Germany 2007, Day Fourteen, Belgium

Day fourteen 16th June

When we got up and opened the blinds, every other tourer had gone, we where on our own, that made us the only target for the zombies or witches or aliens or whatever else was on the site (did I mention that, in the bar the day before, through the smoke, I think I saw Mulder and Scully).

First stop diesel, then dropped in to the booze warehouse and bought that much, we were given four rather nice complimentary bier glasses. Back in the van though, I found €12.00 on the bill that I couldn't account for (had they charged me for the glasses?), I went back in to ask about it and it was the deposit on all the bottles of course.

Now off to Bruges, we have been meaning to visit of years and never got round to it, so it was time to make amends. Turned right out of the Booze place, onto the N6 and within yards we are in Belgium on the N4. Took the second on the left (looking at the map now, could have taken the first), narrow road that didn't look like it was going to the motorway but in the end it did. On the A4 to Brussels ring road, round to the north and off on to the A10, this looks simple. Well as we got on the ring road the havens opened and you couldn't see a thing, thankfully most of the traffic slowed to a crawl, we missed our exit, we were looking for signs to Bruges but should have been looking for Gent and Ostend. We turned round and headed back to the right turning, we now had the right exit number, but I still got it wrong, there was another exit alongside the one we needed and I took that one. Wherever it was we ended up, I luckily could do a sort of U turn and get back to the road we actually needed, the A10 all the way to exit 9 onto the N50 on the outskirts of Bruges. We followed the N50 to the R30 Bruges ring road (we actually we went through the village of Oostkamp that we should have gone round on the N50) to the N9 and then followed the signs to the site.

The note on the reception door said to find a pitch and come back to back tomorrow morning. I had my wifi card for the lap top with me and this site was supposed to have a free wireless internet connection, so I had to check. I had a key ring that detects these things, so I clicked it and sure enough a strong signal, I had checked every other site we had been to but all without success.

Bruges Camping Memling Veltemweg 109, 8310 Brugge Web Site

After we drove round and picked a pitch, I checked again but got no signal so I had a walk round the site and the only place with any signal was reception but there was a room to sit in, complete with a computer for you to use free. It had been the site bar once upon a time and I think I would have preferred that myself, the internet it good to have but it doesn't compare with beer.

The hard standing pitches are not very large, in fact they are small but the people that have end ones get more room, well not more room but no one can pitch next to you on one side. There is one left and we decide to move, only another motorhome is up by reception, so we have to be quick to pack up and move (bit like in Koblenz at the start of the holiday).

Its getting late but Dot wants to go into Bruges, I thought we would just leave it until tomorrow but we have been talking to the couple next to use and worked out where the bus goes from, the number 11, next to a small bar (that gets me interested), so off we go, right out of the site the opposite way to where we came in. At the end of the road I haven't been listening properly and turn the the wrong way back onto the main road (this make sense to me if you want a bus). There is a bus stop opposite with two locals sat in so we wander over and ask if this bus goes into the centre, "yes" is the reply so we wait. Reading time table there is no mention of the No11 and the two locals get up and into a taxi, not a good sign. We decide to walk towards the town to the next stop, on the way I ask in a shop about the bus and we have been at the wrong stop on the wrong route and we are directed to the right place. This is getting too hard to describe so I will try to do a map,

We should have been at bus stop A but I had stupidly turned left and headed to the Useless bus stop before eventually ending up back on the right bus route at bus stop B, the only good thing about this was we now knew where the supermarkets where. The bus actually goes off the top of the map from B and then circles round to A, before heading to the town centre. The driver was very helpful and pointed out to us when we got to A, that this was the best stop for the campsite, later he also pointed out where to get off in the town centre. When we did get off I asked the driver, if this was the bus to get back, the answer was yes up until 20:00 but after then we would have to get one of three other numbers to get back , too complicated for me. By now the time was getting on and as we had two more days to explore we decided to have a quick look round and get the last No11 back to the bar close to the site.

After a walk round, we check back at the bus stop we were dropped at and find that is not where the No11 stops (as the bus we got off pulled away it had changed to the No3 and this is presumably why it was the wrong stop) the actual stop was just off the main square (I found out by asking another bus driver). At this point it started to rain, so we headed over to the right bus stop as the next No11 was due but the 19:20 bus didn't show and we assumed it had gone early. Luckily we could shelter from the rain in a shop doorway close to the bus stop, the 19:40 bus was also a no show and we were beginning to worry, at about ten to eight I asked the driver of another bus about the No11 and was assured it was on its way. The 20:00 (the last No11) also didn't turn up, at five past eight I stopped the No16 and again asked the driver about the No11 and again was assured it was on its way. I explained that three had not appeared and that the last one should have been here five minutes ago, he thought for a moment and said "get on I will take you". This driver deserves a medal, he finished his own route and then took us to the gates of the campsite (didn't like to tell him we wanted to be at the bar, thought that may be a bit cheeky). One moan I have is the No11 is a circular route and the tickets are valid for one hour, if we had got the bus we went for it would have been free, as it was we had to pay for this door to door service, although I think it was worth it to see the looks on the other campers faces as we pulled up.

And the reason for No11 bus no shows, there was a triathlon taking place and the fun run part of it, around the outskirts of the old town, had caused massive traffic jams all around the ring road, making it virtually impossible to get in or out of the centre, luckily the No16 driver managed to get us through it somehow.

We did walk back to the bar, where we met two other couples from the site and had a few different Belgian wheat beers with them, the locals on the other hand were drinking Bass.