This past weekend I enjoyed a fabulous two day, 204 km cycle ride almost entirely in neighbouring Belgium.
My route was mainly alongside canals, very familiar to me from many previous rides in this area.
As usual many photographs tell the story very well.
My overnight stop was a cycling themed B&B in the garrison town of Leopoldsburg, Belgium.
The host even welcomed me with an ice-cold Belgian Tripel, called ‘Soldaat’, brewed locally.
These Belgian beers can be very strong (9% ABV), so it’s wise not to drink too many!
I enjoyed a very nice dinner nearby before getting an early night, the high temperatures this afternoon were exhausting.
The weather forecast for Sunday promised even higher temperatures (31c+) in the afternoon so I woke early and set off from the B&B at 05:30 in an attempt to be home before it became too hot.
Today’s featured image is from the B&B before my departure.
It was, of course, dark at this time of the morning, my bike lights just about adequate enough to be seen but not bright enough to light the way once out in the country.
At one point I had to deviate from the planned route through some forests, to seek out street lighting to continue safely on my way.
I managed to cycle about 20 km before the sun came up, which was very satisfying.
Frequent refreshment stops ensured that I remained well fed and properly hydrated.
The last 15 km or so were the hardest of the weekend, the hilly terrain approaching Heerlen, coupled with rising temperatures made this part of the ride much harder than ususal.
I arrived home, completely drained, just before 13:00, happy to be back in our cool apartment.
As always, I really enjoy the various challenges that cycling provides, and it’s really satisfying to safely overcome these challenges.
