16.2.07


Thursday 15th February 2007

After a full day rain the weather forcast was promising and we took to the N8 where we parked our car 2 km from OLV Lombeek. Bus 128 brought us to Ninove and the train to Zandbergen. At first we went south with the sun shining in the eyes. The wet surfaces were shiny and the muddy paths took most of our attention. It was a real mix as well in the sense of the scenery as well the trail itself. App. 50% was surfaced and more or less than 20% of the trail was shaded by trees. Although houses were all around us it was remarkle quiet and the sound of tyres speeding on the concrete was seldom heart.
The marked GR stretch was 19,5 km. But from OLV Lombeek to the car took another 5 km.
We climbed 244 m with the highest elevation at 94 m and the lowest 42 m.
Personal grading: **

5.2.07

LAW 11 on Saturday 3-2-7

We had been waiting for sunny days and this Saturday was predicted as such. So we took our hiking boots, dog and day pack and hurrierd to our local bus station where LAW 11 or "Grenslandpad" hikers in Easterly direction had to take the bus in order to cross the Westerscheld.
We took to the west. The noise and smell from the giant Dow factory were blown
by northerly winds in our direction.
The castrated Braakman creek was in the process of renovation yet again by man's intervention. Anyway, it look somehow promising. Finding trail markings got a new dimension and was quite fun. Tarred road and speedy cars followed us like stinging insects until we had crossed the main traffic road in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and entered the Braakman woods again. By that time evil smells and noise was greatly diminished and we enjoyed a real forest feel. This part of the trip was great. At the crossing of the N560 with the Isabella canal we left the trail and walked for 5 km towards Philippine where we took the bus to our starting point.

Distance (total) 19,5 km. Flat. Quite a bit of tar, noise and bad smells.

Personal rating: *