Across the fields of Flanders

The rain in Bruges was relentless last night and we slept to the constant sound of rain on the roof. Sadly our view of the town was therefore rather limited as neither of us fancied a drenching.

The rain had stopped by morning although the skies looked angry, so we decided that we would go to Ypres today to visit the memorial at the Menin Gate where one of Sue`s relatives name in inscribed.

Charles Bishop Rose died on the 7^th June 1917 fighting for a ridge on the front line just outside Ypres. His body was never found.

Another of the thousands of lives sadly wasted in a futile assault to gain a few yards of land in a war that nobody believed in. So sad.

The rain held off so we walked around the town and the Cloth Hall and looked in a few shops.

Ypres host’s a whole industry dedicated to the Great War with souvenir shops selling every kind of tat, Battlefield tours and Cemetery tours. If there`s a euro to be earned then someone is doing it. The commercialisation of death doesn`t sit comfortably, but I suppose people are sufficiently interested and it`s the world we live in.

We didn`t dwell too much on the details of the various Battles in the area although for those interested there is lots of information in the Tourist Office.

Parking in Ypres was very easy, we were about 200 yards from the Menin Gate by the canal.

After lunch we decided to head East towards the border with Germany where the Weather app tells us the sun will soon be shining.

After crossing the fields of Flanders we settled on Lac de la Gileppe as a stopover. GPS 50.586854  5.969171

The Gileppe Dam is an arch-gravity dam on the Gileppe river in Jalhay, Liège province, Wallonia, Belgium. It was built in the 1870s to supply water for the wool industry in nearby Verviers. The monumental structure with its unusually thick profile played an important role in establishing an international standard for masonry gravity dams as a technology for major water supply systems. It was considered one of the strongest dams in Europe at the time, and it was the first dam built in modern Belgium. 

Today there is a modern visitor centre, a tower with a panoramic view restaurant at the top with lifts and every kind of outdoor activity. Think Carsington Water Derbyshire and you`ll get the picture.

The Belgium authorities have kindly provided free overnight parking close to the dam for four motorhomes with, get this, free electricity !

Tomorrow we will head for Koblenz and hope to find some sun.

Menin Gate through which all troops paraded through on their way to battle

Sue at Menin Gate War Memorial

Lac de la Gileppe Dam

Three Countries in one day

Stopover Name	Kanaaeiland Bruges
GPS	N051.196016    E003.225546
Weather	Rain       High :  12       Low :  9
Cost	25  Euro for 24 hours

This evening we are parked up in the Bruges Motorhome Aire Kanaaleiland, next to the Marina and just a short walk across the canal to the town. The beautiful medieval town of Bruges is unlike most in this part of the World in that it is largely original, having escaped the raveges of two World Wars that went on around it over the last hundred years.  It is regarded as one of the best preserved pre motorised towns in Europe with narrow streets and quaint buildings. A proper tourist magnet and for good reason.

Today we drove 320 miles across England, France and Belgium and had an uneventful journey despite leaving home later then planned.

Unfortunately it started raining on the way here and has only just relented slightly. The outlook for the next couple of days is also wet and cool.
It`s very disappointing as I had planned a full day here tomorrow having a wander around but given the weather, we may press on on search of something drier. Not sure where yet but the maps will be out later.

On the up side, the Satellite system has a signal so Sue`s happily watching Morse.

Ed safely parked up for the night

Our Neighbours for the night

Bruges Marina next to the Aire

All packed up and ready to go

Well, were just about ready to depart on our motorhome adventure “Wheels Around Europe”

Final checks made, lists have been compiled, checked and checked again, Ed has been fueled, oiled and serviced, packed to the max with everything we think we might need and a good deal of stuff we will probably never need.

Louis has been vaccinated, wormed, washed, trimmed and groomed.

The house has been vac`ed, dusted and polished for the benefit of …. er, not sure.

Goodbyes have been said to friends, colleagues, neighbours and family and I think I have come to terms with the idea of stepping off the merry-go-round of a normal work / life existence, at least for a brief period.

After years of dreaming of a tour around Europe, the reality has arrived at last and we set of early tomorrow morning for the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkstone.

We have never done anything like this before and to be honest, the nerves are setting in a little bit. It all seems rather daunting at the moment and this is definitely a step outside of the comfort zone.

It actually feels like were doing something a little reckless which is rather a good feeling as life so far has seen us always play on the safe side of the fence. A little bit of risk is quite exciting !

For years and years there has been a comforting routine to life of work Monday to Friday, weekend stuff to enjoy and the annual foreign holiday.

All very safe and secure.

It`s only when you step outside that routine that you realise how much you have come to depend on that familiarity, however much we may moan about it at the time, work, traffic jams, road works, pot holes, domestic chores, the hassles and stresses of life in general that irritate us all at times, the list is endless.

But it is always good to set a challenge and I`m sure that once we get on the road and start to experience the fantastic sights of Europe, all those nerves will fade to a distant memory, the days and weeks will fly by I have no doubt.

Family and friends are probably the hardest part of leaving for this trip so we thank the gods of 21^st century technology for the means of keeping in touch and I know we will enjoy the contact with everyone at home.

I should state at this stage that the dream I speak of, has actually been my dream, Sue doesn`t really see the attraction of leaving a perfectly good, spacious and comfortably home with all conveniences and facilities, unlimited gas, electricity and water, to live in a 20` x  7` aluminium biscuit tin on wheels ! 

Well I hope that as the journey progresses she will see that this way of life offers the opportunity to experience the many wonderful sights of Europe and that the small sacrifices made will deliver some unforgettably memories that we can treasure for ever.

So I`ll say goodbye for now and report in from the other side of the water tomorrow.

PS. Thanks to all the guys and girls at SOCOTEC for their good wishes and Bon Voyage card.