Mini update – Taking a pause 🛑👣

The past few days I haven’t been able to write a blog. Not because I had nothing to say (trust me, plenty of adventures), but simply because I was on the move, tired, and couldn’t find the calm to put it all down properly.

Sometimes your body just asks for a little break — and that’s totally okay.

Luckily, I treated myself to a well-deserved rest in a nice hotel, with a real bed, a warm shower, and a bit of luxury. My feet have been somewhat revived (they were starting to feel like they were ready for retirement), and I’ve slept well. 😴

On Sunday, I’ll take the time to catch up on the last few days — because there were plenty of moments: rain, sunshine, unexpected encounters, and of course, food (lots of good food). 🥖🍗🍒

Until then — and thank you for your patience!

 

Day 12 – Caravan, rain, and shrimp sandwiches

 

Today was all about recovery. I’m currently camping in a charming caravan on a fairytale-like campsite on the edge of a forest in Pelt. Slept like a baby — as if a bunch of little gnomes personally rocked me to sleep. 🌲😴

 

When I woke up, I felt like an explorer and set out through asparagus fields and woods. A bit wet, a bit muddy, but hey, adventure! Once truly in Pelt, I eagerly started a walk that… let’s say, got a little out of hand. T-shirt on, sunglasses ready… or so I thought — until one of the sunglasses’ legs broke. First mission: the optician.

 

Glasses fixed? ✅

Hairdresser found? ❌

 

Apparently, here you have to book appointments and follow a secret time zone that doesn’t match ours. So I kept walking, hoping for a supermarket, a hairdresser… or at least some shelter, because yes, it started to rain harder. 🌧️

 

But then — a light at the end of the tunnel! A super fancy bakery appeared, as if I had reached the final boss of this wet quest. Treated myself to a shrimp sandwich (because I was feeling fancy) and an éclair (because I also just felt like myself). And something to drink, of course.

 

Then I sheltered at a bus stop where I, fully in survival mode, installed the bus app. Surprise: it worked perfectly! The bus nearly zoomed past, but luckily it stopped just in time. Dropped off near a Lidl — jackpot!

 

Groceries secured: tuna, wraps, bananas, peanut butter, a bit of everything. My backpack bulged like a Christmas hamper on steroids. Carrying about 5 extra kilos, I trudged back to the campsite. By then, I had walked 13 km, mostly in the rain. 🥾💦

 

In the evening, a warm bowl of soup with some rolls, and then… well, I slept like a log. A very satisfied log.

 

Day 13 – From caravan chaos to cherry beer and croque

 

Okay, time to say goodbye to my trusty caravan. Cleaned up the mess — and trust me, it was an impressive pile of organized chaos — packed my bag again, and with good spirits, hit the road. My brilliant plan: spend the night at a bivouac zone. Sounds cool, right?

Well… small detail I overlooked: that bivouac zone wasn’t anywhere near my route. The road there? Closed. Internet? Gone. So there I was, a lost traveler without direction, staring at an offline world on a bench. Pause. Breathe in. New plan.

 

After some wandering — just past a town called Peer (yes, really) — I walked by a festival. Sounds fun, but I had zero time. Then my eye caught what looked like a mirage in the distance… a bus stop! Savior in disguise.

Off to Genk. Busy! Very busy. Too busy. So I quickly moved on to Zonhoven (much calmer). There I was greeted by a pit with a mammoth skeleton. Not a real one — but still gave me Jurassic Park vibes. Walked through the forest until I reached my destination: a simple trekkers’ hut.

 

What was there?

– A bed

– A wooden deck

– A tent

 

Perfect! I didn’t really need more. My neighbors turned out to be a super nice Belgian cycling couple. We got talking, and later in the evening, when I was eating, I bumped into them again. They spontaneously treated me to a kriek — Belgian cherry beer. Delicious! 🍒🍺

I had a croque monsieur (always a winner) and a chicken flatbread, jumped in the shower, and fell asleep like a stone.

 

Oh — and for tomorrow, I found a last-minute mini eco-campsite at the edge of the woods, right at someone’s home. Sounds quaint? It’s bound to be amazing.