Lest We Forget

 Our plan had been to finish our season at the end of September in Diksmuide where we had arranged for Antiope to be hauled out and hopefully tucked up for the winter inside a big boat store.  However the lack of rain all summer long was about to upset our schedule. 

A quiet evening mooring along the Zeebrugge waterway

A few kms north of Brugge, we turned off the main commercial waterway which continues to the coast at Zeebrugge. There was an eerie lack of cruisers or even hire boats around as we followed the lonely Passendale canal to Nieuwpoort where we would lock through onto the river Yser. We had intended to visit and introduce ourselves at the boatyard at Diksmuide, then continue up river before joining the Ypres canal to revisit the historic city town. 

Market square Diksmuide. "The little man from the moon" is from a local folklore tale.

It is hard to believe that this town hall and the market square has been rebuilt twice since 1917. Determined to retrieve the historic character of Diksmuide, apart from new bricks the archecture is true to a time prior to 1914. 

Diksmuide viewed from the top of the 'Peace Tower'.  Antiope is centre frame.

The Peace Tower overlooks the Yser river

The Peace Tower built following WW1 dominates the surrounding landscape. It  has 22 levels and houses a multi-level museum, the overwhelming message being- Peace, Tolerance, and Freedom. 

The Peace tower did not escape shelling in 1939

With some spare time, it seemed only right to visit the nearby 'Oerbier' brewery in Esen. This small brewery started brewing in 1835 and little seems to have changed since. It is now run by two brothers who endevour to follow traditional small brewing practice with all natural ingredients with understandably exellent results.    

This century old traditional brewery mixing vat is still in use 

Some special beers are aged in used wine barrels in the cellars 

Their regular brews range in strength from 4% up to 12%.

This is Belgium after all.

It has been a dozen years since we last visited this region. However, back then we did not spend enough time exploring and fully absorbing its turbulent history which spans many centuries. It is a sobering experience to walk through the preserved WW1 trenches lining the banks of the Yser river. This was the front line for three years, the opposing forces being only a few meters apart across a narrow stretch of water. The town of Diksmuide was totally destroyed by 1917, completely rebuilt, only to be largely destroyed again in 1941. 

Opposing trenches lined both sides of the Yser river

A section of the original sandbagged trenches  

This time out has been forced upon us by the drought and lack of water in much of Belgium's  canal system and effectively a widespread closure of navigation to all but commercial craft. Our own efforts to reach Ypres were thwarted by water too shallow even for Antiope. On the positive side, we have been able to secure an inside undercover spot for the winter as several regulars have been unable to get their boats home again to Diksmuide. 

Sept 15th, Antiope is hauled out at Diksmuide

'Lest we Forget'    

  

        

Classic Belgium

 We have come North again and crossed an invisible border from Wallonia into Flanders, which is the Dutch speaking region of Belgium. To greet someone here in our rudimentary French is likely to invite a bit of a frown. Fortunately, in Flanders, English becomes our default language as it is commonly used.

Seagoing vessels once offloaded here on the Ghent waterfront. 

Ghent historically marked the headwaters of the tidal river Schedt. The old town made rich by river trade is now encircled by a large deep commercial waterway with links to all of Western Europe.

  

Street mural. Belgium has a proud railway heritage.

Belgium once boasted more railways than any other European country. Even today, the frequent trains run on time and oldies, (65 and over) can travel countrywide all day for no more than € 8.50 ( NZ$16 ) 

Ghent castle, in the centre of town, was built in 1180. It has a dark feudal history.

We moored close to the centre of Ghent and spent a few days soaking up the classic architecture. Then cruised on towards Brugge, via the old Leie river, which is a delightful meandering river it was here that we were met by an international flotilla of 'amphibious vehicles'.  

We were warned to expect 80 'amphibians' coming our way!

Truly an international rally.

Along the Leie, we tie up at the picture postcard village of Sint Martens-Latem

Back on the main canal to Brugge, we spotted a bird floundering and near exhausted in the water. Once rescued, we noted it had a leg ring with a phone number. A phone call established that he/she was on a homing flight from France back to the Netherlands.   

This pigeon was making a poor job of swimming.

Turned out that this soggy pigeon had ID.

Dried out and ready to find its way home.

A week or so later we got a call back to say that this little pigeon had made it home. 

Next stop Brugge, and summer weather is still with us

Brugge is the classic Belgian waterway town. With the luxury of time this year, we spent a full week here.

Classic Brugge.

Touristy bit of Brugge

Ah, the 13th century Belfry. Yes, we climbed all 366 steps

 

The carillon drum at the top of the Belfry. 

As this massive brass drum rotates slowly, the pegs trigger a medly on the 47 carillon bells, quite magical to watch and listen.

Just a few of the 366 steps.

For a day out we took the touristy little paddle boat along what was the original waterway route from Brugge to the sea and stopped at the town of Damme.

 

 

        Damme, once a seaport, is now many kms inland. 

From Brugge we will cruise the less travelled waterways of western Belgium to Diksmuide and Ypres.