23 June 2014 Gent, Belgium

The passage from Antwerp to Gent is a downhill run. It runs along the Boven Zeeschelde which
flows from the North Sea. As such it is tidal with current running at up to 5 km/h upstream
on the flood tide and downstream on the ebb. So it was with some trepidation that we
arranged our transit under the Londenbrug at Willemdok and through the Kattendijk Lock in
time to get us to Gent some 60km away before the lock there closed. Sure enough when the
lock gates opened there were large commercial barges fairly flying along headed for Gent.
When we joined them our riverside views were speeding past in a most satisfying way too.

We arrived at the Merelbeke lock in Gent well before closing time and after our transit
made our way through some very narrow canals and right into the centre of a very beautiful
old city. Here we could absorb more European history in a more compact setting, not least
visit the only castle in Europe in the city centre.

Since Belgium is famous for beer and chocolates we continued our self-imposed task of
working our way through as many of each as possible. An difficult job to complete but we
gave it our best shot.

Realising that culture doesn't always come in a glass, we headed for the Gent Opera to see "Don Giovanni". Sadly our seats weren't the best, the last available ones in the "Gods". I had a post obscuring my view, it was incredibly hot and the surtitles were all in Flemish so ...I have seen better productions of the Don!

Our fuel tank was showing near empty so we were advised to head for Beernem, a little
village to the West. It was a pleasant 4 hour run and brought us within a 10 minute train
ride of Bruges.

I've always wanted to see Bruges after seeing that rather dark humoured movie "In Bruges".
It is a tourist drawcard with absolutely delightful walks and of course, more beer to
sample, this time in a funny glass.

 "The Monument Men", another movie I saw on the plane, featured the rescue of
Michelangelo's Madonna and Child from a Nazi hideaway, stolen in WWII. It is now safely in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges behind bullet-proof glass - a stunning sculpture by the Master in 1504.

It's marvellous summer weather now so we're heading south towards France to put some km
under our keel before we meet Chris and Margie somewhere east of here.