, if you go the right way. A very awkward and uncomfortable one if you go the wrong way(s)- been there, done that, a couple of times. Unfortunately, we started off the wrong way- Andrew, leading the group, I think suffered Acts of Garmin- so we were going south, with lots of trucks on a fast D-road. After backtracking, round the roundabout and the correct turning, east, this time, adding a mile and a half or so to the trip. From there on, it was straightforward- east on the Route des Dunes, following the road round the lovely, lovely oil refinery, then on to the D1 all the way into town, the last stretch on excellent segregated cycle lanes. Even though we went past my hotel, I rode along to Fridays Central (for each tour, we ride to and then start from a meeting point), in this case the Hotel de Ville, and the Tour de France countdown timer (opening weekend all in the region, stage 3 finish in the town), which now bore a Fridays sticker (it was still there when we returned).

After Stephen's evening briefing, back to the B&B Hotel, which I knew well from previous visits, a good, convenient, reasonably priced option. After the shower and kit wash, dinner was at the splendid L'Estaminet Flamande (a Belgian restaurant seemed apt), where I resisted the carbonnade- decided to wait until Actual Belgium- in favour of tartiflette, which was jolly good.

Thanks for writing this up, it’s almost identical to my Day 1 experience. I led 3 others astray from Dunkirk port from the 12pm sailing. We also headed along the busy exit road and then had to turn around and backtrack to take the correct turn off. In my defence I had the route on Komoot and was relying on audio only which the noise of all the HGVs had drowned out. I stopped to look at the map at the first safe place and the first place I thought there was any other road to choose from. That was about a mile and a half after the actual turn off.

 

[StuAff]

Day One: Dunkerque to Brugge

After a fitful night, thanks to a couple in a nearby room having an epic slanging match at 2am or thereabouts, though I still seemed to have got enough sleep somehow, I was up in plenty of time for a comprehensive breakfast. B&B hotels don't have the biggest selection of food at breakfast, but there's plenty of it & it's all quality. Then, after the wait for the lift (room for one bike, so it took a little time for us all to make our way out), back round to the Hotel de Ville, in plenty of time for the nine o'clock Grand Depart, where we all (apart from Ian, joining us in Nieuwpoort) were gathered. We were 28 in all, down from an original total of 30- Will, who had been on the same sailing yesterday, found the pace on the ride into town a bit hot for his liking, and after consulting with Stephen was going to do his own thing. Stephen was sadly not joined by his better half Rachel due to work.

And then, after the obligatory group photo, we were off. On previous trips up and down this coast, I'd gone for the route one option (not always entirely succesfully, I should add). The route Stephen and deputy Tim had come up with included a few variations- a stretch along the (very nice) promenade early on, then we picked up a splendid bike path alongside the railway line, which ran pretty much all the way to the border. At that point, most people were photographing the sign on the right hand side of the road, that said 'België'. I preferred to snap the one on the other side, that said 'Vlaanderen'. We weren't going anywhere in Wallonia, or the (bi-lingual) capital region, let alone the German-speaking region. Nope, just Flanders, so that's what I photographed. French to be used only as a third-choice language round here…

Soon afterwards, back onto the coastal promenades, and to De Panne, and after passing the amusingly named (at least to English-speakers with a love of ribald humour) Plopsaland theme park, a coffee stop at a restaurant (in case you hadn't worked out yet, this was very much a genteel tour). More, mostly traffic-free coastal paths, led to Niewpoort and our lunch stop, where we were joined by Ian. There was a large ferris wheel, with for some reason a large plastic gorilla outside, the latter proving a popular photo op for the group. I and a number of others went for food from a Delhaize supermarket- a rather excellent salad bowl in my case.

After we set off, there was a (free) ferry crossing across the Yser river. The next stretch was- you'll never guess- mostly along lovely off-road paths on the promenade. There was a (pleasant) bit of congestion caused by a VW bus rally at Westende (yup, a West end to go with the Oost end). On the last stretch towards the sea before the run all the way to Ostend, I was given the jabbing-finger treatment by a female cyclist who seemed to think I wasn't over far enough. Bit weird, there was enough room for her and I wasn't going to risk getting doored…Anyway, on we went to Ostend, and our afternoon stop. Some went in bars for a coffee, I had plenty of water in the bottles so I just drank from those.

When we set off, the last stretch into Brugge was unsurprisingly familiar, as we were following the reverse of the Brussels-Ostend FNRttK route. A few cobbles, but mostly gorgeous smooth paths alongside the Gent-Ostend canal, all the way to Brugge. Fridays Central was naturally the Grote Markt. Stephen reminded us that as tomorrow was the longest tour day, to Antwerp, it would be an 8.30 start not 9.00. Total mileage (including the onward journey to modest little digs) 50.54 miles in 5:05 moving time, 10:19 elapsed (yes, that's a lot of stopping time!).

Then, we dispersed to our hotels. I was really looking forward to this one, Dukes' Academie. Not because it was four star (it was barely more expensive than the Ibis Styles), or the many excellent reviews on booking websites, the pictures I'd seen of the place, or the excellent customer service I'd already experienced (having asked about bike storage, not only was I told I could use the underground parking garage, I got the necessary access codes etc). Though that all helped, of course. No, the clincher was a one-star review on TripAdvisor, and the reply it got was a thing of beauty, direct link here.

TLDR: Mrs Awkward claims that the hotel is hard to find & they drove past several times because the big signs say Hotel Academie not Dukes Academie (well, it's a narrow street, and there aren't any other hotels on it at all, let alone ones with a similar name- and let's face it, you could always pop in and ask!). 'It stinks of sewage'. No, it's an immaculately clean building. Rooms are 'very basic', 'depressing single room with a broken coffee machine'. Pish. My room was advertised as a 'cosy single'. It would have been cramped as a twin, but plenty spacious for me. All mod cons, very comfortable, quiet, huge immaculate bathroom. Reception staff were lovely. Biggest issue I had, cue microscopically tiny violins, the supplied cup was a bit too tall for the Nespresso machine (which worked perfectly), so I spilt a bit of water using it. The reply to that review: the staff bent over backwards for Mrs Awkward, spending 25 minutes on the phone trying to guide her to the hotel with large obvious signage, even though they'd given her a full route, street by street, via email. They even sent a member of staff out to guide her in person. She then decided she'd like breakfast, for free, by way of compensation, and this was declined. "We understand that this was not what you expected or had hoped for, but remain confident that we did all to assist you correctly and profesionally". Chef's kiss, that.

For dinner that night, a few of us ended up at https://www.restaurantdewittezwaan.be/ after we first tried another place that was fully booked. Second time was a charm. Some of us were just going for mains until I pointed out the three course set menu was a bargain (cheaper than just a main!). Food was excellent- I went for the carbonnade stoofvlees, generous portions too.

 

[StuAff]

Day Two: Brugge to Antwerp

After an excellent night's sleep, down to the breakfast room at 7.30. Unsurprisingly, as excellent as everything else at the hotel. I remarked to the other three tourists staying there that, tongue firmly in cheek, 'I'm deeply regretting my life choices right now'. As for the food: 'What do you want for breakfast?'. 'Yes'. Whatever you wanted to eat, they probably had it. Unless you're that woman on TripAdvisor, I imagine…The only disadvantage of this fabulous offering was that between the start of service and our earlier meeting time, there wasn't the chance to enjoy even more of it. Despite having made my way there from the Markt without issue, I cut departure a bit fine, and I managed to lead John astray, so we got the mandatory slow handclap for being tardy. Oops!

Today's route was (obviously) inland, but in many respects more of the same: nice quiet roads, immaculate surfaces (the tarmac at least- the cobbles were an obvious exception, but 'touristy' ones not five-star sector pavé), lots of segregated cycle lanes. Morning coffee stop was in Maldegem, with an Aldi and a McDonalds in close proximity. I went for the former. Then, on we went. Shortly before the lunch stop, we crossed into the Netherlands, for the first time this week. Someone decided to take a photo of the country sign on the border, and stopped right in front of me. Fortunately my brakes were up to the job! Our stop was in the town of Sas van Gent (it sits on the Gent-Ternuzen Canal), and we paused at a supermarket for food (the cashier seamlessly shifted into English when we got to the checkout), before eating at a rather idyllic spot overlooking the canal. As was par for the course this week, it was warm, very warm, and dry- though not quite the blast furnace of the Cologne tour- so it was important to keep fluid levels topped up and (speaking from painful experience here) to apply sunscreen frequently and liberally.

After lunch, we crossed the aforementioned waterway, then not long afterwards back into Belgium. Afternoon stop was in Sint-Gillis-Waas (a Carrefour market store), and then the final stretch into Antwerp, including a crossing of the Scheldt which offered a terrific view of the splendid waterfront. Then, on to Brabo's Monument, and after a drink (just the one, not only was the bar owner pointlessly aggrieved at bikes on his 'just cleaned' screens, a lemonade was €5, that hurt), on to the hotel- like a good number of us, I was in the central Ibis. There's the odd sub-par if not full-blown duff hotel in the chain, this certainly wasn't one of them, up to the usual excellent standard. Today's mileage was 66.81 in 6:02, 9:36 elapsed.

When searching for somewhere good to eat in the area, somewhere very handy- right across the Theatreplein from the hotel-immediately tickled my sense of humour, and it had rather good reviews. Balls & Glory. Food in balls- so meatballs, falafel, etc. And, those who joined me there agreed, rather glorious. Some of us also had some Bolleke to drink (triggering much double-entendre induced chortling from me).

 

[srw]

If only those who got lost coming out of Dunkirk had followed the supplied instructions which specified crossing two lanes of lorries before leaving the port. Or had even waited for someone who had done the route recently, say on the recce......

 

[StuAff]

If only those who got lost coming out of Dunkirk had followed the supplied instructions which specified crossing two lanes of lorries before leaving the port. Or had even waited for someone who had done the route recently, say on the recce......

I can only agree. Didn't manage to go that wrong way before…

 

[Domus]

Calais port staff laid on a “follow me” van for John and I. Directly from the ferry ramp to the cycle path we wanted. 👍

 

[StuAff]

Day Three: Antwerp to Antwerp (rest day, or not....)
As the headline shows, we were in Antwerp for two nights. Doing nothing much except being a regular tourist, or resting nagging injuries were choices some of us made. For those who were willing and able to go for a ride, there were two options. Tim led a shortish tour of the city and some of its many interesting bits of architecture- the MAS museum and the Port Authority building (the last completed project in her lifetime by Zara Hadid) for example. Stephen led a rather longer, multinational ride option. Given I've twice ridden centuries on previous 'rest days', you won't be surprised to learn I went for that one…

Breakfast at the Ibis was the usual high standard- not quite the extraordinary offering of Dukes' Academie's buffet, but still lots of kinds of quality everything. Then, over with Stephen and others to the monument, for nine o'clock again, where about half of us were up to making many, many border crossings, and reminding ourselves what a bike feels like without a load of touring kit strapped to it. In my case, I just had the handlebar bag, and the D-lock (non-optional for any time the bike's out of sight) strapped firmly to the rack. Apart from that, 'same old same old' for this tour- well, it wasn't getting old!- quiet roads, lovely dedicated paths (use where provided is mandatory in Belgian law, but that's no hardship when it's quality, sensible infrastructure), no grief from drivers, bit too warm but OK…

Morning coffee stop, after an arduous 16.5 miles in two hours (we were travelling lighter but we still weren't racing!) was in the lovely town of Brecht, about forty minutes in the shade. About ten miles and an hour later, now in the Netherlands (only the first of today's borders) saw one of those occasional waymarking cock-ups. Someone left their post prematurely, and Peter (TEC in the absence of Adrian) and whoever else it was at the back missed the turn. A mobile phone call put them back on the right path, and the rest of us waited for about twenty minutes whilst they caught up. Stephen sent out a stern reminder on the WhatsApp group that evening about not moving from your post until the designated all-upper releases you. The last stretch into our destination was enlivened by the appearance of someone (much, much) faster. Even those who have no interest in pro cycling will have heard of a chap called Tadej Pogačar, he's quite good at bike racing. Well, his UAE Team Emirates XRG employers also have a Women's World Tour team, UAE Team ADQ, and this young lady (probably one of their two Dutch riders) was one of them. Full team kit, Colnago TT bike in team-correct spec and colour scheme, very expensive glasses, and she was doing 20-25 mph (at a rough guess) yet turning the pedals as easily as if she were nipping out for a pint of milk. She came back in the opposite direction, so probably doing laps.

And then, we reached our destination. In the Netherlands. And Belgium. And, er, both…Baale-Nassau (the Dutch bits) and Baale-Hertog (the Belgian bits). There are enclaves like the Vatican or San Marino, quite big ones in the case of Lesotho (those three are the only sovereign nation enclaves), there are bits of one country in another, or only accessible through another…then there's Baale. As a result of numerous land deals and treaties between the ruling nobles of the region, ownership of the area had become highly complicated. There was a need to settle the borders after Belgium claimed independence in 1830, the resulting conflict with the Dutch was finally resolved by the 1839 Treaty of London. The 1843 Treaty of Maastricht mostly settled the borders, but as there was no possibility to have one clear line of demarcation in Baale, the solution was to divide the territory into 5732 parcels of land. Those in turn were divided between the two countries in larger parcels- 30 in all (one of which, Zondereigen, is in Belgium, but contains a Dutch parcel). So, it's entirely within the Netherlands. Apart from the Belgian bits. And the Dutch bits that are inside some of those Belgian bits. Parts of houses, even parts of individual rooms, can be across an international border. The status of the last parcel wasn't sorted out until 1995! Confused yet? Remarkably, it just seems to have worked out OK, and unsurprisingly the town is popular with tourists. I had lunch at a pancake restaurant (Dutch chain, not sure which country or countries I was in but the food was great). A good primer from the BBC on the place here. Official Baale tourist website here. Numerous border crossings, and obligatory photo ops, later, we were heading back towards the, er, main Belgian border…

We didn't go back along the same route, to start with we headed south (only another two more border crossings on that stretch, into Belgium then back into NL) before turning west and leaving NL for the last time on the tour. Well, possibly, we passed through Zondereigen and the maps are unclear if we went through the Dutch enclave! After that, we absolutely positively were in Belgium…

Afternoon stop was just south of Brecht, at a dairy farm with its own ice cream parlour. Not particularly fond of ice cream these days, so I had a (very nice) bottle of milkshake- glass recycling provided. After that, back into Antwerp via a parallel route to the way we went in. I missed a mile or so of ride recording after switching the Garmin off at the fountain, but 69.61 miles recorded (so just under 71 actual), in 5:50 moving, 10:13 elapsed.

Tonight's dinner was only slightly further round the corner than B&G, at De Mezzanine, with about ten of us. Excellent food- I went for the chicken vol-au-vent, followed by a cheesecake, and a fruit-based (40% ABV) drink.

​

 

[StuAff]

Day Four: Antwerp to Ghent

Another comprehensive Ibis breakfast, and then back to the fountain. Unfortunately, we were a man down- Andrew had eaten something or other that disagreed with him, so made his way to Ghent via the train (at least there's a direct service). On account of leaving a major city at nine in the morning, we did it a little differently to handle the congestion. Tim led half of us back to the ferry across the Scheldt, once enough had assembled, Stephen led the rest to the St Anna's tunnel under it. Once we regrouped, just for a change, we were riding along very nice riverside paths for long stretches. Despite the repetition, this was anything but boring, honest! Morning coffee stop was at a fish restaurant overlooking the river in Temse (15 miles and a couple of hours out). After another five or so miles west, we turned south, crossing the Durme (a tributary of the Scheldt) and going through Hamme, where there was a navigational error, soon fixed. Then, SW, all the way down to rejoin the Scheldt paths for a bit, before continuing west to the town of Zele and today's supermarket stop, another Carrefour market. Twenty or so minutes later, on we went, to the lunch location itself, yet another rather idyllic spot overlooking the Donkmeer lake, ideal for a picnic, complete with handy bar for those who fancied a coffee or alcoholic beverage.

After that, on west, along the Scheldt for much of the remainder, all the way to Ghent, with Fridays Central being the very hard to miss Stadshal (City Pavilion), a striking modern canopy that offered handy cover from the sun. That's right, no afternoon coffee stop, this was only 46 miles or so from the fountain, and we reached it by four. With that, most of us dispersed to find a bar, or their hotel…

But not me, and a few others. It's traditional on Fridays tours for those not ride leading to buy a little cycling related something for the two or three leaders. There's a lot of work involved, even before you get to the main event. Planning beforehand. Admin. The recce isn't a 'free holiday', though the costs are covered by the rest of the party, it's an opportunity for lots of things to go wrong so (hopefully) they won't happen on the day. Streetview won't always tell you if your intended route is viable, or if that suitable-looking cafe is in fact suitable, or even open when you want it to be. Stephen and Tim had indeed found at least one stretch more suitable for Unbound Gravel than a fully laden touring party, so we didn't have to ride it. And after that, the actual tour leading, which often seems like herding cats, even without awkward customers like that guy who hit a catseye on Reigate Hill, then ended up in hospital in Ostend…oh, wait a minute…

The rest day in Antwerp seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some discreet shopping, so that very morning I started a new WhatsApp group and added a few people (everyone else ended up on it) to form a shopping operation executive (the historical reference seemed apt for a covert task). Our mission, should we choose to accept it, to buy something nice for Tim- he, it turned out, had already arranged a purchase for Stephen, a jersey with Lion of Flanders design, Sal had brought that with her. I was thinking something like that for Tim, perhaps some socks or a cap… Rest day purchasing opportunities unfortunately came to nothing, the bike shops Agent Claudine tried offered nothing except utilitarian items of clothing. Hi-viz, want we did not. But, so I thought, there should be an excellent plan B. Ghent was the home of a legendary bike shop, Plum. Founded in 1910. It was a hub for foreign cyclists. Tom Simpson, Garry Wiggins (father of Brad), Allan Peiper and many others stayed with the owners nearby. When we were last in town on a tour, in 2017, I recall Adrian needed something or other fixed on his bike, and they sorted him out. He also bought a very nice cap there. I'd window-shopped the Ostend Plum (originally founded in 1978 as a branch of Ghent, though they were no longer connected), and it looked fab. So, in my mind, this was always a place I wanted to visit for myself (been past it, but never been there at the right time) and would be just the place to get something for Tim.

You know that line about not meeting your heroes? Well, the ones I've met in person were all lovely. But Plum…it was Las Vegas Elvis. It was that show where the performer was phoning it in, or playing that album no-one likes except them. It has lots of positive reviews on Google, it's possible we just caught the staff on a bad day…but Lucien, a big Belgian chain, took them over a couple of years ago. The legendary Aladdin's cave is seemingly no more. They still stock road bikes, allegedly…but the store (thoroughly and expensively refurbished) is now more like a showroom. Big on the city/utility thing, less so on everything else. Not clear if they've still got the legendary museum in the basement, we didn't hang around that long. When we asked about clothing, we were pointed at a rather small and generic selection on the wall. I told the guy I was hoping for something…Belgian. Nope, they didn't stock anything like that. They couldn't, or wouldn't, even sell Claudine a spoke key, FFS…But they did, however, point us in the direction of AS Adventure, a nearby branch of a general outdoor chain. It had a small, but perfectly formed selection of cycling clothing, and staff that actually wanted to sell things to people. Still didn't have a spoke key (Claudine eventually borrowed one from Eddie), but they did have items from the (Belgian company) Bioracer's Belgian Cycling range. So, we selected a very natty cap for Tim, and I got myself a pair of socks, which are terrific (Bioracer's own site has a slightly different design, OK but not as nice a design).

Job done, on to the hotel. Total mileage for the day- including the shopping excursion- 49.9 miles, 5:04 moving, 8:17 elapsed. The Ibis Budget near Dampoort station (opened 2018) expanded two years ago with an Adagio Access aparthotel, offering studios with a kitchenette, Nespresso machine, and a bit more luxury. So, one building, one reception, shared facilities like restaurant, laundry & gym…some of us were in the Budget, I went posh(er). Very happy with it- room was big enough that the bike wasn't in the way (no risk of stumbling into it in the night), nice decor, comfy bed, and even decent tea. Heated towel rail didn't work, for me at least, so I used a dryer in the laundry later on (€2). Then, dinner. On that last visit in 2017, our tour dinner was at Carlos Quinto, and it was terrific. I remember the stoofvlees was splendid. A few others joined me there, and…well... Our waitress was getting a bit stressed (a group of regulars were in, there was a mistake with food being sent to another table, she was worried about comebacks)…so, not everything ran as smoothly as it might have done. But the stew was still splendid, so I was happy.

 

[ianmac62]

Excellent write-up, StuAff! Thanks!
Just waiting to see if you’ll beat my best breakfast. In Antwerp, stayed with a couple through Vrienden op de Fiets. For the morning of the Enclaves ride, we’d arranged breakfast for 0800. As I walked in to their kitchen-diner, the lady walked in with a lovely omelette aux herbes fines!

 

[StuAff]

@ianmac62 For personal service, no. Though I did get some fresh scrambled eggs in Ieper!

Day Five: Ghent to Ieper [I'll stick to the Flemish version]

After another decent night's sleep, the usual ibis budget breakfast- some moaning online about crowding, dirt, etc…well, yes it's busy. Well known reasonably priced hotel chain in major tourist area a bit busy, whodathunkit? No problem getting a table, anyway, no problems with hygiene, and the usual quality offering- not quite all the options of 'regular' ibis, but only Mrs Awkward of TripAdvisor would have an issue finding something suitable. I certainly enjoyed it. Then, at 8.45 or so, team budget/posher formed up to go into the centre. No-one got lost or tangled with tramlines. Andrew again thought it was better to take trains, still under the weather. Ian was so intent on navigating to the Stadshal that he nearly rode past it because he was looking at his Garmin (perhaps it should be twinned with Arundel Castle?). A loud chorus put him right, though.


At the risk of sounding like a broken record: more lovely cycling infrastructure, though perhaps the best bit of the whole trip was on the outskirts of Ghent, the Zoé Bortluut Bridge over the E40 motorway. Dedicated to cyclists & pedestrians, twisty turny spiral but very gentle gradient, and easy to bomb along quite nicely. Over here someone would be complaining about woke cycle lanes etc…Pretty much everything was off-road and terrific quality. At some point, we saw signs for Nazareth, which instantly brought to mind the words 'Jesus is Here!' Coffee in Deinze, after an arduous 13 miles and an hour and a half riding since the Ibis.

Lunch was in Ooigem, about 25 miles in- another Proxy Delhaize (or bars or restaurants). Fittingly, we did the last stretch into town on a cycle route named after Stijn Devolder (Kortrijk lad, double winner of the Tour of Flanders). After an hour so, off we went northwest. More lovely paths along the River Leie and the canal that linked it and Roesalaere. Our afternoon coffee stop was in the town. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to meet up with our old friend Els (@swarm_catcher), who's moved back there. Another forty minutes or so, and we were on our way again.

We had an extra stop before entering Ieper. Tyne Cot Cemetary is the largest Commonweath military cemetary in the world- 11,965 are buried there. Ian, as our historian on the trip, did a short talk explaining, among other things, the name- the troops of the Northumberland Fusiliers thought the Germans' concrete bunkers in the area resembled the cottages (hence cots) back home. After a very emotional, contemplative hour there, on we went to Ieper. Some of us, naturally, had some more remembrance later on in mind. Just about 5.15, we arrived at Fridays Central, the magnificent Cloth Hall (destroyed in the 1914-18 carnage, rebuilt after it with German reparations funding, as was much of the town).

After a pleasant drink (despite a somewhat cantankerous waiter), four of us went to our digs for the night, a B&B called Elysian. Three bedrooms, so we had the place to ourselves, bikes secured safely downstairs. Kris our host was great- flexible on our arrival time (the company runs multiple properties, so no-one permanently onsite), informative about the local area, and we even got a lift to the Menin Gate later on. My room was excellent, immaculate and modern bathroom as well. It's got very high ratings on booking.com (etc), and they're deserved. Today's mileage: 51.9 in 4:49 moving, 9:44 elapsed.

A fair number of us were only going to be in one place at 8pm that evening- the Menin Gate, for the nightly Last Post Ceremony. Kris had given us a lift in plenty of time. Ten incredibly moving minutes, impeccably observed by the crowd. After that, food was on the agenda. Made a brief stop in the Biking Bar (featuring a lot of memorabilia, including a shrine to the Flemish great Freddy Maertens), then ate with a few others at Leo's Burgers (most excellent).

 

[StuAff]

Day Six: Ieper to Dunkerque

Team Elysian rose to a simple but quality breakfast: bread, cold meats & cheese, coffee, and freshly made scrambled eggs thanks to Kris. Then, over to the Cloth Hall, for our last ride in Vlaanderen (sniff). We regained one rider- Andrew feeling well enough to get back on the bike- and lost one. Claudine had been having issues with the rear tyre on her Brompton, which led to her getting public transport part way yesterday. She would go in search of a replacement tyre in Ieper, got sold the wrong size, had to take it back…she'd thankfully get it all sorted out & was able to join Team Ferry on Saturday.

Our first stop, after taking a circuitous route out of town (we weren't in a rush), was the Yorkshire Trench & Dugout, an underground command post uncovered by a farmer in 1992 and with preservation works ongoing. First Second stop was another sombre one- the German cemetary at Langemark, and the neighbouring, very striking, peace monument inaugurated in 2016. Ian discussed the place many of those interred had in the (all-too-powerful) myth of the 'slaughter of German youth' (which bore little or no relation to historical fact). After that, we went for coffee in the village square- naturally a rather cheerier affair, chatted to a couple of interested locals. Half an hour later, off we went NW. After about an hour and a half, Stuart G's rear tyre decided we all needed another break, and got punctured by a massive nail. Being a Brompton puncture, this took a while to sort, and the rest of us got about fifty minutes waiting in a thankfully shaded spot off the road before Stu and the tail end rejoined us. Half an hour later or so, we were back in France- we actually rode along the border for a while, but eventually we crossed over, at a near-invisible (unless you knew what to look for) point. Our exciting lunch stop, an Aldi in Hondschoote. Bargaintastic baklava, nom! No real need to find a picnic stop, and it was 1.30 by the time we got there anyway, so we just sat on the grass outside the store. I noticed a nearby road sign indicated a turn for Wormhout, the site of a notorious massacre of POWs by SS troops in 1940. So much blood has been spilt in these lands…

After an hour or so, off we went towards Dunkerque. Given the distance left to cover- only about 15 miles- the planned afternoon stop was abandoned, and just before four, we returned to the Hotel de Ville. A fraction under 44 miles, 3:49 moving, 8:08 elapsed by the time I returned to the B&B Hotel. Tim had procured a bottle of Pineau des Charentes (Calvados not available). 17% and eminently drinkable. We drained the bottle, so I think that was a consensus. Eddie and Mary had to return to Real Life earlier than the rest of us, so they departed for the ferry, making the six o'clock sailing.

Everyone else, having repaired to hotels, would reconvene for the usual end of tour dinner, at 3 Brasseurs in the Pole Martime cinema/entertainment complex. A chain restaurant, but excellent food, great staff, the beer selection seemed more than satisfactory…everyone had a good time I think. Starters were sharing plates covered by club funds, and I had choucroute for main. Portion size was rather generous, it felt a bit like me vs food briefly, but as I posted on WhatsApp, "Food 0, Human Dustbin 1". Followed by chocolate mousse and one last calvados. I was also on speech duties, and did the presentation of the gifts to our 'lions of the Fridays', as I dubbed them, Stephen and Tim. Both speech and pressies went down well.

 

[Trickedem]

Day Four: Antwerp to Ghent

Another comprehensive Ibis breakfast, and then back to the fountain. Unfortunately, we were a man down- Andrew had eaten something or other that disagreed with him, so made his way to Ghent via the train (at least there's a direct service). On account of leaving a major city at nine in the morning, we did it a little differently to handle the congestion. Tim led half of us back to the ferry across the Scheldt, once enough had assembled, Stephen led the rest to the St Anna's tunnel under it. Once we regrouped, just for a change, we were riding along very nice riverside paths for long stretches. Despite the repetition, this was anything but boring, honest! Morning coffee stop was at a fish restaurant overlooking the river in Temse (15 miles and a couple of hours out). After another five or so miles west, we turned south, crossing the Durme (a tributary of the Scheldt) and going through Hamme, where there was a navigational error, soon fixed. Then, SW, all the way down to rejoin the Scheldt paths for a bit, before continuing west to the town of Zele and today's supermarket stop, another Carrefour market. Twenty or so minutes later, on we went, to the lunch location itself, yet another rather idyllic spot overlooking the Donkmeer lake, ideal for a picnic, complete with handy bar for those who fancied a coffee or alcoholic beverage.

After that, on west, along the Scheldt for much of the remainder, all the way to Ghent, with Fridays Central being the very hard to miss Stadshal (City Pavilion), a striking modern canopy that offered handy cover from the sun. That's right, no afternoon coffee stop, this was only 46 miles or so from the fountain, and we reached it by four. With that, most of us dispersed to find a bar, or their hotel…

But not me, and a few others. It's traditional on Fridays tours for those not ride leading to buy a little cycling related something for the two or three leaders. There's a lot of work involved, even before you get to the main event. Planning beforehand. Admin. The recce isn't a 'free holiday', though the costs are covered by the rest of the party, it's an opportunity for lots of things to go wrong so (hopefully) they won't happen on the day. Streetview won't always tell you if your intended route is viable, or if that suitable-looking cafe is in fact suitable, or even open when you want it to be. Stephen and Tim had indeed found at least one stretch more suitable for Unbound Gravel than a fully laden touring party, so we didn't have to ride it. And after that, the actual tour leading, which often seems like herding cats, even without awkward customers like that guy who hit a catseye on Reigate Hill, then ended up in hospital in Ostend…oh, wait a minute…

The rest day in Antwerp seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some discreet shopping, so that very morning I started a new WhatsApp group and added a few people (everyone else ended up on it) to form a shopping operation executive (the historical reference seemed apt for a covert task). Our mission, should we choose to accept it, to buy something nice for Tim- he, it turned out, had already arranged a purchase for Stephen, a jersey with Lion of Flanders design, Sal had brought that with her. I was thinking something like that for Tim, perhaps some socks or a cap… Rest day purchasing opportunities unfortunately came to nothing, the bike shops Agent Claudine tried offered nothing except utilitarian items of clothing. Hi-viz, want we did not. But, so I thought, there should be an excellent plan B. Ghent was the home of a legendary bike shop, Plum. Founded in 1910. It was a hub for foreign cyclists. Tom Simpson, Garry Wiggins (father of Brad), Allan Peiper and many others stayed with the owners nearby. When we were last in town on a tour, in 2017, I recall Adrian needed something or other fixed on his bike, and they sorted him out. He also bought a very nice cap there. I'd window-shopped the Ostend Plum (originally founded in 1978 as a branch of Ghent, though they were no longer connected), and it looked fab. So, in my mind, this was always a place I wanted to visit for myself (been past it, but never been there at the right time) and would be just the place to get something for Tim.

You know that line about not meeting your heroes? Well, the ones I've met in person were all lovely. But Plum…it was Las Vegas Elvis. It was that show where the performer was phoning it in, or playing that album no-one likes except them. It has lots of positive reviews on Google, it's possible we just caught the staff on a bad day…but Lucien, a big Belgian chain, took them over a couple of years ago. The legendary Aladdin's cave is seemingly no more. They still stock road bikes, allegedly…but the store (thoroughly and expensively refurbished) is now more like a showroom. Big on the city/utility thing, less so on everything else. Not clear if they've still got the legendary museum in the basement, we didn't hang around that long. When we asked about clothing, we were pointed at a rather small and generic selection on the wall. I told the guy I was hoping for something…Belgian. Nope, they didn't stock anything like that. They couldn't, or wouldn't, even sell Claudine a spoke key, FFS…But they did, however, point us in the direction of AS Adventure, a nearby branch of a general outdoor chain. It had a small, but perfectly formed selection of cycling clothing, and staff that actually wanted to sell things to people. Still didn't have a spoke key (Claudine eventually borrowed one from Eddie), but they did have items from the (Belgian company) Bioracer's Belgian Cycling range. So, we selected a very natty cap for Tim, and I got myself a pair of socks, which are terrific (Bioracer's own site has a slightly different design, OK but not as nice a design).

Job done, on to the hotel. Total mileage for the day- including the shopping excursion- 49.9 miles, 5:04 moving, 8:17 elapsed. The Ibis Budget near Dampoort station (opened 2018) expanded two years ago with an Adagio Access aparthotel, offering studios with a kitchenette, Nespresso machine, and a bit more luxury. So, one building, one reception, shared facilities like restaurant, laundry & gym…some of us were in the Budget, I went posh(er). Very happy with it- room was big enough that the bike wasn't in the way (no risk of stumbling into it in the night), nice decor, comfy bed, and even decent tea. Heated towel rail didn't work, for me at least, so I used a dryer in the laundry later on (€2). Then, dinner. On that last visit in 2017, our tour dinner was at Carlos Quinto, and it was terrific. I remember the stoofvlees was splendid. A few others joined me there, and…well... Our waitress was getting a bit stressed (a group of regulars were in, there was a mistake with food being sent to another table, she was worried about comebacks)…so, not everything ran as smoothly as it might have done. But the stew was still splendid, so I was happy.

I was delighted with my cap. Thanks

 

[StuAff]

Day Seven: Dunkerque to Home

People were booked on multiple ferries- those who wanted to get going early on the 10am sailing, late risers the 2pm, I like quite a few others went for the middle option, the noon. So, no real rush in the morning, and left the B&B at 9.15. Even after a spot of Eric Morecambe navigation (yes, I could have just waited for them to roll past, but...), I was at the Hotel de Ville on time for the departure of a group led by Johnny, we left again straight away. It was very straightforward- one nav error at a roundabout, quickly reversed- and in a little over an hour we were at the port waiting to board. A couple of touring cyclists- a fully laden bike, the young lady going to north Wales, and a very unladen one- a UCI Continental (the third, pro-am tier) rider on his team bike & in kit, visiting friends. Also a guy with a homemade velomobile, he didn't have much English so communication was an issue, but his bike looked pretty impressive for DIY. In view of foot-and-mouth regulations, some violating foods had to be consumed or disposed of, so I had some salami thanks to Claudine.

Another pleasant sailing, lunch being a How Much? but at least it tasted excellent sandwich deal, before the trudge out of Dover- we were off the boat sharpish, which was nice. At Priory, the timings for trains indicated the HS1 option was the better, so went for that- the usual 'find a vestibule' fun. Into STP on time I think, and the ride to Waterloo was one of two halves. First half: no bother, standard. Get to Waterloo Bridge and it's closed for a Gaza protest march. Detour round to Westminster Bridge and back put paid to making the 1530 fast service south, so the stopper it was (I don't think the Charing Cross line option would have worked out better). Back to Hilsea station at 1740 or so, home ten minutes later. I'd booked two weeks leave, so the rest of the weekend wasn't manic.

Same time next year?