Today, I tried to get off early & get as many miles in as I could before 11am, before the heat cranked up, but breakfast didn’t start until 7 so packed my bags & waited.
Our friends, Koen & Dian Koenraad live in nearby Merksem, just beyond Antwerp, & had planned to spend time together, but my schedule change meant them being in Poland when I travelled thru. I still diverted to their house & send them a photo of my bike & I outside.
It felt good not to be a vulnerable pedestrian again. The cycleways here serve many people, & the rules of the jungle can apply. Walkers, the gentle peddler, children peddlers on school outings, bikepackers (of course) all the way through to racing clubs, with heads down, wizzing dangerously along at 30+ mph.
My day was another flat one – along the canals is now a little monotonous though the absence of hills allows a few miles in my legs. The weather is not helping though. Hot (27 – 32C) & 20mph headwind. Head down, peddling hard, those coming towards me are freewheeling. My objective is to survive the heat.
Some shots of the day
John's Epic Cycle Adventures 