Sam and Sheena Cycle

Today we had tasty pastries for breakfast, this was somewhat ruined by buying coffee pads which I thought were like tea bags but for coffee. They are not! If you make this mistake, you’ll regret it. They make watery, insipid coffee.  Simply not good enough, I’ll hold up my hand and say this was definitely a Sheena mistake. I won’t make it again let me tell you! Before the hot beverage fiasco, we strolled into Ypres for an early morning look at the Menin gate. It was beautiful and solitary in the morning sun except for one man who popped his head into the frame everytime I tried to get a photo. Thanks pal!
Coffee cravings straining at the leash, we set off. It was brutally hot again. The heat becomes difficult by 11, insufferable by 2 and impossible by 4. But it didnt get in the way of a good days cycle. En route, we visited Tyne Cot Cemetery. Resting place to almost 12,000 World War 1 dead, the majority of whom who have never been identified. We sheltered from the sun outside of the behemoth graveyard and ate our lunch (I sheltered cos I’m see through, Sam basked). We had of course the only thing any sensible person would eat in Belgium, Paté. Mother of all that’s good and holy, it was delicious! We then spent some time strolling round the graveyard, awestruck by the sheer number of headstones, almost a blinding white in the harsh midday sun.
In the 32 degree heat, we ploughed on towards Bruges, navigating our way around a crazy ring road to a campsite 10 minutes from the centre. We were instructed on how to reach our postage stamp-sized camp spot and arrived there to find the people camping next to us eating their dinner where we were meant to pitch our tent. Sure we’d always be ones to enjoy flouting the rules, so we just camped across from there.
After a bite to eat, sausages à la pitta bread avec legumes, we headed into Bruges. It’s centre is beautiful and buzzing, and a place I have always wanted to visit since I first saw the movie ‘In Bruges’. We sampled some local fare…. cherries, in beer format and a Brugge Zot and tuned our weary heads towards bed. Unfortunately I ddn’t manage to find ze nooks and ze crannies, but I guess that just means I’ll have to go back and explore one day…..