Nieuwpoort to Scheepsdalebrug, Brugge

35km, 1 lock, 7 lift bridges

This morning when we left the marina in Nieuwpoort, it was heavily overcast, seeming to be not yet fully light although it was 8.30 and the sun rises before 7.00.  It was also misty, but not so cold (9^o, the warmest morning we have had so far).

Early morning mist

The Nieuwpoort-Plassendale Canal has 5 lift bridges, and in an attempt to lessen the disruption to road traffic and bunch pleasure craft into convoys, the first bridge at each end only opens once every two hours.  There was a commercial barge travelling just ahead of us and as it approached the bridge, way before 9.00, we noticed that the bridge had been activated.  We rushed to catch up to it and I called the lock keeper, but he told us we had to wait 15 minutes until 9.00.  Oh well, you can’t win them all.  Unfortunately, he then seemed to forget about us so I had to call again!

30 minutes later....

Lovely Leffinger village

They even have their flower baskets out early, pity the pic was into the "sun", the flowers are johnny-jump-ups.

A salt mountain. The company's slogan in "Your salt solution"!

Do you need a pallet. There are quite a few here.

Urrm, a little TLC required

Just a tiny section of the "art works" outside a house.

Around 11 o’clock the mist started to lift and the sun struggled into view.  By mid-day we were basking beneath a clear sky and the temperature had shot up to 17^o!

As we approached the free pontoon at Oudenburg, which we have stopped at many times before, we noticed a lot of police and officials at every road junction, then police motorbikes with flashing lights came by, but in no particular hurry, then a car flying huge red flags - and the penny dropped: there must be a bicycle race coming our way.  Indeed there was, and there must have been upward of 100 riders all going hell for leather in a big peloton.  They shot by so fast that by the time I got my camera out I had missed all the action! Apparently it is an annual international event called the Handzame Classic.

As we trundled along the Gent-Oostende Canal towards Bruges we passed a British pleasure cruiser heading the opposite direction – so we are not the only ones who like to start cruising early in the season.

The Plassendale Lock dates from the 16th century.  Note the clear blue skies!

The amazing and entertaining Stalhille bridge.

At 14.15 we stopped at the pontoon at Scheepsdalebrug on the outskirts of Bruges.  The main reason to stop here is because there is a huge pet shop and we need a new cat flap.  Yes, really!

The pontoon at Scheepdalebrug - only one cleat! 

Proof: the new cat flap (even though it has a small dog on the box!)