Tag: Belgium

Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 bicycle touring in Belgium

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Bicycle Touring Europe: Oye-Plage, France To De Haan, Belgium | Travelsonabike2

Castle moat

Cycling Europe: Oye-Plage, France to De Haan, Belgium

My latest bicycle touring update, cycling in Europe, Oye-Plage, France, to De Haan, Belgium. 57 miles. I thought this morning that it was going to be a wet ride today. I woke up at about 4 am to the sound of rain on the tent—great, a wet day.

I couldn’t really afford to stay still for the day, or I’ll never make it to Salisbury for the twentieth. Thankfully, it was only a short shower, and by the time I got up at five, it had all gone.

Finally

Well, I’ve reached Belgium, and I’m staying in De Haan, which, I’m pretty sure, is where I stopped in 2010 when I was on my way to Italy. (I caught a train from Amsterdam) I might even be at the same campsite. But I really don’t know on that front. Back then, it only took me one day to cycle here from Calais.

Westfront Nieuwpoort, war museum

As predicted, it’s been a flat ride today. And I’ve either been cycling beside a canal or a long straight road on the cycle path. Although this afternoon I was cycling along the seafront. With a chilly wind blowing in off the North Sea. I should make it to the Netherlands tomorrow.

Tour Information

It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels

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Benelux Bicycle-Tour Map July-2023

Map of Europe

Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 July-2023 Benelux bicycle-tour map. The map shows where Garry spent each night of his 800-mile cycle ride around the low countries; Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Behind each pin on the map is a brief description of the day’s ride and the miles cycled.

It was Garry’s first full tour since being diagnosed with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM), which causes narrowing of the cervical spinal canal, leading to chronic spinal cord compression and resultant neurologic disability. But that wasn’t going to stop Garry from going away on his bike. Because of his DCM, Garry has started to struggle a little with hills, and the idea of going to Benelux in the first place was because it’s flat. Or so Garry thought.

To start his tour of the low countries, Garry had to get there first. And he certainly wasn’t going to fly. After all, it’s not exactly that far away from the UK. After catching the ferry to Dieppe, Garry cycled across France and soon reached Luxembourg. He made quick work of Luxembourg and was only there for a few hours. Well, it is a rather small country. Belgium and the Netherlands took a little longer, but not much.

Not one of Garry’s longest tours as he was up against the clock with a hospital appointment booked for the beginning of August, which, as it turned out, got cancelled. But that’s a different story.

Buy Garry’s Benelux tour book from Amazon, available in either Kindle or paperback.

Benelux Bicycle-Tour Map July-2023

Subscribe to Garry’s blog and follow him as he travels around on his bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow Garry on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

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Low Countries Bicycle Tour: Belgium, Overijse To Ghent | Travelsonabike2

Windmill

Cycling Benelux, Belgium: Overijse to Ghent

My latest Low Countries bicycle tour update: cycling in Belgium, Overijse to Ghent. 60 miles. A surprising amount of miles, considering I was pratting around in Brussels for a couple of hours. Only three cuts and two bruises to report today. I know where I got the cuts. But the bruises are a mystery.

It’s been a mostly flat ride today. Probably why I’ve done more miles than I’d expected. And I wasn’t expecting to get to Ghent tonight. Brussels was good and surprisingly quiet around the major attractions. Just how I like it. Mind you, it was raining for part of my visit. There are a lot of EU buildings. Every other one seemed to be something to do with the European Union.

I don’t blame them. I’d leave my bike at the bottom of that hill.

That’s about it for today. Tonight’s campsite is full of cyclists. I’m not sure if Ghent is on a recognised cyclist route. It is on a canal, and the French do make good cycle routes along canals.

Tour Information

It’s been years since I undertook this tour, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels

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Low Countries Bicycle Tour: Belgium, Nassogne To Overijse | Travelsonabike2

Cathedral

Cycling Benelux, Belgium: Nassogne to Overijse

My latest Low Countries bicycle tour update: cycling in Belgium, Nassogne to Overijse. 61 miles, so my mate Google tells me. It still won’t tell me how many miles yesterday, though. Perhaps it thinks I’ll be upset when I see how little it was.

Well, it’s been another miserable day. But that’s enough about me! Of course, I’m not miserable, I’m just my normal grumpy self, so all is good. No, the weather has been a right pain with heavy showers all day. But at least for the most part, the wind has been behind me.

Are You Self-Harming

I’ve had a great day on the injury front. Five cuts and two bruises! And that’s with me trying to be careful. Luckily, I’ve got some antiseptic spray, so I give all the cuts a good spray. We don’t want any infections. Especially as it was this time five years ago that I was in hospital with sepsis.

Speaking of infections, not that I’ve got one. But my cut from the New Forest hasn’t healed yet and is still open. That’s how I’ve got the antiseptic spray. I went to see a pharmacist last week, in Rethel, who thought it might get infected if I didn’t look after it. So along with the spray, I’ve got loads of dressings that I have to change every night. I’ll get it checked out when I get home. I might have to have a couple of stitches in it.

Medical supplies from the pharmacy

Tour Information

It’s been years since I undertook this tour, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels