The watery, lush province of Flanders revealed a few surprises and some old Belgian favourites on a rollerski trip to Oudenaarde.

A sleepy Sunday in Kortrijk?

We could hear the noise before we saw them. The low rumble amplified into a deeper growl. It was coming from the road that was our route to the station. An open jeep with a waving charioteer hurtled into the square flanked by black leather clad outriders and swept on towards the medieval centre of Kortrijk. Another 4,000 motorcyclists followed …

By chance we’d found the 17th Vlastreffen, a charity motorbike ride which this year covered 130k around the Franco Belgian border and ended with a grand parade through the city. Its aim was to promote solidarity, safety and respect amongst and towards bikers, as well as commemorating local bikers who had been killed in road accidents.

The late afternoon sun glinted off highly polished chrome and metal. There was every style and make of motor bike, from Harley Davidson armchairs to aggressive looking machines more suited to screaming round a muddy circuit. Riders, singles and couples, represented the whole biking fraternity from hell’s angel to designer leathers.

We wove through the crowds down the noisy, fume-filled street, for once our roller skis attracting little attention, then realised we had to cross the densely packed, revving column to reach the station. There was no alternative but to regroup and step out on to the zebra crossing. The riders paused for a moment and we dodged across to the accompaniment of impatient honking. Our battered eardrums and aching limbs made the train with a few minutes to spare. We sat back and reflected on the amazing spectacle.

Two wheels rule

To begin the day we’d rollerskied or cycled up river from Oudenaarde beside the Schelde, past manor houses, under geranium decked bridges and around the odd factory, reaching a converted old mill for lunch in the sunshine. We then followed the towpath along the Bossuit – Kortrijk Canal that started in a small, leafy backwater and later expanded into a significant waterway. The paths were generally well surfaced and populated by club and family cyclists. We managed a good pace between stops and covered over 30k.

They love their wheels in Kortrijk. On the outskirts of the town the road was barricaded and heavily marshalled for a cycle race. It looked like a serious one. Flags and whistles sprang into action, police and sponsors sped ahead of the leading riders who were chased by the multi-coloured pack and support vehicles of varying ages. Watching an old VW police wagon lurch round the corners, it seemed that keeping up and on the road was as much a test for the drivers as the cyclists.

Classic cars and pastoral scenes

On the first morning the trip began in Oudenaarde’s main square, a large cobbled expanse towered over by the ornate, late Gothic town hall and edged with attractive gabled buildings from different eras. That day it was also the location for a classic car meeting so we lined up alongside precious E-types, Triumphs and Mercs that hogged the limelight.

We headed off down river on the Schelde cycle route with by huge barges occasionally ploughing along beside us complete with the family car on top. The route sometimes detoured away from the river through quiet cottage gardens, and this was when we saw them. Head down, pawing the ground, the magnificent monsters guarded the bridge. The super-size concrete buffalo were a memorial to the 37th Armed Infantry Division of the Ohio National Guard who fought in the battle of the Schelde in World War 1. They were an imaginative and impressive reminder of the area’s troubled past.

Adjacent to the river white, muscular cows grazed in flat fields which were dissected by dykes and edged by willows and poplars before rising into low rolling hills. Herons flapped disdainfully and waterfowl scooted below riverbanks studded with wild flowers. In the warming sun it smelt green and grassy with the odd whiff of ditchwater. We skied past red brick farmhouses with sizeable pigeon lofts, nature reserves, and massive locks and sluices.

A Scottish tearoom by the river

From a distance it looked much like any other small Flemish house but a closer inspection revealed a tartan border around the base and a kilted figure pictured pointing to the entrance of MacPudding. Inside plaid featured heavily as did whisky signs amongst bric-a-brac and old pine furniture. The jolly owner emerged and explained that with his love of Scotland and whisky, he thought it would be fun to recreate a Scottish tearoom in his corner of Belgium. The menu was brasserie style and soon good value plates of eel, local shrimps, tender pork fillet and perfect chips were appearing, accompanied by accompanied by local Liefman’s beer and very quaffable wine. His helper was not quite so linguistically adept and, when questioned about a dessert, explained, "it’s brown and you can eat it". Our laughter produced samples and it turned out to be a local version of bread pudding.

Cesar serves Irish stew

The London Region Nordic Ski Club group stayed in two hotels, the quirky and quiet Da Vinci with a baronial dining room [and excellent breakfast], and the Cesar on the main square, which is a good out of season choice, but proved a little noisy with a summer night club next door. We had opted to eat there on Saturday and our celtic/Belgian experience continued as we discovered they were having a promotional Irish night. Interestingly Irish stew was served as a starter followed by steak in mustard and Guinness and, fortunately for the lesser carnivores amongst the group, other choices could be substituted from the menu. Luckily we were entertained by lively singer/guitarists as the staff were challenged to serve the restaurant and a wedding reception at the same time.

Eating in Belgium is usually pleasure that doesn’t break the bank and Sunday evening’s restaurant choice, the stylish and calm Pierlepijn, lived up to expectations. Oudenaarde is well furnished with restaurants and cafes, as well a good range of shops, including an excellent supermarket near the Da Vinci hotel. It has a range of beautiful monumental architecture and the the town hall was rated highly by those who visited it. It also has its party side which a few of the group tested until the early hours the morning. The skiers all made it to the start of Sunday’s tour but not the cyclist - proof that cross country ski-ing is the best training for life!

Culture and waffles in Ghent

We were very lucky with the weather, considering Flanders had suffered record breaking rain in August, but our last morning was wet and there was little enthusiasm for a final rollerski. Some of the group drove to Ghent and climbed the belfry in the town’s medieval centre for stunning views of the area then visited the cathedral to see its most famous painting, Jan Van Eyck’s Adoration of the Lamb. This 10 panelled masterpiece was well worth the 3 euros entrance fee and pausing to listen to the excellent audio commentary was time well spent. Ghent looked like it merited further exploration but we all agreed we couldn’t leave Belgium without having waffles so we retired to a café for a final typical taste of the country!

With thanks to Gerard Evans for organising the trip.

For more information:

www.trabel.com/oudenaarde/oudenaarde.htm

www.oudenaarde.be [only in Flemish]

www.hotel-cesar.be

This article first appeared in the November newsletter for London Region Nordic Ski Club.  http://londonnordic.org.uk