Ypres

Camp Jeugdstadion had to be the easiest to find, unfortunately the electrical hook ups we have for our van do not work with theirs. We had a feeling this would happen, as they did not work in Antwerp either. We got away with it in Antwerp because they had a special cable to use with their boxes, and it wasn’t busy, so we just parked the van right next to the electrical box. We got our cable for free from BW Campers after stopping there to get the rest of our bike racks installed (they came with the camper, but weren’t on there). So the clerk at this campsite phoned a department store named Delva, it’s like Canadian Tire, to find us a connection. They had plenty to choose from, so we decided to walk to the store since it is a small town and our van isn’t always easy to park, plus it saves us gas. We finally picked up some tools, about 4 euros worth, because I decided I was going to just replace the plug myself. It took some time because I had only bought one screw driver and once inside the cover, they switched types on me so I ended up using Julie’s nail file and a bread knife, but it was pretty easy to do despite Julie’s uncertainty. The town of Ypres was one that was mentioned in another book that was given to us by my father before we left for Europe (very up-to-date, has correct pricing, Thanks Dad), “Europe on a Shoestring”. This town of 32,000, wasn’t mentioned in any other travel book, but has an interesting past. It is the second oldest city in Belgium, was the last bastion of Belgian territory unoccupied by the Germans in WW1. The southwest corner of the country was a barrier to fend off German advances and as a result over 300,000 allied soldiers were killed here during the 4 years of war and the town was completely leveled. Today we went out to visit the Grote Market in the city centre. Here, we bought some Belgium chocolates after visiting the huge memorial for all the fallen soldiers that had no graves. Each soldiers name, rank and battalion was engraved on the monument. It was at least 3 stories tall and at least that wide. The memorial serves as the gateway to the centre square and every day at 8pm they stop traffic for The Last Post. The fire brigade sounds the buglers 3 times in memory. Seeing all the soldier’s names was very moving for both of us. I think that is why Julie wanted to finally buy chocolates. While we were at the memorial some soldiers, and what looked like soldiers to be (based entirely on their age), were going through a simple drill at the memorial. They were having a moment of silence. We then made our way over to the cloth hall, which served many purposes since its construction in the 1800’s. Now it is a museum called the Flanders Field Museum. They had a lot of information on WW1, both on the line and behind it. It was 7.50 euros each to get in, and after going through it, we probably should have skipped it, but since we are in Flanders, we thought it appropriate to go to the Flanders Field Museum.
The campsite we are at has free internet access, and it has wireless access too, so we have been able to update our blog-site while we sit in the comfort of our van. The downside, if you can view it that way, is the early wake up call we received this morning, and will no doubt see tomorrow too. The campsite is attached to a youth center which, at 8am, starts playing music. It doesn’t stop all day until 6pm. If we were really tired, we could have slept threw it, but it reminded us that we should get up and get moving. We were tired in the morning, but we are both glad we were woken up, because we got so many things done today, without having to rush. Tomorrow it is off to Tournai.

Brugges

The lady that was working at the Blaarmeersen campground in Ghent mentioned to us that the Brugge campsite was probably full too. She then provided us with two options for campsites no where near Brugge, but about 20-30 minutes away. One of the books we purchased for our trip is called “Traveler’s Guide to European Camping”. The reason we purchased this particular book was due to the information it provided about the campsites in Europe. It has 529 pages on the different campgrounds throughout Europe, with some sight-seeing suggestions, info about free-camping… It also mentions everything the particular campsites offer, from the price to how clean the toilets are. Up until this point it has been very useful. It is the third edition, but it was last published in 2004. Thus making the suggested campsite in Brugge a movie theatre. The restaurant the campground had was still there, even the gates, but you could tell they were not in use. Julie jumped into the small field near the gate to confirm this and found an electrical hookup for campers. So that site was no good and it was the only one listed for Brugge in the book. Luckily we had two other suggested campsites from Ghent campground. After we found Camp Memling, it was the closest to Brugge out of the two, they turned us away, but gave us (better) directions to the second campsite, Camp Klein Strand in Jabbeke. This campsite had one caravan spot available but wanted 25 euros for the night. Julie couldn’t accept that price, so we debated in the van in their parking lot until around 8:30, it was 7 when we first showed up, and decided that we needed to charge our laptop, clean our dishes and clean ourselves. But, the campsite was now full and we could pay 20 euros to stay in the parking lot and have access to the facilities, but no electricity. No dice. When I was driving on the E-40 to this particular campsite, I noticed a gas station with what looked like a rest area, so I said lets just try to free camp there for the night and get some sleep and some dinner. Off we went to go find a rest stop. It took about 30 minutes to get to one, but it was well worth the wait. Other campers were doing the same thing at this particular stop, we couldn’t get electricity, but it was free, had food if we wanted it, bathrooms and even showers. However, since we were spending only part of the day in Brugge and then moving on to Jeugdstadion campground in Ypres, we decided not to use the pay showers at the gas station, but keep it in mind for the future. The three campgrounds we looked for didn’t do us a disservice. While driving around I noticed that on a street outside the city center of Brugges there was free parking which was easily a walk-able distance into the market. The only unfortunate thing, was not knowing what the street name was and where. Making a turn by suggestion of Julie, she had spotted a campervan sign, we stumbled across an overnight camping area for campervans. The fee was 16 euros and included electricity. If only we found it the night before we could have had more time in Brugges. So we turned around and kept heading in the direction we were going in. I spotted the street and needed to do a U-turn to park, when I did, I ended up blocking a car trying to turn left, oops, not the first time! This is where Julie and I strolled into town, liking the calm and quite the city provided in the early morning very much. This was the first time we got out of our camper before 9am. We were rewarded with a pleasant walk and some guys feeding the ducks in the park. One guy even threw some bread to Julie so she could feed some. The Market was, as all seem to be, huge, surrounded by churches, government buildings and restaurants. Julie caved, and decided to buy us breakfast at a restaurant in the market square. The Belfort Francais was offering the works, eggs, bacon, toasts and jam, coffee and orange juice for 7.50 euros. But we decided to eat Belgian Waffles instead, plus they were cheaper, 4 euros. It was extremely pleasant sitting there watching the city wake up, having a coffee and a great conversation with Julie, we haven’t had a chance to just talk for a week now and we both needed to take our focus off of traveling for at least a moment. There were so many carriages in the market, all getting set up to take the tourists on a tour of the city. If you don’t know, Brugge center is surrounded by a canal and most of the entrances are grand, huge towers/ gates etc. They have a belfry too, which is in the market, as well as the church, which has bells too. This made for some interesting, albeit awful, chiming. It sounded like a bunch of kids playing with a xylophone. We left Belgium’s most popular tourist town at noon and headed off to Ypres (Ieper), located directly west of Brussels almost on the coast of Belgium.

Gent

The days are very long here, the sun goes down around 10 pm. So we left a little late for Gent, another city that was a suggested stop in all of our traveling books. The description of the city is that its architecture is very medieval and apparently in the Middle Ages Ghent was Europe’s Second largest city, bowing only to Paris. The campsite we were heading to turned us down because they were too full. Well sort of. They had parking spots outside the camp ground entrance with no hook ups, but still costing the same as if we were in the campground, about 16 euro, or we could go park out on the street for the night for free. She was surprised when we didn’t stay. So it was another night of free camping, but this time we were told that it was ok, so we went with it. Since we didn’t trust our vehicle to be left were it was, we drove it into the city centre (or close to) and planned to walk our way to the sites. This is we’re Julie and I had drove around, and around, and around Gent looking for parking. We found a Kiss and Ride, but we didn’t know what it was and no other cars were parked, and it was a Sunday so we knew most things shut down. So we left. The funny part about that parking lot was Julie contemplating stealing or abducting a chicken. For what is worth, they were in a park like area, with no owners evident. There were a few dozen of them and a few roosters. She is still upset about not taking one. Free eggs she tells me. For the record, I was against it, I just didn’t think it practical to travel with a chicken. We have more energy now, so today was a big day for sight-seeing. Our first stop was Gravensteen Castle. It was pretty impressive. The building has been kept up, the only part that you could see damaged was the kitchen, were it appears a fire took place. Inside some of the rooms, they had torture displays and the history of the castle and the dates when a siege was attempted. After that it was supposed to be off to St. Baaf’s Cathedral were the most famous painting of all Belgium resides, the Adoration of the Lamb. But we went into the Belfry by mistake. This only happened because it was actually labeled St. Baaf’s, but now that appears to have been the street name. We paid the 3 euros and went on exploring the belfry. During the 1st world war, the Germans had made a false concrete floor at the ground level. They used this secret room as a communication room. We had some pretty good views of the city at the top of the belfry too. So St. Baaf’s was around 3 euros as well, and since Julie and I don’t share a passion for religion and for paintings in general we decided that looking at a 8 ½ x 11 print out of the painting right in front of the booth you pay at was sufficient. But we did walk through the church and its crypt. It was pretty cool, high ceilings, lots of fancy things and portraits of priests but still a church. Trying to leave Ghent turned out to be Julie’s and mines longest 16 minutes ever. Through heated discussions and too many “do not enter” signs we managed to get on the road and out of town. For whatever reason, the GPS was not navigating well, and I ended up turning down a street that is only allowed for pedestrians and Trams. We missed the tram by inches.

Antwerp

It’s sad to say, but I know of this city because of a Spence Diamond radio commercial. I’m sure I have heard of it before, but that’s what I can relate it to. Julie had never heard of it. If you don’t know, Antwerp is famous for its diamonds and its fashion. Two things we don’t care at all for. We were planning on going to Antwerp because of its cheap campsite rates, it was recommended in our books as a place to go visit and the campsite was a 15 minute walk from the downtown square, where the nightlife is apparently the best in Belgium. Being the tourist season we were turned away from our destination campsite, Camp De Molean, and directed to another site north of the city centre. The price was right, but the showers were cold (our first ones), unlike the ones we were supposed to have at De Molaen. Once we got settled, we decided to go find a grocery store, as we already had nothing to eat. We went to an Esso and asked for directions and probably drove for about 20 minutes before we figured out what the guy had meant. There were two things we wanted to do in Antwerp, party and find the very cheap internet café mentioned in our book. We had 1 ½ hrs and it costs us 5.60 euros. Since our new campsite was 20 minutes from the downtown core we needed to use the tram and could not do the party thing. The next morning we headed into town in search for the Zoo. It was next to central station, and we managed to miss it because we walked out the wrong door of the building and ended up in China town (also next to central station). We spent most of the day at the zoo. The tram costs us nothing, as we couldn’t figure out how to buy tickets from the automated machine. We don’t speak Dutch. We both have to say that Antwerp’s central station is amazing. The next day we headed back into town, this time having tickets purchased at Central station (a lady showed us). After buying the tickets though, we felt stupid as we didn’t need them the day before, but better safe than sorry and they were only 1.20 euros. It was 10:30 when we arrived at the city center and it was extremely busy. It turns out a festival of mussels was happening that Saturday. We got our bearings and made our way to the internet café. It was supposed to be open at 11, but I guess the guy was like me and was running late. So we took a stroll through streets making our way back to the center and taking many photos. In one of the markets, right in front of the churches main door stood 4 musicians playing classics, 3 were on violins, and the other was on a cello. I took some video, as it was pretty amazing to see. We wanted to pick up their CD, but at 15 euros, we just couldn’t do it. When we were done at the café we headed down to the canal to go view a castle, it was pretty decent, but they turned the inside into a boat museum (we didn’t know it was a boat museum, I was happy with it and Julie was happy that I was happy).

Delft

Amsterdam, for the moment puts a sour taste in our mouths and we wanted a change of scenery. But Delft wasn’t it. We just drove there to spend the night on our way to Belgium. This was our first free camping night. Julie originally wanted to park in an Ikea parking lot. I didn’t. The Ikea building was under-construction, on a very busy road and its parking area was not much bigger than a plaza’s. And I couldn’t park the camper. So off we went to search for another spot. I found one near a dead-end road, across from an office building. To my credit, there was a parking sign, but it was meant for its employees across the road. We had no issues at this spot, but when the staff started arriving for work in the morning, I said it was time to go. On our first free-camping night I learnt that the Benelux region (Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) frowns on free-camping so much that they give fines on the spot and basically every other country it’s against the law, but they don’t really care. France being the most lenient has special parking areas for free-campers. So it was then that we decided not to free camp again in this region of Europe.

Amsterdam

Our first two days were rough. Monday was a pretty tiring and nerve wracking day. After we got our vehicle and drove to Gaaspar Camping, located on the south east side of Amsterdam, we started the process of unpacking. Oh, we got lost going to the campsite twice. This is despite us having a GPS with the address of the camp ground. We were very tired and only managed to unpack half our belongings before we fell asleep At this point we didn’t have any bedding, and it was 9pm. We used our towels the first night and were determined to go find proper bedding by Tuesday night. The tram system in Amsterdam is extremely easy to use. We had little difficulty navigating, and we purchased an unlimited ride pass for 24hrs from the campsite for $6.50/person. Since it was 2pm when we headed out, this pass was good for two days. We took the tram from Central Station to the flea market. Here, we were able to purchase a duvet, duvet cover with pillow cases, and two pillows for 40 euros. We also picked up 10 eggs for 1 euro and 4 apples for 0.80 euros. The people at BW Campers told us about two shops located behind their shop, and since they were right by central station, we walked over there and checked them out for a second time, this time being rested. We picked up a loaf of bread and some cheese for 10 euros and picked up a bottle of juice, candles, matches, a bottle of wine and toilet paper (the campsite doesn’t believe in TP). On the third day, we decided to see the Anne Frank House. It was around 9am, and the line up was around the block. By the time we got through her house, it was time to head back to the campsite, as our 24hr pass was about to run out. Off to Delft.

Now the van...

First, I wish there was power steering.
Second, I wish that it was smaller. 2.8m tall, 2m wide, 5.3m long.
Third, Julie and I wish that people would stop plugging there noses when we drive it. It smokes, it’s old and it’s a diesel, what do they expect it to smell like, French Fries?

The first drive was obviously frustrating. And to be honest, it has been that way since. However it is getting better. Maybe it’s due to the fact that we are not on the highways with other people so they can’t make those faces, but on back roads most of the time now, and maybe it’s because some of the roads have been so small, that the mirrors hit the bushes on both sides, making those city streets a breeze(except in Gent).

The Flight

It wasn’t too bad, I finally got to see Blades of Glory. We managed to get some sleep on the plane, and we actually arrived early, despite it leaving 20 minutes late. The Amsterdam airport isn’t much different than Toronto’s, except the baggage carts are free, or at least ours was. That made negotiating the airport much easier. A cabby told us 55 Euros to get to the city center and the train ticket was 3.60 each. Pretty obvious which route we took. This was the first time we actually had to carry our bags since leaving Burlington during our move. They both weighed in at around 50 lbs, and our backpacks were nearly 20 lbs. This was probably the one part of our trip that we would have to say was the worst during the first two days. Lugging those bags from the train station to BW Campers was awful, by the time we got there (and we did head in the wrong direction for a bit) we were exhausted. This was when we received our first set of bad news. When we were at the bank getting travelers checks to pay for the camper, we realized that we had forgotten about the 1100 euros for insurance and 1000 euros for registering the car (that registration seems a bit steep, considering Canada is only 80 bucks, but apparently it’s mostly taxes). I know that I was told in an email about these fees, but I forgot and it didn’t change the fact that we didn’t have enough money to pay for the van. So, we went and cashed our travelers cheques, withdrew what cash we could and put the remainder on our credit cards.

Party Night!!!!

So it’s a big send off today. First, Julie and I are leaving for Amsterdam the following day, and my Aunt Carol and her friend Pat will be heading home to New Zealand after a three week stint in Canada. If that wasn’t enough to celebrate it was also my neighbors Stew’s birthday and a late birthday celebration for Cory. We had a huge feast (9 whole chickens, 5 salads and a pizza) and a great turn out for the party. Thanks to all that showed up and all the well wishes, they meant a lot.

The Gateway: North Bay

After our time in Kapuskasing we spent 5 days in North Bay. Julie's parents were there during the first two days but unfortunately, they had to go back to work. However, my parents, aunt Carol, her friend Pat, auntie Bea, my cousin Megan and 3 of her friends were there for the duration. Most of our time was spent just relaxing and taking it easy. We did make 1 trip into town, by Megan's suggestion, to visit the carousels, the Green house and a chip stand. The carousels were a bust since Julie wasn't all that impressed by them or the lake. However, the food at the chip stand was great and the Green house had a lot of interesting items.

On our way back to Milton we stopped at the Collosus to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix in the IMAX theater.

Our time in the north

After giving up our apartment of two years, and the last thing we could call home for the next few weeks, Julie and I headed up to Kapuskasing to visit with her parents before we left for Europe. Luckily for us our friend Ryan, my parents, my aunt Carole and her friend Pat helped us move out on this momentous day. It was a very long month for Julie and I, as trying to get our lives closed off in Canada while we were still using them was a bit of a juggling act and I'm sure there are some things that were missed. Although, Julie tells me otherwise. After we arrived in Kapuskasing around 4pm on June 30th, we unloaded the rig and returned it. Thanks Rachel and Gerald. It's a four hour drive to Evain, which is located in Northern Quebec, and you would be surprised at how much you can see on such a short trip (Yes short, Kapuskasing is a 10 hour drive from Burlington). Julie was sleeping and missed most of the things we saw on the way up so you'll just have to take my word for it. We saw bears, an owl flying next to the van with mouse in it's beak, rabbits and a fox. We were in Evain to visit with Julie's godfather, Serge and also her aunt Lucie and cousin Joannie: They are great hosts, serving up an amazing dinner and great breakfast. The view from their house is amazing. A lake, small field and mountains are the backdrop.

The next day we drove off to La Sarre, another northern Quebec town, to visit Julie's aunt Celine for lunch. She had a new dog, a doberman pincher. They look really funny without their ears fixed.

We spent the remainder of our 2 weeks in Kapuskasing with Julie's parents and her relatives. We even had a chance to go fishing with her familly. On July 14th we said our goodbyes to Kapuskasing and Julie's relatives before heading off to North Bay.