We found an amazing breakfast spot around the corner from our hotel, Juliette. I had waffles and fruit, the best waffles in Belgium. Mmmmm, and the fresh squeezed juice was so good.
Before we left we had plans to return the following day.
Since Bruges was so crowded and overrun with tourists yesterday we decided to rent bikes from our hotel and ride along the canal to Damme. After reading some forums and looking at the map, I thought, why not go to Sluis, the town after Damme? The hotel owner confirmed the idea since the towns are so close. Damn is about five miles away and Sluis is another six miles.
After passing the fourth windmill in Bruges we turned right, following the bike path along the Damme canal.
The Damme canal is also known as the Napoplean canal, as Napolean Bonaparte ordered its construction to aid in the efficient transport of troops.
And now there is a 170 passenger Damme steamboat that travels back and forth to Bruges.
The Damme bell tower doesn't open for a few hours so we checked out the town, knowing we would return at 15:00.
Just like Bruges, Damme, close to the sea, used to be an important port town as well.
These are km, of course.
We are closer to Sluis than Bruges so there is no going back now!
I mean, not right now.
Before we knew it we were in the town of Sluis, using the internet to see if there are any ice cream shops that we shouldn't miss. Well, there aren't, but upon looking at the map we realized that we were no longer in Belgium. We accidentally rode our bikes to the Netherlands!
These Flemish fries were excellent.
No our fry order isn't huge, the drinks are small. Well, this is a typical size in Europe.
Just the right amount of sugar.
If Joop and Joost ever come to the US they might be extremely disappointed at our gift shops.
The dirt road was a detour, to another part of Sluis.
It may have added another mile or two to our 22 mile journey.
As we rode down the canal we saw a cyclist using this movable, hand-cranked bridge. We didn't have to cross, but we went back and forth anyway. It works great! What a concept.
(I cranked too but the background of the pictures was so blurry when I did it, so I let Eric get us the rest of the way across. Slow and steady!)
Back at the Damme bell tower for the best Damme view in the city!
It costs two euro per person to walk up the stairs, which hardly covers the cost to clean the bell tower twice a year. It is a steal but the owners are adamant about not raising the price, they want it accessible to all. (The bell tower in Bruges costs twelve euro a head.)
So, that is all she wrote!
We left at 10:00 and returned back to Bruges at 18:00.
This has been one of the most unforgettable bike rides ever.
I LOVE this bike ride. Wow. What beauty. AND you were in two countries. How very cool is that.
ReplyDeleteLove it all... WOW. I'm running out of adjectives.
“Traveling — it leaves you speechless,
then turns you into a storyteller.”
– Ibn Battuta