Return to the Flatlands

Day 108 of our trip was to be a special day in many ways. We were leaving Norway and with it the magnificent mountains for a return to the flatlands of Denmark, Netherlands and Belgium AND it was Jane's birthday, one she will never forget. Breakfast was taken in our Larvik hotel before an early departure to the ferry terminal and a fast smooth 3.45 hour crossing to Hirtshals on the northern coast of Denmark. We filled the Gray Ghost on the cheaper petrol and headed south towards the German border. Lunch was taken before an unscheduled stop as storm clouds brewed ahead. We donned our wet weather gear just before the heavens opened and then had one of those moments that only bikers will understand. We had been joined in the open rest area by two German bikers preparing for the downpour as we were. As the skies dumped their watery load we stood around in a circle with our helmets on exchanging stories of our respective travels - they were just returning from 10 weeks touring Iceland.

The rain reduced to a steady flow and we moved on eventually to find sunshine as we approached Germany. Our hotel for the night in Flensburg was run by Greek Germans and they set a fine table so Jane was eventually able to enjoy her birthday - breakfast in Norway, lunch in Denmark and dinner in Germany. Next day was a long one as we headed to Amsterdam but the flat stretches of highway promised a fast passage. Unfortunately a combination of GPS navigation, roadworks congesting the approach to the Elb Tunnel in Hamburg and another torrential downpour saw us entering Amsterdam after sunset. There was a significant mark on this stretch as  we passed 20,000 kilometers on our trip. We had a full day looking around this fascinating city whose reputation is dominated by canals, pot smoking and its famous red light district. It is an easy city to walk around as long as you keep an eye out for bicycles which are everywhere and demand their patch of road. The Dutch also have the smallest cars we have seen as well as every form of modified bicycle for commercial and domestic use. The red light district proved to be as 'interesting' as we had expected but we declined to explore the inside of the "coffee shops" with their bong smoking and hash brownies. A canal cruise showed off life on the canals as well as some of the new Architecture of the city especially the modern Nemo Science Centre. A lot of the "Old City" architecture is reminiscent of Venice with walls at odd angles as the foundations have settled into the soft underbelly of the canals.

We pressed on to Belgium and the city of Antwerp that had been recommended to us earlier in the trip. Our hotel was near to the magnificent Central Railway Station whose combination of Old and new Architecture made it one of the most impressive buildings we have seen on tour. The area is dominated by diamond shops which seems to go hand in hand with the Jewish Religion - we have never seen so many orthodox Jews going about their everyday lives in full dress, the men with their black coats, forelocks and head coverings and the women in dark formal dress. The area also has a large Muslim  population showing that it is possible for the two faiths to live together in harmony. Antwerp itself is a beautiful city with many fine buildings from its 'Golden Age' in the first half of the 16th century. It is also the home of Rubens the great painter of the renaissance period. His stately home is now a museum containing many of his works as well as those of his contemporaries.

Next stop was Brugge a canal city in Belgium that is credited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is an attractive place with many fine buildings, impressive squares, canals and some fine beer houses. Belgium is also world famous for its chocolate and there is no shortage of shops selling every design of chocolate you could imagine. If we do have a criticism of Brugge it is that it is a bit 'too touristy' and commercial lacking the natural feel of other less frequented European cities. Our whirlwind trip through the low countries of Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium had come to an end as we had a date with some family War history along the former WW1 Western Front in France.