As expected, a beautiful ride today. First through vast rolling fields, then by the Lanklaarder forest, with pretty patches of heathland too. The forest is bisected by an old railway line.
In the sun-drenched fields it is hot, but there I regularly found a horse or cow pasture with a drinking water trough into which I could dip my cap with neckerchief. Then, in a residential area, I was allowed to keep my cap under the watering cans of a friendly lady tending her flowers. That's how I keep my cool.
At Salamander campsite is the standard tent rate for 2 people. Since I am only alone, I was offered a drink of my choice as compensation. Correct attitude, in many places you are disadvantaged as a solo traveller.
About me at the campsite are three Dutch people, two men and a woman. The men go on foot with day packs from Rotterdam to Aachen, in day stages of about 20 km. The woman follows with a Ford Transit van and takes care of all the logistics. Because of the heat, the strollers looked well worn out when they arrived at the campsite.
Another warmer day awaits us tomorrow. I am going to Zutendaal, no super long stretch, and try to leave very early. Then it will be nicest on the ''Mechelse Hei', the first part of my journey. Looking forward to that. Hopefully I will get out of my sleeping bag in time.
My food is almost gone, so a lighter backpack tomorrow, which is also not too bad with the predicted heat. In Zutendaal, I can stock up on provisions again.
In the morning on the Mechelse Hei
From camping Salamander I stepped straight into the beautiful Malines Heath in. Because of the heat, I am already at 6h45 started, but in the moor I didn't exactly rush. It is so quiet and beautiful early in the morning. To get across the E314, I had to go a long way on a paved but car-free cycle path. In the Mechelse Heide, the E314 is a woeful noise disturber in southerly winds. You can hear the traffic noise for kilometres.
So on the other side, I was much less bothered by the noise. There I first walked along the southern fence of the Zutendaal air base, and then, despite the 'turn around now' whimpering from Komoot, a diversion along the 'Monastery of Bethlehem'.
That appears to be the famous monastery of Opgrimbie to be built on a royal estate there after King Baudouin's death in 1999, following his will, but in violation of the law because the site is in a legally protected nature reserve. According to Wikipedia, the dispute is still unresolved.
I thought this was a women's monastery, yet I clearly saw a Father a morning walk make on the other side of the fence... The piece of forest with beautiful grass paths that followed was heavenly calm, green and cool. Definitely worth a diversion.
I arrived at the beautiful Garden at Ludo's in Maria In Zutendaal.
Hesselberg nature reserve near Zutendaal
No exciting or science-worthy stories today. Because of the expected heat, I was ready to leave at seven o'clock. Via a path at the back of Ludo and Maria's garden, I got straight onto a forest path that ran behind the gardens of the houses, without having to tread 1 metre of asphalt. After that, except for a few road crossings, it went on, entirely on forest trails up to the bridge over the Albert Canal. I crossed the Hesselberg nature reserve, a varied landscape including some very wet stretches with boardwalk.
After about five kilometres I crossed the canal, and then followed six very boring and hot concrete kilometres through Munsterbilzen and Bilzen. In built-up streets, there is barely even a breeze, which adds to the heat feeling. In Bilzen, I luckily found a bench in the shade next to a little chapel to take a breather.
Fortunately, the final kilometres were back on dirt tracks through fields where the wind had free rein. Via a small asphalt lane I crossed the E313.
Entering Hoeselt, I passed another colourful flower farm.
By now, it was a little after noon. At a roundabout point, I greeted two green service workers who were braving the afternoon heat to clean up the flowerbeds. I asked if they could not do a job in the shade at this hour of the day in this heat. For now they cannot, but soon they would be allowed to start earlier so that they can stop at two o'clock. It has been very hot for 10 days now. Why is it so slow to switch to a 'heat plan' for municipal workers?
Then I was in the street of Tania and Kris, two friends from Antwerp who went to Hoeselt moved out. For the next two nights, I am sleeping in a bed with them. That's going to do some good after 14 days of tent sleeping. A good pillow is actually what I miss most during trekking trips....
During my rest day, I had to stop by the post office in the village centre and paid a visit to Marc and Monique. From 1985 to 1999, Marc and I were colleagues, it was a very warm reunion.
Today was a walking day with lots of side trips and 'stories'. From Tania and Kris's place, I first stepped about three kilometres ''Right through Hoeselt'. That's not a small village... Just past the E313 I could see the Demer Valley Follow via a beautiful and leafy path until the Alden Biesen castle. There I was able to dab my cap a I first time in the Demer. By attaching the cap to the handle loop of my walking stick, I easily got from a little bridge into the water.
Alden Biesen has been beautifully renovated. In the 1980s I once passed here by bike and at that time parts were still closed due to the fire just 50 years ago. It was only 9 o'clock and the cafeteria at the entrance was of course still closed. I dropped my rucksack on the terrace and walked on 'lightly' to take some photos.
What a stroke of luck! In the second courtyard in front of the castle were 24 BMW Z1 vintage sports cars prepared for the launch of 'Z1 on Tour', a two-day tour of Limburg. The owners soign their cars as if they were their babies. I overheard two men discussing how best to repair some minute scratches in the bodywork. And the drivers' caps are assorted with the colour of their car. It goes far...
BMW Z1 oldtimer show in Alden Biesen
After this colourful delay, I crossed the domain of Alden Biesen. The rear gatehouse (17th-18th century) stands at the highest point in the area. From here former seven drives that symbolised the seven sorrows. Of these, six currently still exist. Which smart has lost out in contemporary times, I have yet to check.
On the cemetery of Klein Spouwen I could wet my cap a second time.
After a hot stretch in full sun, I turned a corner and stood in front of pub Het Bierhuisje. Hubert Ardy (+80) was born in this cottage, and for 33 years his wife has kept café there. Hubert himself was a bricklayer by profession. There are some paintings on the wall that he made himself.
When he was young, his parents started with two pigs. One of those was sold, and from the proceeds they then bought two piglets. And so on. Chickens, rabbits and sheep were not missing either, of course. The latter were allowed to join the cows of a neighbouring farmer. It was still like that back then. Mine and thine were not so tightly separated.
I was allowed to charge my phone and read the newspaper in the meantime. That had been several weeks ago ... Actually, you're much more at ease when you don't read all that bad news. I got my second tonic from the house and the flyer for Street Nurses asbl landed on a highly visible spot in the café. Such lovely people all... Heartwarming.
But there was further stepping to be done. Soon there came another delay. On a long land consolidation lane, I saw a group of workers, mostly women, working on a giant strawberry field. They were on their knees picking the fruits. I asked if I could take a picture and moved a little closer. They were all Bulgarians, so we had to rely more on sign language and pointing to communicate.
They start at 5am in the morning and work until 1pm. Sunday rest day. Although they were picking in not too easy a position and in full sun, there was good fun and laughter. Too bad I did not understand them. One of the women stood up and poured me a bowl of bright red strawberries (main photo).
So sweet. I wrote my name on a piece of paper for them to pluck the photos from Facebook. They also pulled a picture of me. And then we had to move on.
A little further on was a bench in a hedged inlet under a native oak, with a wide view over the rolling Hesbaye fields. The ideal shady spot to eat some of the strawberries that dangled in a bag on the outside of my rucksack. SO delicious!
The meeting with a oak processionary caterpillar that had fallen on my backpack was less pleasant. Fortunately, it was just one, and not a tangle as you sometimes see. It didn't leave me itching, oef.
After another four kilometres or so through wide landscapes, I arrived at Welcome to my Garden hostess Maddy Jans in Irish Cross Street. The Irish Cross I wanted to visit the next day.
After my morning visit to the Irish Cross, I headed out.
The route today was not particularly fascinating, at one very special experience after which I have never experienced before.
It was noticeable that it had rained heavily during the night. Once past Lafelt, I stepped along a muddy path beside the Albert Canal, but some 20 metres up the slope. The path was quite narrow and blocked in places with bramble thorns and nettles that had been blown down or rained on. I heard mountain bikers having to swear through it. With my walking sticks, I then tried to swat aside those prickly and scabby things as much as possible. That broke the monotony of stepping through a green tunnel.
Opposite the Fort Eben-Emael I ate a little something in Moulin Loverix , a former water mill.
I didn't have time to visit the highly secured fortress that should have kept the Germans out of our little country in WWII, but from the 5-km-long subterranean corridor system I was able to enjoy part of it.
Just past the car park, Komoot directed me to a footpath on the left, right through a newly sown maize field. That struck me as odd, after all, farmers don't like their fields being walked on.
A local resident was working in his garden and he confirmed that the path may be used. It leads to the rather hidden entrance to a 1.7-km-long tunnel which crosses the hill. I had seen on Komoot that there was a long, dead straight section in the route, but I assumed this was a ravel, a former railway line. Not so.
The friendly neighbour said that there was also an alternative route over the hill, but since I had a headlamp with me, I decided to first check out the (cooling) underground corridor. After all, the temperature had shot up again in the afternoon. Read more about my adventure in the pitch-dark tunnel.
Photo gallery Eben Email tunnel
As I stood back in the daylight, warmth fell on me. 13° versus 28°, it is a serious difference.
500 metres away I crossed the Meuse by ferry and found myself back in the Netherlands, in the quaint village of Eijsden. Dutch villages, or at least their historical cores, are generally much cosier than ours... This is just an opinion, of course.
Four kilometres on, I reached campsite Mescherhei, a very clean, small-scale farm campsite with modern, squat infrastructure at a reasonable price for tent campers (15€).
This is another special day in my life that I will not soon forget.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
