Netherlands/Belgium Bike Tour Day 8: Veere to Brugge
Posted by Cassie, November 11th, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
This was our last day in the Netherlands. The border crossing was totally anticlimactic. We only passed a sign for entering a new province in Belgium. The European Union has made traveling through different countries in Europe similar to traveling different states in the US.
Border crossing from Netherlands to Belgium
Before entering Belgium, we had a half day of riding through the Netherlands. We rode through Middelburg, a small city with an impressive townhall and church. They also had a flea market going on in the main square. It was fun to go through markets in European cities and see the items that are for sale. Sometimes you will see made-for-TV items being sold. In Amsterdam, we saw a man selling a special mop. He even set up a sample wood floor for demonstrating the amazing properties of his mops.
Final day of riding through Dutch countryside
Middelburg Stadhuis
Middelburg church
Middelburg flea market on main square
After leaving Middelburg, we went on our longest ferry ride of the trip. We have had great luck in the timing of ferries. We arrived a few minutes before the ferry left. We bought our tickets and boarded the ferry, and the ferry left immediately after we boarded. Once we arrived on the other side of the channel, we began riding inland, and we said goodbye to the North Sea. Sluis was the last town we rode through before leaving the Netherlands. It was neat city with an old fortification wall surrounding the city. Sluis had a huge shopping district that was packed with people. Apparently, Belgians go to Sluis for bargain shopping.
View of Sluis from old city wall
We followed a bike path along the canal that goes from Sluis to Brugge. It was a beautiful ride along the canal lined with huge elm trees. Brugge was a bigger city than I expected, and it was the biggest city we had ridden through since Den Haag. We arrived at rush hour, and there was tons of traffic with people driving like maniacs. We managed to ride through the city without getting run over by the crazy drivers and made it to the campground outside the city.
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