On my bicycle with Ela.

This time I went with Ela on a bike ride.

After a few minutes ride we arrived at the lake. It was very peaceful and the ducks were quite friendly. We were both quite sure they’re used to being fed or they’d never be as friendly as they were, bloody beggars.

 

The lake isn’t natural, it’s an old World War II air field that was built up and filled in with water.

I see many things in the Belgian way of doing things that was ingrained in the culture here because of World War II. That event had a massive impact and still rattles through the generations, affecting the way things are done here. For instance Belgians are naturally savers and in good times they save quite a bit in the bank. When the recession hit Belgium they didn’t start dipping into their savings, somehow the rate of saving went UP. People cut back even further than ever and began saving harder! I believe that has a lot to do with the impact that World War II had on Belgium.

Soon we were on our way from the lake and heading to Keerbergen central. On the way we passed this old windmill. Very Don Quixote. We stopped past it when we were on holiday here and, well, its still the same. There’s a mill festival that happens here every so often. I’m looking out for it but I have a feeling it’s a spring thing.

Ela stopped at a clothing store called “Spyker” to get some T-shirts so I went in too to have a look at clothing prices and, well, I was shocked! Okay, the quality’s better but so is the price! It was 300 Euros for this jacket! I suppose if I were to wear it for years like I do to my jackets it doesn’t work out to that expensive.

We took quite a long bike ride to just outside Haaght, the neighboring town and Ela showed me her “Wine Stop” restaurant. They were unfortunately (or is that fortunately) closed. I’m still not sure I can drink and ride … a bicycle.

The Wine Stop is right at a bridge and entry to the canal wall gravel road. The no entry signs here are a red circle around the thing that may not enter. Here horses cannot enter onto the canal wall because the sign says so. Here in Belgium the no entry sign as we know it means no entry to ANYTHING. Even that can get complicated because they’ll have an absolutely no entry sign and below it it’ll sometimes indicate that bicycles or other modes of transport are exempt an may well enter?!

We rode past quite a few fields with crops on. This was one of them with a crop of mielies.

Just beyond this we exited from the canal wall and rode into suburbia again. There we came across “Kinderwereld”. It’s an entertainment center for children with both outdoor and indoor activities and play areas. In summer they use the outdoor petting zoo that has goats, deer (the spotted kind that Santa would use), potbellied pigs and of course rabbits.

In winter they entertain the children inside. I’m not sure what that entails, but the place looks pretty amazing from the outside passing by.

 

One of the pervy piglets that play with children. From our little adventure and round trip we decided to go home. I'm sure I no longer have butt cheeks, I have two huge callouses. Also I have the strange desire to zig-zag accross the road and sing "The hills are alive, with the sound of music..."

Fin.