Off we go! The trip starts with good news. Our rented bikes should be at the hotel on arrival. Hotair and Lenore were greeted early this morning by the visiting daughter to serve as gleeful transportation to Sky Harbor and we got word all four of us were ready. This daughter(Andrea) has her 24th birthday today!
The airport visit started with trips back and forth with the Thomases trying to figure out if it was Usairways or American. Thanks to one member of the family we started out with some early morning exercise. Otherwise, we were off and Hotair fast asleep on take off. Hotair will not insult Portland, but check out the "Clow" luggage. She always travels light.
The food on the plane was adequate, but the wine awful Hotair was told. The saving grace as we knew there would not be Pepsi was the Dr. Pepper as a second best option. Regardless, Brussels was a breeze for meeting up with Portland and Jackie. Access to Oudenaarde also was very easy. Turned out we did not even need to change trains with the only small issue buying the dam train tickets. After figuring out there was a needed password for the train ticket of the pairs went..
Best news of the day: our bikes were waiting for us. The Hotel Cesar had rooms ready when we arrived before noon. Diesel would be amazed at the apartment we rented this trip. Turn out there are two and this one is big step up with a view of tthe crowded town square, the Markdt. The Farmers Market has morphed into a Carnival which is an annual event before school starts each year.
The riding started out........delayed slightly from rain. Hotair is conviced Jackie hates the cobble already. She needs a sense of adventure. Portland enjoyed the shorter stretches. Hotair was able to locate a few very long cobblestone sections that he had not seen before.
Some of the names are notorious to Classics followers. They included sections known as Boskant, Kappelleberg, Volkenburg, Eikenberg, Taainenberg, Steenbeetries, Stationsberg and many others that Hotair is challenged at typing not to mention speaking. Special mention of the Koppenberg, Paterberg, and Kwaremont to be conqured later in the week is necessary
Our warm-up ride ended up being about 20 miles with some bonus miles for Hotair. Hotair had do do some post warm-up riding on this overcast rain threatening day. Yep...found some drizzles on his own. Yet he may have met a friend of Belgium's from high school. Her name is Buona? She had gone to pick up her daughter and was on the way to ride home with her son. The third, obviously from the photo, is on the way.
Lunch was a pizza on the Markdt, easy quick and familiar. As for the night we learned Portland is not a fan of Belgium(French) Fries, the national staple. There may be a bigger problem, however. Hotair cannot seem to get anyone moving. Usually he roams when all are in bed, but this time it seems bedtime is dinner time. Who gets tired sitting on an airplane?
As is this blogger's typical problem there will be photos later. To add to the grief even Facebook is not cooperating by letting photos be added to an album. Some day they will appear.
In any event, we ride to Ghent and back through a high rent district tomorrow weather permitting..
Luggage
View from first hill
We love cobble
and cows
JUST PEDAL
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