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A life less complicated

Featured / freedombird / 13 Comments

Having completed a large chunk of the British coastline and visited 1467 beaches on the way, ventured into the unknown, crossing the English Channel for the first time and seeing what the coastline of France has to offer and adding a further 459 beaches to our tally, we are off again. This time, as a complete change we are on the pursuit of stunning scenery and again crossing the channel and meandering down the core of Western Europe to see what we can see…

If you would like to see our earlier journeys around the UK, they have loosely been grouped together by location and you can find the links below.

NB some of the links below are not yet working properly as it is a work in progress….

Beach Guides:

To catch up with our earlier adventures in:

  1. North coast of Cornwall from 5th October 2017 to 11th February 2018 –   Freedombird in Cornwall
  2. Back in Cornwall at various times to complete the coastline – Freedombird back in Cornwall
  3. North coast of Devon from 11th February to 19th March 2018 – Freedombird in North Devon
  4. Somerset from 19th March to 29th April 2018 – Freedombird in Somerset
  5. South Wales coast from 29th April to 14th August 2018 – Freedombird in South Wales
  6. West and North Wales coast from 14th August to 21st October 2018 – Freedombird in West and North Wales
  7. North West England from 21st October to 26th November 2018 and 27th January to 4th February 2019 – Freedombird in North West England
  8. Cumbria from 27th January to 5th April 2019 – Freedombird in Cumbria
  9. South Coast of Scotland from 5th April to 25th May 2019 – Freedombird on the South Coast of Scotland
  10. West Coast of Southern Scotland from 26th May to 17th July 2019 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Southern Scotland
  11. Edinburgh and surrounding area from 18th July to 30th July 2019 – Freedombird in Edinburgh and surrounding beaches
  12. East Coast of Southern Scotland from 28th July to 15th September 2019 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Southern Scotland
  13. North East England from 12th September to 20th November 2019 – Freedombird in the North East of England
  14. Yorkshire from 14th January to 22nd February 2020 – Fredombird in Yorkshire
  15. Lincolnshire from 23rd February to 13th March 2020 – Freedombird in Lincolnshire
  16. Norfolk and Suffolk from 15th to 24th March 2020 and 28th June to 18th July 2025 – Freedombird in Norfolk and Suffolk
  17. Inland England on various dates travelling through – Freedombird in inland England
  18. West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 11th September to 14th October 2024 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
  19. North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys from 15th to 27th October 2024 – Freedombird on the North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys
  20. East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 28th October to 15th November 2024 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
  21. In the Highlands of Scotland from 15th to 26th November 2024 and 10th to 21st June 2025 – Freedombird in the Highlands
  22. West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 8th to 17th April and 31st May to 5th June 2025 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
  23. Outer Hebrides Part 1 from 22nd April to 12th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 1
  24. Outer Hebrides Part 2 from 10th May to 30th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 2
  25. East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 15th to 18th June 2025 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
  26. North and West Coast of France from 11th September to 7th December 2025 – Freedombird on the North and West Coast of France

Thursday 19th March 2026 – Following the Meuse to Dinant and deep into Wallonia….

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After a very cold (frosty) night another stunner of a day followed as we set off heading south along the side of the river Meuse…

By about 9.30 we were parked up on the edge of Dinant and followed the river towards the centre, with spectacular views of the Citadel and Notre-Dame on the other side…

The town itself was nothing to write home about but we spent an enjoyable hour or so wandering in the sunshine along the river….

As we left Dinant behind, we encountered the amazing shard of rock – Bayard Rock, through which the opposing traffic had to negotiate their way through (2.7m width restriction) but unfortunately there wasn’t the opportunity for us to stop and take a photo. I must admit, even though it wouldn’t have been a problem for us, it still would have come as a bit of a shock!

Heading south through Wallonia, seemingly leaving any traffic behind as we drive through swathes of forestry along wide straight roads, alternately climbing and dropping down into valleys, as we make our way towards the most southern region of Belgium and into the National Park of the Valley of the river Semois, where we find tonights Aire for the night in Herbeumont….

Making the most of this beautiful day we head straight back out for a walk around the area and up to the ruins of Chateau Fort Herbeumont….

Enjoying spectacular views down the Vallee de Semois in the late afternoon sun….

Thoughts of the day:

  • We are enjoying being a little more rural today, I think we might be citied out for a while.
  • Pot holes are not the problem in Belgium it is the lumps and bumps where they have filled them that makes for a bumpy ride!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 64
  • Miles walked – 5
  • O/N – £13.24 (inc EHU)

Wednesday 18th March 2026 – Waterloo, Namur and Profondeville….

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Another beautiful sunny day, gradually getting warmer as we negotiate our way out of Ghent after a very peaceful night.

Our first stop today is the site of the Battle of Waterloo – the main attraction though is covered in scaffolding but we still enjoyed walking around the Battle field trying to imagine the sights and sounds it has experienced….

Our next stop was the city of Namur, driving into the heart of the city as we ended up doing was a little nerve racking, but we were lucky enough to find free parking in a little Aire just tucked away – we could stay the night here but I didn’t fancy negotiating our way back out of the city in the morning. Instead we wandered down to the river La Meuse and followed the riverbank along to the Citadel….

We then meandered our way back through the old town with echos of Ghent…

Craving a little peace and quiet we left the city behind and followed the river down to the small village of Profondeville and found parking for the night besides the Sports Centre….

Once parked we took a stroll through the village with its rather large and exotic houses, down to the riverside, before calling it a day…

Thoughts of the day:

  • How is it that you can never quite achieve the same shot of a place as represented in all the guide books?
  • Having assumed this sports centre would be a bit sleepy hollow, as of now (8pm) it is anything but with a constant steam of cars in and out dropping off or picking up, hopefully by about 10 it should have quietened down.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 109
  • Miles walked – 7
  • Fuel – £74.55 (just over 2 euro’s a litre – thanks Trumpety Trump)
  • Groceries – £26.32

Tuesday 17th March 2026 – An afternoon stroll around Ghent….

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Another lovely day for us as leaving Bruges behind, we drive along the lanes across flat farmland and through rural villages to our next location – the medieval city of Ghent…

The park up we have found for tonight is a rather ugly large park and ride carpark in the heart of an industrial zone on the outskirts of the city – no services but it is flat and seems quiet and quite safe, as I don’t think the park and ride is running at the moment.

We are soon settled and making our way the mile and a half or so into the Old Town of Ghent. May be because our walk started in the heart of the large industrial zone surrounding Ghent but the city feels bigger and in many ways grubbier than Bruges, however once in the old town the stunning architecture soon grabbed our attention…

Not as many waterways but largely traffic free (excluding the trams and of course bikes) along the cobbled streets and squares and the shopping here feels a bit more mainstream ie H&M and Primark, than the many independents in Bruges. A rather impressive castle and several large churches / cathedrals with the skyline being crowded with spires makes for a very different skyline….

Another lovely walk enjoying being a ‘proper’ tourist on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon.

Thoughts of the day:

  • To be honest, though the guide books suggest Ghent as a less busy alternative to Bruges, I found Bruges more attractive and atmospheric.
  • 2 cities in 2 days is more than enough busyiness for us – so tomorrow we shall be seeking some natural space.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 28
  • Miles walked – 6
  • O/N – Free as machine not working – should be £1.50

Monday 16th March 2026 – Bruges….

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A bit of rain overnight but dry and cloudy first thing and improving all the while. Today we venture inland and southwards into the city of Bruges. Arriving late morning onto this ideal city Aire, we are quickly set up and on our way for just a 10 minute walk into the city centre – the first challenge is walking on past the many Chocolatiers – though I do give in to a Belgium Waffle soaked in warm Belgium milk chocolate for breakfast / lunch….

Delicious but in fact a little too much unless you wish to spend the rest of the day recovering, whereas we have a city to explore….

And what a treat it is, as you know I am not a city person but I really enjoyed ambling along the not too crowded (sound advise to visit on a weekday off-season) cobbled streets, listening to the multi tongued chatter around us and marvelling at the stunning architecture….

Bruges is not a big city and quite doable in a few hours, it is mostly traffic free though you need to keep alert for cyclists who seem to appear out of nowhere at an alarming rate, the odd horse and cart, though you at least can hear them coming and lastly but not leastly – tour guides sporting brightly coloured umbrella’s and clearly on a mission to impart their knowledge and move groups from A to B at speed!

We returned to the van late afternoon, tired but happy with our visit. The Aire is ideally located just 10 minutes walk from the city centre but nice and quiet by the river….

Thoughts of the day:

  • I thought the cycling infrastructure in France was pretty impressive but my limited experience of Belgium is that here it is on a whole new level.
  • I struggled in France with the language but here I am afraid I have no clue!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 25
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Treats – £4
  • O/N –

Sunday 15th March 2026 – from Middelkerke to Zeebrugge….

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A much nicer day for us today with pretty much brilliant sunshine all day long, still a harsh coastal wind blowing but we survived. A tour up the rest of the coast of Belgium is our plan for today, starting with a short drive, followed by a long walk along the beach from Strand Raversidje, along Strand Diksmuide almost as far as Plage d’Oostend….

Back into the van and a drive around Oostend, across the river to continue our walk along the picture perfect and wonderfully deserted Strand Turkeyen and Strand Bredene….

Another short drive to Strand Wenduine and Strand Harendijke….

And ending our day at Strand Zeebrugge…

An absolutely glorious stretch of fine, silky sand with plenty of firm wet sand to make walking a pleasure. We didn’t get right to the top of Belgium and missed a few of the more popular resorts, as being a fine Sunday afternoon, parking was a bit of a challenge, but we have to leave an excuse to return. From Zeebrugge we made our way back to Strand Westend park up as the location was perfect (for a final beach walk in the morning before we head inland for a while) and parking is free after 7pm.

Thoughts of the day:

  • It would appear that during the off-season much of the parking is free during the week. We also discovered that there is generally roadside free parking either side of the beach resorts, if you are happy to walk a bit.
  • Can we last the next couple of months without the sea as our constant companion?

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 45
  • Miles walked – 8.5
  • Beaches – 8
  • O/N – £1.50