BeNe-without Lux 450 km Paradise and Germany

I haven't written anything in my public diary for a long time, I just realized. That's the way it is when you lead a boring life. Not at all. It's just that I haven't been out on my bike for a while, almost a year. And has that affected my stamina? Maybe, or maybe I'm just getting old. But as long as I can cover 450 km in 4 days, I'm not complaining, am I? Age is also just a number, slowly even an impressively high one. Apart from that? Do you become more sedentary with age? Somehow I'm itching to get back to my nomadic life, I've been in the same place for a year now and have an excellent offer from a big city on my desk. But more on that at some point, not today. How did the cycle tour come about again? A business trip to Liège to a company that sells automated synthesis modules, a one-week training course in programming. Programming, once again. It's like riding a bike, you can't unlearn it, but you can't get better at it without practicing. Exciting and great what the future holds and at least a few days to see Liège. The outward journey, a short 160 km in eight hours, somehow also via Holland. As soon as I left the Pott, the traffic was more or less contained. At some point I reached the Meuse and from then on it got nice, even the weather. Wonderful. I really like Liège, the only thing I couldn't stomach was the city's specialty, meatballs with Liège sauce (reminiscent of sauerbraten). I really couldn't, but it was delicious. The company we were at, Trasis, was damn modern and a different working environment to what I'm used to. It was wonderful. After training, on Friday afternoon, we continued along the Meuse, 70 km to Namür. My trainer had suggested a very nice route. Namür itself is also a little gem, a very nice little town. Very nice. On Saturday morning, I continued across Wallonia to Brussels. The 80 kilometers were also quite hilly and rainy but well signposted. The cycle paths were sometimes road, sometimes muddy, but I made good progress. On the way I was approached by a racing cyclist, he was riding towards his group, who wanted to set off in the direction of Lichtenstein. So we drove a few kilometers together and exchanged ideas. They wanted to make the return journey by German train and he asked if it was true that the quality and punctuality left a lot to be desired. What can I say, word has spread as far as Belgium that a 6-minute changeover is no problem, as the next train is also late. It's as simple as that, friends. Generally speaking, I've never been approached as much as I have over the last 3 days on tour. At almost every corner, break, cafe, barrier there was always someone chatting to you. In general, lots of smiles, greetings, knowledge, cycling enthusiasm and pure wanderlust in Belgium and Holland. There are probably whole volumes of books about the quality of the cycling infrastructure, and what can I say, Holland is unique, Belgium, especially Flanders, is also very good. At least what I was able to see. Where was I? Yes, in Wallonia on the way to Brussels, the next capital to experience by bike. And what can I say, big cities are something special, again and again. I actually wanted to go to the Atomium and arrived at around 2 pm, but big cities always slow you down. I wanted to do at least a few more kilometers,  70 km to Ghent. . Luckily I looked at hotels and the prices, yes I had the tent with me, but as I was out in the rain for the morning and wanted to do some homework, I thought about a cozy hotel room. But the prices! I didn't want to buy an apartment. So I looked around for hotels in Brussels and found what I was looking for. One kilometer from the Atomium for a small budget. Exactly mine and it was even okay. I've stayed in much worse hotels. Then just sight seeing. 16 euros for entry to the Atomium. I've been there before as a small child, probably little has changed. Quite nicely done, museum, light show and a restaurant upstairs with Belgian waffles for 16 euros. Quite okay, especially with the view. Then back to the hotel to continue working. The next morning via Antwerp (quite a nice city) to Holland on the coast and on to Tilburg. 160 km. And the last 10 kilometers in a heavy thunderstorm. Lightning flashed left and right, thunder boomed, the rain lashed down and the wind blew hard from behind. So, with the biggest grin you can imagine and an average speed of around 35 km/h, we (my bike and I and heavy metal in my ears) made our way to the next hotel room. The guy at reception got a bit funny as I came into the lobby quite soaked, and when I wanted to take my bike up to the room he got a gasp, but at those prices, boy do you have to be able to cope with water on the floor. The last day, heading home, the first 100 km still in Holland, wonderful, even the weather. Then Germany and German cycle paths again. Wow, from pothole to pothole, sometimes right, sometimes left, exit here, exit there, oh just tiring. I was glad when I got home after 7 hours. Not a second too late either, the onset of a thunderstorm that I was able to watch from the window while working dry. On that note, good evening.    

Addendum: Belgium and Holland have one small minus, however, a really small one....and that is no coffee in the bakeries. really in any bakery.