Rest day in Namur

I took an additional rest day today and was fortunate to be able to visit Waterloo including the 224 steps up to the monument, and I also took in some of the sights of Namur from the Citadel.

Brussels to Namur 68km

Thank goodness for Benedikt’s brilliant navigation skills, we made it out of Brussels. It was extremely busy and quite confusing with dedicated bike paths, shared paths, park shortcuts and disappearing bike infrastructure at crucial times on busy roads. The focus was to get to Wavre as step one and then focus on Namur as step two. Benedikt took responsibility for step one and me for step two. 

The ride was lovely although it was much hillier than expected and for day one on the loaded bike, it was a little challenging as I’m still getting used to the balance and the weight. Benedikt was so patient as I navigated my way with the bike and we had a fabulous day. 

Benedikt is travelling light! 

Finally found an EV5 sign! 

We arrived at a friend’s house around 3:30pm after almost 70km and 700m of elevation, with tired legs and hungry bellies. It wasn’t long before we were showered and in search of a supermarket for some much needed calories. We had a lovely evening chatting and sharing stories.

I’ve decided to take a rest day as I still have quite a bit of lingering fatigue and low grade headaches from the viral meningitis, combined with a big first day on the bike weighing roughly 35-40kg, I need some extra time to recover. 

Sightseeing in Brussels

 Some pictures of my adventures through Brussels.

The adventure begins

After a marathon journey of 30 ish hours, I made it to Brussels. I assembled the bike at the airport in a random spot as I couldn’t locate the bike station nor many staff to ask for assistance. 

It’s always a relief to see the bike arrive, albeit with the box a little worse for wear. Everything went together well except for attaching the handlebar bracket which I really struggled with. I managed to get it attached but it’s definitely not right and something I need to address today, along with a few other things, but nothing major. 

I rode into the city centre on some separated bike ways and road cycle routes. The route between tram tracks was too much for my tired brain to navigate the heavy bike safely, so I walked those sections. The hostel is in the city centre and I have a private room. Apparently I’m too old to stay in a dorm, not that I’d want to anyway. I’ve already managed to find a GF bakery, GF chips and GF beer. 

I’ll try to do a bit more on the bike today before heading out for some sightseeing. The weather is showery and cool but I’m on holidays so am not complaining, 

Only 14 days to go.....

It's hard to believe my last post was in 2025 after finally landing on my itinerary for this year. It's been a busy time since then with a birthday celebration, Christmas, a trip to the Tour Down Under with friends, lots of riding and a significant bout of illness. 

Unfortunately, I contracted viral meningitis recently and it's been a total reset for me. After a trip to hospital and the realisation that this was a significant illness meant a total halt to training, I've been completely focussed on recovery for the past few weeks. The impact of this virus has been so challenging both physically and emotionally. I am however extraordinarily grateful for my friends and the wonderful medical services we have access to in Australia.

Luckily, this illness has been far enough away from my departure, that I've managed to start to recover and get some strength back. Unfortunately, the headaches and fatigue can continue for up to three months but I'm confident that I'm in a good place to start my trip in 14 days, albeit at a little slower pace until I see how I go. 

I'm looking forward to sharing my adventure this year, 2000km +/- and seven countries. How lucky am I to be able to do this? I feel privileged with a passport that allows me to travel freely. 

Some pictures from the past few weeks, including questioning my life choices as I dehydrate dishwashing liquid. 😂