So Muppet Brain strikes again.

I set off this morning (27th August) with the hope of crossing from Belgium into Luxembourg and making it to Luxembourg City – 71 miles away but a couple of big hills on route – I’ve loved my time in Belgium and definitely want to come back but it has been brutal at times pushing Phil up some of the hills – nothing big but hard work all the same. I wasn’t keen to book accomodation in case I didn’t make it. I left the campsite at 7.30 – a little chilly but the forecasted rain had not appeared so all good.

Cycling through mixed native woodland in the Des Deux Ourthes Natural Park opening out into minature alpine-like pastures and the sun comes out with. Cows in the fields and I pass a goat farm.

Super quiet roads again and although there’s a lot of uphill it’s a nice easy gradient (so far). Time wise I’m doing well and mid afternoon I book a room for 2 nights in the Luxembourg City Youth Hostel. I’m not sure exactly when I passed from Belgium into Luxembourg – the disadvantage of quite roads and cycle tracks is there no signs welcoming you to a new country.

I do start to notice the “L” on number plates though and when I do have to join a road with traffic the cars seem to be bigger and flashier than in Belgium and some of them are being driven like the boy racers back home. Mostly though it is still a good network of quiet paths and roads.

For most of today I’ve not needed to check the map – the signs have been enough to follow but about 10k from the city centre I plug the hostel address into Komoot (kind of the cycling equivalent of Google Maps) – this mostly works until I’m nearly at the hostel and I end up doing a bit of tooing and froing and then minus panniers I carry Phil down a flight of stairs and then run back up to get the panniers. At last Komoot says “I have arrived” – I haven’t!!! Fantastic day on the bike and only had to push Phil up one steep section but I’ve been on the road for nearly 12 hours and I’m grubby and tired and just want to get to the hostel – I enter the hostel details into Google Maps this and get to the right place 2nd time round – but in the process of checking details realise that I’ve arsed big style – I’m not booked in until the following night! I decided playing dumb was the best approach – luckily all got sorted and I got a bed for the night and Luxembourg City looks amazing so I’m going to stay 3 nights and have 2 days having a wander round while Phil is safely locked up in the basement bicycle garage.

Between leaving Brussels and arriving in Luxembourg City –

I’ve nearly knocked over a workman (his fault and not mine as he walked out from behind a park van).

I’ve been rescued by 3 cycling angels when the very good cycle bath disappeared amongst roadworks and the bicycle diversion signs seemed to be pointed in the direction of oncoming busy – this was indeed the way to go on a strip of new tarmac with the cars passing on either side but I was very pleased to be playing follow the leader with these 3 ladies.

I’ve stayed at 2 more campsites – one just outside the town of Dinant on the banks of River Meuse and I got to see the geese flying low overhead as the sun went down and I saw another kingfisher. The other campsite was at the Camping Le Vieux Moulin – just outside the town of La Roche en Ardenne. Both these towns I’d like to come back and visit for longer and a number of others I’ve passed through. A common theme with Belguim campsite toilets don’t supply toilet paper!! The 2nd of these campsites was lovely and quiet – the first one not so and I was woken by the church bell chiming during the night, trains running on the lines on the opposite side of the river and cockerels crowing on the opposite bank of the river – who new that the noise of cock-a-doodle-doo could carry so far?? – it’s still a good campsite and if you are in a tent bring earplugs.

I’ve had amazing weather – the forecasted rain never came to much and I only got little bit wet.

I came through the 690m long Tunnel de Hobschied a few km north of Luxembourg City – and old railway tunnel – on the approach there was a misty will-o-the-wisp affect and it became bitterly cold – I was glad the tunnel was (dimly) lit and I didn’t need to search for my lights. It’s an amazing structure but I was glad to be back in the sunshine at the other side.

So finally at hostel and me and Phil still seem to be in one piece – I’m scrubbed up but Phil is very dusty, especially from the canal tow paths – Phil however is staying that way as I reckon there is less chance of someone nicking him.