We woke….to more rain…..lots of it!
So we decided to trust the forecast…rain clearing later…and leave at 9.30.
And then the weirdest thing happened: as we wheeled the bikes out of the cavernous bicycle garage under the hotel…a little tinkle…as a piece of metal hit the concrete. It was one of my new brake pads!!! It just fell off!!
Clearly it had not been installed correctly yesterday…but strange that it had survived a day of riding! Upon reflection…it was really quite unnerving….thinking about such a thing happening on the way down one of the many passes we have climbed. Thankfully it happened in the right country. Flat as a pancake here in the Netherlands!
So it was off to another bike shop…and more delays.
We did have a Maastricht Treat…of a breakfast! Really lovely!
Bike fixed again…we set off….well after 11….so a bit late given the distance we had to cover!
Rain threatened…..a few spots…but we kept dry…all day!
A few interesting bits to the ride…..
….but generally it was flat roadside riding (always on dedicated bike paths though).
….to the town of Mechelen. Midway between Antwerp and Brussels, this is a gem of a place.
Disappointingly however…the lovely main market square…was filled with a fairground…..which I tried to avoid in my photos (probably shouldn’t have!).
They only served small beers here…..one just would not have touched the sides! So….
And this is the street where our lovely wee house was located…shame about the crane!
