Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 33 Walhain to Chastre

This blog continues the previous Part 32
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/11/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_19.html

Friday, June 29, 2018

“The most beautiful in the world is, of course, the world itself.”

Wallace Stevens, American modernist poet (1879-1955)

   Walking along the relatively flat and very straight Chaussée de Namur I noticed that my shadows on my left grew very long. The sun prepared to set between the fields on my right - time to look for a place for the night.
   I've carried my sleeping bag and the small tent in my sports bag on wheels which I pulled the whole time behind me. So I’ve decided to spend this night besides the road I was walking on. I don't think there would be many hotels around this part of Belgium anyway...So I walked with one eye on the road and the other searching for a nice place.
   Right before a tiny country town, I discovered a wheat field with would be harvested soon. Between the road and this field was a small stripe of green grass, a natural cushion beneath my sleeping bag for the night. But I’ve decided against the tent; I wanted to see what's going on; the air was clean despite the nearby road and, most import of all, no insects were flying around bothering me in the night.
   As I wrote before I am an early sleeper and an early riser. Just as the sun sent its last red beams into the evening sky I pulled out my camera, put it on the tripod and took some last shots of a beautiful sunset literally right out of my sleeping bag...

Sunrise somewhere in Belgium

   It was a peaceful night only occasionally some cars driving by on this main road. After dark the street light got switched on and lit during the whole night. To protect my eyes I pulled my multi-functional neck warmer over them and slept very well...

   The next morning the sun prepared for another show - a beautiful sunset. Again I pulled my tripod and camera out of my bag and took some shots, this time out of my sleeping bag. 

Sunset somewhere in Belgium

   After the excitement of saving the sunset on my memory card through a very cheap 2nd hand lens, I ate and drank something which I would call a 'breakfast'. The main road was still very quiet but the sleeping bag had to be packed. Before I took a picture to record my night camp.

My simple Camp for the Night

   Refreshed and full of energy I continued the easy walking on the Chaussée de Namur until I came to a road sign telling me that I am in the 'Nil-St-Vincent' area which merged with Nil-Saint-Marin in 1812. 'Nil' is the name of a small river just like the more famous brother in Egypt.

   To make my walk more interesting I've decided to leave the main road and to turn right into an small country town near Chastre which is called Perbais. 
   There it became even quieter during these early morning hours. I've noticed some children walking to school through tidy small and clearly marked roads. Even in the countryside, there are clear green road signs for cyclists showing the directions and distances in kilometers. A country like this is a nice place to live and the reason why I visited Belgium in the first place.

(to be continued@https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2019/01/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! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel

Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 21 - In Tervuren (1)

This blog continues the previous Part 20,

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/09/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_5.html

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

     

   Back into Tervuren I still had to figure out my way to continue the walking tour to Namur. 

   As it was already late afternoon I tried to find a shop where I could buy something to eat. I've discovered a Carrefour (super) market (Hoornzeelstraat 12, 3080 Tervuren) in which I stacked up food and drinks for dinner and breakfast. I went to the market place in front of the Sint-Jan Evangelistkerk Church and had a late lunch or early dinner on a bench in the shadows.

   Not far away from the place I have just eaten I've discovered a police station and planned to ask there for my way. When I went through the door into the station there were two windows through which people can talk to the police officer on duty. One lady was in front of me so I put my rolling sports bag in the corner and had to wait for my turn.

   To my surprise the officer on duty could speak English. After I inquired about the way he invited me to come into the police station! It was fun to walk between policemen, he lead me to and typed something into a computer. He showed me the way on a map and explained me how to go there. But somehow he came to an impasse with his English and asked another policeman to joined us. He explained me that I had "to pass one 'arch', turn right, follow the street through a forest until I come to the 2nd 'arch'. After it I had to turn left and on the right side of the road there is a clearly marked walking path through another forest!" Three of us had a small chat and a laugh, finally I left the police station with my sports bag still waiting for me!  

The 1st Arch on my Way to Duisburg

   I followed the advice and passed the 1st arch which lead me to a road named 'Rijkunst' (English: horsemanship), from there I had a nice walk through the refreshing air of a forest. I followed a very old wall protecting some houses behind. As the road name changes to Capucijnenpoortdreef (English: Capuchingatelane). I suppose that these historic walls were originally protecting a monastery or another religious institution of the 'Order of Friars Minor Capuchin' within the Catholic Church. 

The 2nd Arch or rather Gate on my Way to Duisburg

   At the end of the road I came to the 2nd arch. I turned left and crossed the very empty main road, the Duisburgsesteenweg. I could walk into the forest but the sinking sun worried me. In the dark through an unfamiliar forest? Forget it!

   So I've decided to walk into the town of Duisburg to find a suitable place for the night. Shortly before Duisburg the road name changed into Tervuursesteenweg. Upon arrival to the town I turned left to the Sportcentrum van Defensie. I walked until I came to a another forest but did not find a suitable place. So I turned back and followed the main road. After the last houses I turned left and came upon some fresh cut fields. I thought I found a suitable place but after I sat down I got 'attacked' by many flies. I continued and came upon a crossroad and walked straight ahead, later I would turn right.

   There, between fields and the crossing of two rural roads, I discovered a large linden tree with two wooden benches and a table under the tree's branches and a garbage box. There was enough space between the bench and the tree for my small tent; I've decided that this it 'the' place for the night! 

My Camp for the Night!

   First of all I gave a prayer of thanks to our Lord for providing me with such a nice place and asked for His protection during the night!

   I 'claimed' the benches and the table for myself, opened my bag and started building my tent. While I was busy out of nowhere came an old farmer and tried to talk to me in Dutch. He looked a little confused but not scary. I could not speak his native language and even he served in Germany for two years with the Belgian Army he could not speak any German at all! But with good will and gestures with our hands we tried to communicate. In moments like this I was glad that we wanted to communicate and made the same efforts to try to understand each other. Feeling that we do not come very far we said finally farewell to each other...

   Trying to get familiar with the environment I've discovered a map with mountain bike trails around the town of Duisburg which shows me that the Belgians make efforts to invest into their own country and to improve the lives of their citizens. 

Map of the Mountain Bike Cycle Network

   The 2nd discovery was a statue of Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, within a memorial. I am not a Catholic but this showed me that people living in this area have a reverence for their religion beliefs and thus confirming that this would be a safe place for the night.

Statue of Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ within a Memorial blessing the Fields around

   As the sun went down I crawled into my tent and sleeping bag with my sports bag serving as a pillow. I know, my tent is very small but it was my home for the night and provided me  with a simple shelter which I longed for. It is strange but under my small roof I felt very happy and even I was very tired I could not fall asleep right away. Too many impressions, too many things to be appreciated and thankful about during my 1st day of walking. Finally I felt into a good and positive dream only to be disturbed by some cars stopping by and throwing their own garbage in the provided public garbage bin sometimes. But I did not care too much, I slept like a baby...

(to be continued@

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/09/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_12.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! 
If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 13

Tuesday, Sep. 12. 2007

I heard a Mission Bell...

Ventura→Carpinteria

Distance: 46.6 km, Duration: 3:19:08 hrs, Total: 332.25 km

On the way back to the State Beach I cycled through an obvious Mexican district of the city. I discovered a statue of the Mother Mary decorated with flowers. Before I stopped my bike I've heard an approaching mother with her son arguing in very loud Spanish words. As i went off my bike to take a picture suddenly they stopped talking, passed me quietly and continued with the same loud voice after a reasonable distance from me. It was a strange but somehow shows the relationship between Mexicans and White Americans in California. 

Statue of the Holy Mother

I arrived at the ‘right time’ on the gate of the State Beach, filled out the registration and paid US$5.00/night for the Hiker & Biker part of the campground. The Ranger gave me a green card which I should fix visible on my one man tent. Ready!

Slowly I cycled to my place, on the way I passed the huge Recreational vehicles (RV), many long-term campers. As I put up my tent passed another camper walking his dog and told me about his cycle adventures. Seeing me he felt pity that he did not bring his bike along. He showed me his own small camping trailer which, as he put it, has a German design. Truly, it was an egg-shaped, also in the US sold, T@B camp trailer, ‘made in Germany’ by a company called Knaus Tabbert.

   I remember as a boy I'v seen photos of these trailers mostly black and white. In the 1960s and the 1970s with the German ‘Economic Miracle’ came the wish to travel. Already in 1936 in the Eastern Part of Germany the constructor Max Würdig designed the “Dübener Ei (Egg)”. Because of the War the first series went into production in 1955 in the East Germany; after 2000-2200 pieces the production was shut down with the reunification in 1990. Later the above mentioned company developed the design further, the design makes the trailer so interesting...
   After I was finished my building up my one man tent (a few seconds), storing all the things etc. I took my time to watch a family of obvious first time campers with the mother and her two daughters trying to set up their tent. It was great entertainment to watch them. No one had an idea what was going on but everyone knew it with a very loud voice better than the others. After one hour (!) at least the shackyy alloy frame was standing.

Me, my Bike and my Tent on the Carpinteria State Beach Biker & Hiker

   Actually I had everything prepared for a pleasant evening and a quiet night but somehow it was too early to sleep. Therefore I took a extensive shower and cycled afterwards to a shopping center in Caprinteria for a $2.25 dinner.
   Back to my tent I could guess from the sky the development of an impressive sunset. I grabbed my camera and ran through over a dune onto the sand of the beach. As the reader can see below the effort was quite worthwhile. One of the most astonishing sunsets I could observe with my own eyes, the photo (taken in the quality of 2007!) caught the atmosphere quite well! Is it not a beautiful world we are living in? 

Sunset at the Carpinteria State Beach

   I enjoyed the view until it really got pitch dark. Slowly I stumbled through the sand and over the dunes until I walked on solid ground already on the campground. Some of the campers had opened oil barrels with burning wood in them to warm them during the colder evening. Someone shouted an invitation in my direction but I rejected with thanks, I was too tired.
   Basically I do not like riding my bike in the night, don't like to be active in the dark on unfamiliar grounds during travels. I have the habit to go to sleep and to rise early. This is, for me, convenient and I feel, above all, much safer. Here on a the Carpinteria campground I continue with these habits. 
   Already at 9:00 o'clock I snuggled myself into the sleeping bag. Life can be very good!

Carpinteria State Beach in the Night

(to be continued)

Bike Trip from Xindian (新店) to Hsinchu (新竹) , Part 6

Bike Trip from Xindian (新店) to Hsinchu (新竹)
2018/02/17-18, Part 6

To be closer to the sunset I took the next exit and rode a small path through a small forest. The shore was right in front of me and I took out the camera. There were still many families riding four wheeled bikes on a road beside the shore, some bike riders. I’ve seen some food stalls serving the hungry visitors. While preparing for the photos I noticed other smart-phones beside of me. The weather was still kind of warm from the sun during the day, some people walked into the sunset on the beach.

Sunset in Taiwan

As I wanted to continue I’ve notice my front tire was flat. Something was in the way on the road through the woods I suppose…I have experiences in changing flats and the obvious reasons are my 700 x 25c Continental Ultra Race folding tires ‘made in Thailand’. Here in Taiwan they are priced reasonably but they wear down too fast and seemingly have no protection at all. In 9 months I’ve ridden through two rear tires and one front tire. I change them only after the threat was seen… During this time I've stocked on my cold patch supplies because I had at least 10 punctures, my record was 2 punctures a day!  I will post a review of these tires later…It would be no secret that these will be my last 'cheap' Continental road tires; I've already prepared a Japanese brand tire 'made in Japan' to replace them... 

my 2nd worn down Continental Ultra Race folding rear road tire

I carry all the time two inner tubes as a spare, the tire levers and tools for removing the rear tire are also in my front bag. I’ve change the tube within a few minutes, the dirty hands I washed with my water bottle.

While busy with the bike the sun did not wait for me. Continuing my trip I stopped for the last pictures of this nice sunset after many days of rain.

As I packed my camera after the last shot I had to turn on my lights because it was already getting dark. There are road lights even on this coastal road which led me to the main road. In the night there is obviously not much to be seen so I took my time to have a dinner at a 7-11 I found on the left side of the road. The convenient chain store is found everywhere in Taiwan, contrary to my experience in the USA the employees in Taiwan are friendly and competent; the service does not stop at food & drinks. Many are equipped with public toilets, you can send and receive goods thru their own express service and from a terminal you can copy, buy tickets and even check on your parking tickets etc. 7-11s are a great and convenient place for tourists in Taiwan.

I’ve parked my bike unlocked in front of a window and ordered some pasta like the professionals have for breakfast. I also filled up my empty water bottles, one with water and one with a sports drink. 

The road went downhill under a tunnel-like construction and I could ride make up some time. While the road become flat I already searched for a nice place to stay overnight...

my 'flying' touring bike from the top

(to be continued)