GR129 and 128

Tuesday 12th June 2007. The sound of birds and smell of pig’s dung. Concrete back roads and overcast. These are the main characteristics of this combination of 128 and 129.

Leave your car at the railway station in Deinze and take (app. hourly) bus 87 to Lotenhulle. Go to the Hoeke castle garden at the south end of town and you are on the right track.

After a 2 kms you leave this lovely estate and move into pig keeping country with here and there a herd of masculinized cows. I didn’t hear the disturbing sounds of highway traffic. At the rail line east of Deinze is the crossing between the GR 128 and 129 (N50 58 59.5 E3 26 01.6). For 2,5 km the path follows the old course of the Leie and one enters the outskirts of Deinze. The GR passes the church in town and goes further east along the Leie. Here I leave the path to go back to my car which I parked at the Delhaize’s super market parking lot.

Distance covered: 21 km. Flat. Average speed: 4,3 km/hr.

Personal rating: ***