Ghent – Antwerp

Next morning got a slow start as breakfast starts at 9. The owners are not morning people. I was off to Antwerp given verbal directions again to how to find my way. Not the most direct route, but a nice ride for 70 miles along a river. Did get off the route once where the river converged with another and started heading up what appeared to be a off ramp to a main highway. Got a bit horn action at me and finger waving. I decided to back off and found a hill by an overpass to climb up finding a bike path again. They run a number of ferries for bikes and pedestrians to cross the river nearer to Antwerp. They are free of course. The hostel at Antwerp had room.
Riding in Belgium is great. Bike paths are everywhere. You can ride either side of the street. On one way streets bikes can go both directions. At circles there is a bike lane and the cars give you the right of way. Cars expect you to lunge out in front of them so they are always stopping to let me go. At traffic lights the bikes move to the front and block the cars so that we can go first. Belgians keep saying Netherlands is even better for biking with bike highways between towns and they seem jealous of it. Bikes rule here.
5/27/10
77.4 mile 8:12 hr / max speed 39.2?? avg moving speed ? stopped time 2:00 537 ft total ascent. (Partly cloudy with rain in the afternoon)
Love & kisses
Steve