Wednesday 17th September 2014 - Got up to find little creatures had been eating my face during the night. Urgh. Went to reception to pay, then the shop for food.
Not much choice as end of season really, they had some fresh bread. Got a Danish pastry, er, wrong country, croissant, hmm and some bread pudding stuff which is a local thing.
Very heavy slice of dough like pastry made from eggs and cinnamon. It was ok, but very heavy and I couldn't eat it all. It, like the Danish, had rasins in it. Boke. I may consider stopping in Brussels to get the EU leaders to make a legislation banning rasins being put in any other foods. The birds got them, after I picked them out. Some oj for the vitamins too.
Tent dried out, showered, packed and away at 12.30pm. Another baking hot day again.
Easy enough to get out of Ghent. Was along a busy road though, cars and lorries are very loud. The cycle lanes were good, but really need to concentrate at junctions so that you're following the right ones. Very easy to just keep on going and not get to where you want to be. Stopped loads to check the map. Really don't want to have to back track at any stage.
Onto the N9 the whole way to Brussels. Busy enough road but cycle lane was of varying quality the whole way.
Not much to write about really. I took this main road to get to Brussels quicker than the country roads. It's boring though and busy. Hence not many photos of that day. Kinda like riding on an extended Lisburn Road out of Belfast all day, with a few countryside breaks in between.
So hot, at 5.30pm saw a temperature sign that said 32degrees! Dear knows what it was early afternoon.
No where really to stop. No benches parks etc. At one point where there were loadsa trees by the road side (near the wibdmill) there were about six dead doves in one 10 metres stretch. A couple of other, live ones, were jay walking, so I guess its the dove equivalent to an extreme sports area.
Stopped at lidl for some cheap food supplies. Lady said it was never this hot, it is unusual.
On to Brussels. Stayed on same road whole way in. Cycle lane in middle of tram lines and cars. Bit hectic through the Asian quarter, traffic, cars double parked, pulling out, people walking out in front of me, motorbikes whizzing by......
Right turn and straight to hostel/hotel. €28 for 10 bed dorm. Eh, what?? Said €15 dorm on internet, liars.
Washed myself and my clothes in the shower to save €5! Worked out pretty good. 50cents for the tumble dryer, but it worked without the coin anyway.
There was also a hairdryer in the room, ahhhh yessss!!
Place was pretty mad. Lots of people staying and milling about. Groups of friends, youth groups, travelers etc. Massive wide corridor, cool carpet with grey doors each side, felt a bit like a weird type of prison.
Kitchen was minging.
Cycle stored in cellar, down steep stairs, which was a bit of a tasks with heavy bags on it and slippy steps in SPD shoes ... broken glass all over floor. Please don't puncture.
Chatted to a couple of the Aussie lads in my dorm, then did drying and went to bar.
Then bed. Too hot!
Day 19 - 17.09.14
Ghent to Brussels, Belgium
1pm to 7pm
3hrs 56min cycling
61.2km
1576 calories
753 metres asc
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