Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 24 - In Huldenberg

This blog continues the previous Part 23,
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/09/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_16.html

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

     

   After taking pictures of the statues of bike riders beside the road I turned around and crossed the street to walk into the town of Huldenberg. Before I reached the town I came across a sign showing the direction to the 'Kasteel von Huldenberg' or Castle of Huldenberg. 

   In the Middle ages a castle was standing at the same place as a square with corner towers and surrounded by a fenced wall with watch towers and surrounded by wide canals. Between 1811-1819 the castle was demolished and a new ones built. In 1848 this new castle burned down and was rebuilt in neoclassical style (wikipedia).

'Kasteel von Huldenberg' or Castle of Huldenberg.

 I followed the main road into the Huldenberg with not even 10.000 citizen a good sized Belgian country town. There is one road crossing with this main road I walked on; turning left it would wind up a hill and turning right the road will lead me to Ottenburg, my next destination.

   The whole town is built around round the cross of these two roads. On a mountain overlooking and hopefully protecting Huldenberg sits the Cathonic Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Kerk (Our Dear Lady Church) which was built on the site of an earlier Roman church from the 13th century. The top floor of the tower was built in the 15th century. On the tower is a clock, the dial has Roman numerals with golden letters and dates back to 1764.

Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Kerk (Our Dear Lady Church)

   After shooting the photo I followed the road sign direction Ottenburg. I crossed an empty market place right beside a very small town hall. 

   I also crossed a small river and discovered a supermarket on the left side. There I bought some food and drinks but more importantly enjoyed the luxury of air condition cooling me down because the weather got very hot around noon. I stocked up my supplies in my bags and filled up my drink supply in one stainless steel thermos bottle and took an original French water in a 1.5 liter bottle.

   I continued my trip and stumbled upon a road map beside the road. As a precaution I took a picture of it in case I got lost. All road in Belgium are marked with numbers and if there would be something weird or strange in the numbering I could return back to familiar grounds.

Free Road Map beside the Road

   Not far away from this map I came to a steep hill, as the name Huldenberg itself suggests. The Dutch 'berg' is the same in German and means 'hill'. Some local Belgium bike races include this that same hill. Compared to mountainous Taiwan is seems small and short but for the rather flat Belgium countryside this is rather a steep one.
   Nearly conquering the mountain I discovered a park bench right beside a telephone booth and as it was empty I took it into my possession. The day passed already noon and I've decided to unpacked my food from the supermarket and started to eat. The bench was under a tree which gave me some shadow during my whole lunch. I opened even the laces of my trekking shoes as a sign of relaxing ...

   Eating simple food in an unknown place is an indispensable part of my way to travel, or, as Confucius said:

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

   Just sitting there, with fresh food to enjoy with all the time in my hand, drink whatever I wanted, a nice view with a beautiful sunshine - I just felt thankful and glad; that's how travel should and can be done...

(to be continued@

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/10/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html)

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! 
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