No exciting states today, though a 'human interest' story.
At the checkout this morning, I had a chat with the manageress of Vakantieoord De Hulsdonken. They have been running the campsite for 18 years now. For the previous 18 years, it was a farm with chickens and pigs. However, the family could not live on that because meat prices were kept so scandalously low. They faced a huge mountain of debt. At one point, the government proposed a buyout scheme, which they eagerly accepted before switching to the recreational sector. The piggery, which had only been there for 11 years and had not been paid off, was demolished again. Pure capital destruction. With the state's buyout money, all debts had not yet been settled, but thanks to a side job, they eventually did. The family now has no regrets about making that switch.
The route turned out better than I expected. I feared miserable tarmac roads between fields, but fortunately it went mostly on country roads, occasionally interspersed with a shady forest.
After the long dusty Tobacco Trail, I passed fish ponds bordered by a smooth lawn with shade. This was too tempting not to lay down body and soul in the fresh grass and have a 15 minutes to 'ground'. On Facebook, I always get advertisements saying that earthing is beneficial for your body's recovery. The positively charged free radicals in your body would be neutralised during contact with the earth by negatively charged electrons present in the earth due to lightning strikes. That seems punitive to me. Is this yet another medical fable to sell 'grounding blankets'?
A few kilometres before Hamont-Achel I passed by the Mulken, the little house that once belonged to an 18th-century water mill, but of which not much could be seen now. They did sell there homemade farm ice cream, which I could not resist at this sultry sweaty afternoon heat....
The last few kilometres through the Achelt woods I passed another geological circle with rocks that dated from the primary (500 million years ago) to the Quaternary (juveniles from just 2.5 million years ago), and a reconstructed pile-lined prehistoric burial mound.
At the beginning of the long Chapel Street, I met Lutgarde at the special 'Chapel for the fallen'. Lutgarde, who is responsible for all Achelt chapels for the church plant, told me all the history. At 16/17 June 1941 crashed not far from here a British bomber of the RAF down which was on its way back from a bombing raid in Germany. The six-member crew, all in their twenties, lost their lives. The municipality then promised to build a chapel after the war in memory of the victims who lost their lives for our freedom. In 1952, the chapel was inaugurated. Since then, a tribute has taken place every year in the presence of friends and relatives of the six fallen. Until about three years ago, some very elderly Englishmen still turned up to attend the tribute. A dying generation, but the Chapel continues to bear witness to the horror that took place then.
After 1 km of Kapelstraat, a very warm welcome awaited me with a soft drink and a portion of olives and Acheltse cheese in the garden at Rudi and Kathleen.
Since I am staying overnight in a village centre, I went wide for a change after a week of one-pan camp dishes: a cod dish at Grand Bistro Napoleon, under the old Napoleon mill. And that it tasted!
Getting out of Hamont-Achel took a while, but it did get me past the best fry from 2018. However, she was still closed.
Down the road, I met Riek and Wil. They were restoring an authentic early 20th-century cottage with a beautiful facade for their daughter.
They advised me to definitely visit Budel-Dorplein walking, a factory village that around 1900 by the Walloon industrialist Dor near his zinc factory was built to house its workers and (mostly Walloon) middle managers.
Dor even built a 'prisonneke' with 2 small cells with only a brit and a toilet bucket. At the back was another oblong hatch to communicate with the prisoner. A municipal worker who was raking the small plot of land around it said the culprits (mostly poachers or public drunks) were there stayed one night at most. In the morning, the police came by to collect the prisoner(s).
I also passed by the 'farm' and the ''large canteen', the former monastery currently housing Polish seasonal workers. It also served as a asylum centre. The last historical building I passed a listed church.
All properties are built in typical Walloon style with red bricks and relief brickwork.
The visit to Dorplein did cost me a diversion of about five kilometres. The historic and the new village are quite far apart.
Ten more sweltering kilometres then awaited me, about six of them through the Weertse Heide and along the Iron Rhine railway line. Lots of plodding through loose sand, as the Weertse Heide is also used as a military training ground.
The quiet WegaWeert Nature campsite is right behind the Iron Man, a recreation area with swimming facilities, a large petting zoo and several nature experience trails. Interesting for people with children.
Today it was instant nature from the moment I stepped outside nature campsite WegaWeert. First an hour through a wooded area, then several kilometres beside the Tungelroyse brook over grassy paths and sometimes through tall unmown tall grass. The banks of the stream are grazed by cattle.
There was little shelter from the sun. Under the cool foliage of that one rare large deciduous tree, the flock had Scottish Highland cattle sought cooling, just at a spot where the grass path was narrow. So I could not respect the 25-metre safety distance. Then cautiously passed behind the herd. Highlanders are fortunately not aggressive animals, they quietly let me have my way.
Highlanders at Tungelroyse brook
Near Tungelroy stands a reconstruction of a Roman Bridge. In 2005, remnants of the original were found nearby, as well as a number of artefacts and Celtic coins. The wood of the original bridge dates from the year 27 of our era.
Next to the bridge was a nice spot where I could flatten myself down with my hot-footed feet in the water (main photo). Did me good. It did leave me with a wet bottom, as the bank turned out to be rather soggy.
After the stream, several more kilometres followed through sun-drenched fields, quite a bit of which is right on the Belgian-Dutch border. A sweaty bit. Near Kinrooy, I saw another piece of the 'Death wire' from WWI (see draft report 8 June)
At Anneke in Neeritter a refreshing glass of home-made elderflower drink and cherries from the vegetable garden awaited me. Again, an all-hospitable Welcome to my Garden welcome. Anneke has created a little paradise on earth here. More on this tomorrow.
Restored 'Death Wire'
Before I left Anneke's, I witnessed a sheep shearing session. Anneke has some sheep that urgently needed shearing.
As for stepping, I briefly taken some throttle back.
This weekend I needed to put all kinds of things on the internet and needed a good wifi connection. So it was best I went to a campsite. There were two near Neeritter. The next one was suddenly 25 km away. Since I already got +100 km in the legs last week, I opted for the short route to the nearest campsite.
My to-do list was long enough to keep me busy for 1.5 days. Moreover, I also got all my clothes washed - except for my swimming costume, my 'during the wash' replacement suit - and the tears in my trousers got sewn. I hope those trousers last for a few more weeks, because I don't have another one to go with them....
Tomorrow, a fairly long haul to below Opoeteren on the agenda.
Nothing special happened today, nor did I pass any captivating landscapes.
Outside a 5-some shimmering concrete kilometres To get through Neeroeteren - just during the heat of the day, of course - I walked mostly over dirt roads through quiet agricultural landscapes.
The terrain here is already starting to glide, the Ardennes announce themselves: 99 altimeters instead of the usual 10-15m.
Point of interest for budget long-distance cyclists or hikers: I spend the night at camping Zavelbos. A large campsite, well located in the middle of nature, well-equipped and modern sanitary facilities, fast wifi all over the site, a quiet tent meadow on an island in the pond with plenty of seating.... But: very expensive for one person with a tent without electricity: 23€, shower and hot water lavabos to be paid on top. However, I got that hot water for free because I step for a good cause.
Also note: kitchen tavern closes at 5pm on Mondays and is closed on Tuesdays. Those days it is best to bring your own food, and there is no food shop in nearby Opoeteren.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
