Cycling Western Europe
Day 5: July 3, 2007 (Maastricht, NL to Brussels, Belgium)
Route: Maastricht - Tongeren - Brussels
Weather: rainy and windy (AM/PM)
Total mileage: 30 miles
Basically, today sucked! For some insane reason I decided this morning that it would be a good idea to try to ride the 110 miles from Maastricht to Brussels, Belgium . . . not a good idea at all! The weather wasn't too bad when I set out around 10am, but about a half an hour later the gray clouds appeared overhead and rain came pouring down. I might as well have taken my bike with me into the shower it was so bad. To make matters worse, the wind was hitting me head on so that I couldn't ride at more than 10mph max. Awesome. I kept thinking: why didn't I take the train?
A few miles from the Netherlands/Belgium border (which doesn't have any border control, strangely enough), I saw a travel office and decided it would be a good idea to stop and see what they had to say about any train stations in the near vacinity. The woman behind the desk--after giving me a strange look and holding back laughter at the sight of a dripping wet, shivering, and muddy American with a new, red racing bike--told me there are trains that run direct from the next town, Togeren, to Brussels. She then directed me to the cycling route (part of the National Cycling Network, called the LF) that would take me there. "It's better than the main roads," she suggested. Great! I thought. If I am going to be wet, it would be nice to see some local villages and countryside. So, with my trusty LF map in hand I set off on the #6 route to Togeren . . .
The information woman forgot to mention, however, that the cycling routes, although free of traffic and well marked, zig-zag through surrounding villages and farms making the trip twice as long as it needs to be and taking the traveller along the-middle-of-nowhere paths through cow fields (which flood when it rains). Two hours and 25 miles later, I arrived at the Togeren train station. Wet, cold, muddy, and smelling of cow shit, I bought a ticket and sat down in a dry place for the first time all morning. I must admit, not one of my better ideas.
Here I am, though, in Brussels. The local hostel was booked so I got the next closest thing: a single room at some random, slightly sketchy boarding house in the downtown area. After a much needed long shower and washing of my wet, dirty clothes, I set out to find some grub. What better to have in Belgium than Belgium waffles? Not the best lunch, but it had to be done. Then it was off for some sightseeing and shopping. I plan to hit the sack early tonight. (So excited that I have my own bed! It's definitely worth the extra $20 to not have to worry about being woken up in the middle of the night by drunken teenagers--this happened to me last night in Maastricht; so, when I got up early this morning to start my journey I made it a point to "accidentally" drop things, slam doors, turn on lights, and open the shades. Oops!) It's off to Brugge tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll get some nice weather for a change. Until then . . .
Day 5: July 3, 2007 (Maastricht, NL to Brussels, Belgium)
Route: Maastricht - Tongeren - Brussels
Weather: rainy and windy (AM/PM)
Total mileage: 30 miles
Basically, today sucked! For some insane reason I decided this morning that it would be a good idea to try to ride the 110 miles from Maastricht to Brussels, Belgium . . . not a good idea at all! The weather wasn't too bad when I set out around 10am, but about a half an hour later the gray clouds appeared overhead and rain came pouring down. I might as well have taken my bike with me into the shower it was so bad. To make matters worse, the wind was hitting me head on so that I couldn't ride at more than 10mph max. Awesome. I kept thinking: why didn't I take the train?
A few miles from the Netherlands/Belgium border (which doesn't have any border control, strangely enough), I saw a travel office and decided it would be a good idea to stop and see what they had to say about any train stations in the near vacinity. The woman behind the desk--after giving me a strange look and holding back laughter at the sight of a dripping wet, shivering, and muddy American with a new, red racing bike--told me there are trains that run direct from the next town, Togeren, to Brussels. She then directed me to the cycling route (part of the National Cycling Network, called the LF) that would take me there. "It's better than the main roads," she suggested. Great! I thought. If I am going to be wet, it would be nice to see some local villages and countryside. So, with my trusty LF map in hand I set off on the #6 route to Togeren . . .
The information woman forgot to mention, however, that the cycling routes, although free of traffic and well marked, zig-zag through surrounding villages and farms making the trip twice as long as it needs to be and taking the traveller along the-middle-of-nowhere paths through cow fields (which flood when it rains). Two hours and 25 miles later, I arrived at the Togeren train station. Wet, cold, muddy, and smelling of cow shit, I bought a ticket and sat down in a dry place for the first time all morning. I must admit, not one of my better ideas.
Here I am, though, in Brussels. The local hostel was booked so I got the next closest thing: a single room at some random, slightly sketchy boarding house in the downtown area. After a much needed long shower and washing of my wet, dirty clothes, I set out to find some grub. What better to have in Belgium than Belgium waffles? Not the best lunch, but it had to be done. Then it was off for some sightseeing and shopping. I plan to hit the sack early tonight. (So excited that I have my own bed! It's definitely worth the extra $20 to not have to worry about being woken up in the middle of the night by drunken teenagers--this happened to me last night in Maastricht; so, when I got up early this morning to start my journey I made it a point to "accidentally" drop things, slam doors, turn on lights, and open the shades. Oops!) It's off to Brugge tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll get some nice weather for a change. Until then . . .
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