After the EURO OES Show, we stayed in Blankenberge for a few more days to enjoy the North Sea coast. It was the perfect time to take a break from work and just relax. We spent the entire Monday after the show lounging in our room—well, “lounging” is a loose term. I certainly did, but Deny, brush in hand, was busy getting our furry girls ready for the city traffic. In the evening, we finally visited the famous local pier and saw the sea! 😍
Below this post, you’ll find an edited video of our entire five-day trip and an extensive photo gallery. The video is arranged chronologically with clear breaks, so you can easily find all the places we visited.
Lille
The following days were filled with travel. We started in nearby France 🇫🇷 and visited the picturesque city of Lille. We were absolutely blown away by how they handled the main traffic there. Instead of a classic concrete highway, there is a two-lane road (I believe it was Boulevard de la Liberté) surrounded by trees that elegantly dips underground whenever it crosses a perpendicular street. It’s like a little roller coaster for cars. And since we were already in Lille, as a big cycling fan, I had to visit Roubaix as well.
Ghent
In Ghent, I was surprised that you can drive almost all the way to the city center, where there are underground garages. They aren’t crowded, nor are they expensive. As I soon discovered, this is how every larger city here handles it. Ghent, often called the “Belgian Venice,” is absolutely beautiful, and I definitely recommend stopping there.
At one point, the church bells started playing a carillon. Deny immediately said, “Do you hear that? Don’t you recognize it? Well? That’s David Bowie!” I tapped my forehead, thinking it was just the heat and sunstroke, and didn’t pay any attention. But once we stopped for coffee and some Belgian treats, I googled it and realized they were indeed playing Life on Mars? by David Bowie. And it happens every quarter-hour! On the hour they play the local anthem “Boven Gent rijst,” at quarter-past “Ne me quitte pas,” and at half-past “Ach Rosalie.” This playlist will be playing until Easter 2027.
Antwerp
This beautiful port city sometimes frustrates drivers with long traffic jams caused by the tunnel running under the shipping lane to the harbor. But if you take the time to turn into the city center, you’ll see gorgeous little streets. The real gem is the hidden alleyway of Vlaeykensgang. Behind the mysterious door at number 10, there is a complete oasis of peace. Simply awesome, a must-see.
Damme
A short distance from our hotel lies the small town of Damme—a village representing the comfort and peace of the countryside. You can wander along the paths around Damme and come across farm animals grazing in peace. It’s as if time doesn’t exist here. The hustle of the city, stress, and other modern gadgets feel so far away. It just feels good to the heart. And as Deny declared, Jean-Claude Van Damme must have been born here. Thanks to that remark, I discovered that he was indeed Belgian, but from Brussels.
Bruges
From Damme to Bruges, it’s just a stone’s throw away along the beautiful canal dike. Again, parking in the center, and those colorful houses… a sight to behold. It’s a pity that it was so hot and I was struck by a touch of heat exhaustion; otherwise, we would have enjoyed the local atmosphere more. Instead, we hopped into the air-conditioned car, drove through the city, and enjoyed the view.
Blankenberge: Polders and Dunes
To wrap it all up, we just had to enjoy the local beach. You know why they call them polders and dunes? Polders are essentially land that the locals literally “stole” from the sea by draining it and surrounding it with dikes (hence the famous saying that God created the world, but the Belgians and the Dutch created their own countries). The dunes, on the other hand, are natural sand mounds that act as a natural defense for the coast. We even let our feet get splashed by the North Sea, which was a chilly 14 degrees. No swimming, then, but it was pleasant and a beautiful end to our vacation.