Now this is summer!
What would today bring? A surprise… a good one. Although it’s cold, the day dawns clear, which makes me really want to ride. Shortly after leaving Malmedy I’m already in the woods. I spend the whole morning on narrow trails that take me from one forest to the next, crossed every now and then by a road, and then back onto the trail. Every cyclist’s dream!
I leave the trails for a moment for one of the most widespread cycling vices: a coffee and a pastry. Imagine my surprise when, just as I’d got used to bonjour, I walk into the café and get greeted with a Guten Morgen. Without realising it I’d crossed into the German-speaking area. For a traveller, it’s actually rather fun.
After the coffee break I head back to the trails. This area is particularly beautiful. The trails are clear, the trees let me ride in the shade…
… and I even get free blueberries.
One thing that strikes me is that, the few times I leave the trails, it’s to cross a road or a small village, and I rarely do so without passing a military cemetery. Belgium’s military cemeteries have their origins in the tragic events of the two world wars of the 20th century. Belgium was a major theatre of fighting in both wars, which cost the lives of many soldiers of different nationalities. These military cemeteries are places of great historical and commemorative importance, and they remain as reminders of the horrors of war and of the sacrifice of those who fought for freedom and peace.
The last of these cemeteries I’ll visit is in Houffalize, the end of today’s route. After pitching my tent at the campsite and before going to bed, I satisfy my hunger with Belgian chip-shop fare. Definitely a poor choice for dinner. But I had to try it.