24 May ’04, Monday. It was difficult to checkout of Antwerp this morning but we wanted to give the “Big Cities” a rest for awhile. Sooo, we headed south. We avoided going into Brussels’s (Bruxelles) for the time being. Our first stop this morning was at a market on the square, that we found as we were going through a small village. Our find for the morning was on meat for tonight and tomorrow nights dinners. Our next stop, was off a little trail that we happened to wonder onto. We followed it for at least 2 miles and when it came to the end we pulled into a small grass field and had our lunch….this is what it’s all about !!!
Actually, our drive took us due East from Antwerp and this evening we are camping in Averbode, Belgium. Today’s trip will keep you busy in finding Averbode on a map. We found this campground only by stopping at a gas station and asking if there was any camping around the area. Our map and the guide book we use didn’t show anything in the area and it was getting later than we like. Now, I must explain “late”….we try to find our “pitch” prior to noon or maybe as late as 2. But today we were still on the road without a stopping place at 5pm. Anyway, we found this great campground right next to a lake. It has at least 3 restaurants right on the lake that we can have a meal or a drink. Also, if the grandkids were here, they would go nuts with all the activities here. We heard there is a beautiful Abbey just down the road that serve their own ice cream at 6pm to those that come by. Now that sounds good to me !!! We have planned already to visit them in the morning. Probably not much luck they will have their ice cream then… Today was a day of travel and the weather was sunny with a few large clouds. Our stay in Antwerp was sunny with some clouds and COLD !!!! Tonight is much better. After dinner tonight, Louise and I were discussing the different toilet facilities that we have found since starting our journey. So, I thought I would let you in on the conversation as well. Now Louise has a lot more experience to expand on than I do in putting this information out. The number one most disgusting toilet for her (I wouldn’t go in) was at the bus station in Luxor, Egypt. I won’t go into detail except that it was a squat toilet, she couldn’t hold her breath long enough and….let’s just say “not the cleanest” in the world. Then you’ve got just the other side of the “toilet rating”. This afternoon she had the opportunity to use her first toilet that fully cleans it’s self after each use. The seat makes a complete circle through a cleaning area and at the same time, the bowl get’s a special cleaning as well. Then, there are the campground toilet/shower(douche) areas. We thought our first campground was an example of what we would find pretty much all around Europe….we were mistaken !!! It turns out that that campground (in Utrecht) was our worst so far. It was not clean, if you know what I mean, and it smelled bad. From that point on we have only had one other that could have been better. It too needed a better ventilation system and a good cleaning wouldn’t have hurt. The big difference was what we paid per night. Utrecht was 3 times more expensive and they seemed to have cared less just how bad it was there. Tomorrow….The Abbey and…
Actually, our drive took us due East from Antwerp and this evening we are camping in Averbode, Belgium. Today’s trip will keep you busy in finding Averbode on a map. We found this campground only by stopping at a gas station and asking if there was any camping around the area. Our map and the guide book we use didn’t show anything in the area and it was getting later than we like. Now, I must explain “late”….we try to find our “pitch” prior to noon or maybe as late as 2. But today we were still on the road without a stopping place at 5pm. Anyway, we found this great campground right next to a lake. It has at least 3 restaurants right on the lake that we can have a meal or a drink. Also, if the grandkids were here, they would go nuts with all the activities here. We heard there is a beautiful Abbey just down the road that serve their own ice cream at 6pm to those that come by. Now that sounds good to me !!! We have planned already to visit them in the morning. Probably not much luck they will have their ice cream then… Today was a day of travel and the weather was sunny with a few large clouds. Our stay in Antwerp was sunny with some clouds and COLD !!!! Tonight is much better. After dinner tonight, Louise and I were discussing the different toilet facilities that we have found since starting our journey. So, I thought I would let you in on the conversation as well. Now Louise has a lot more experience to expand on than I do in putting this information out. The number one most disgusting toilet for her (I wouldn’t go in) was at the bus station in Luxor, Egypt. I won’t go into detail except that it was a squat toilet, she couldn’t hold her breath long enough and….let’s just say “not the cleanest” in the world. Then you’ve got just the other side of the “toilet rating”. This afternoon she had the opportunity to use her first toilet that fully cleans it’s self after each use. The seat makes a complete circle through a cleaning area and at the same time, the bowl get’s a special cleaning as well. Then, there are the campground toilet/shower(douche) areas. We thought our first campground was an example of what we would find pretty much all around Europe….we were mistaken !!! It turns out that that campground (in Utrecht) was our worst so far. It was not clean, if you know what I mean, and it smelled bad. From that point on we have only had one other that could have been better. It too needed a better ventilation system and a good cleaning wouldn’t have hurt. The big difference was what we paid per night. Utrecht was 3 times more expensive and they seemed to have cared less just how bad it was there. Tomorrow….The Abbey and…