Straight through the orchards: blisters, bami, and happy coins 🥾

Day 17 – Sint-Truiden

Good morning from Sint-Truiden! The day started off nice and practical: a quick run to the supermarket for snacks and water for the road. Sun shining on my head ☀️, power bank charged, backpack packed — ready for a solid hike. And what a hike it was…

 

I walked straight through the orchards (truly a postcard moment), while F-16s and small planes flew overhead. Apparently, there’s an airbase nearby — that buzzing is such a vibe. I passed through cozy little villages and ended up at a convenience store. Behind the counter sat a big friendly giant from India who, to be fair, charged premium prices. But hey, I was hungry — so I grabbed frozen ravioli and a tub of bami 🍜. Believe it or not: it actually tasted pretty good! Dessert? An ice cream and a Red Bull — the walker survives.

 

The town was deserted. Pentecost. No shops open, no people around. Luckily, I later found a terrace that only accepted cash. I had just enough coins on me. The owner looked at me like I’d handed him a gold bar. 💰 Happy days!

 

Onward through the greenery. Country lanes, grassy paths, dirt trails — and then, bam! I crossed into Wallonia. Minor detail: they speak French there. And my French is… let’s say, charmingly terrible. But hey, we keep smiling 😅.

 

The kilometers started taking their toll. The sun was blazing, my feet were on fire (read: blister fest), and I was running on pure willpower. 25 kilometers — my longest hike so far. A classic beginner’s mistake: not resting in time. And I felt it the next day. Ouch.

 

But then I arrived at Étienne and his wife’s place, and it was truly an oasis. She spoke a decent amount of Dutch, though sometimes I had to play a bit of charades to understand what she meant. They offered me cold water (best drink ever at that point 💦), and we had a lovely chat.

 

Time to pitch my tent in their garden — what a spot! Views over the fields, chickens nearby, a vegetable garden to die for. And then came the evening program: cooking, showering, and sleeping.

 

But this wasn’t just any shower — oh no. This was a DIY deluxe hot-water experience. Fill a metal drum with water, heat it on a camping stove, pump it up, give it a shake, pull a string… and ta-da! A warm outdoor shower 🚿. Honestly better than a lot of hotels.

 

After recharging (literally and figuratively), I crawled into my tent. The next day promised a magical piece of land where nothing else existed — except silence, greenery, and Étienne’s blessing to camp there. But that’s a story for another time…

 

Day 18 – Remicourt to the edge of Wallonia (and my limits)

Good morning Remicourt! I woke up to the smell of freshly baked bread, homemade jam and — drumroll — a perfectly fried egg 🍳. Yep, time to upgrade breakfast.

 

After breakfast, I tended to my blisters, took down the tent, and crammed everything back into my pack. Étienne happened to be heading to Borgworm and offered me a ride. Nice bonus 🚗.

 

In Borgworm I grabbed some groceries and set off toward Braives. Stopped to get some cash 💸 and took the bus. Once there: supermarket, coffee, meat, beans, beer, yogurt – supplies for the journey. But man… those 10 kilometers were rough. Wallonia is anything but flat. Hills up, hills down 🥵.

 

Eventually I arrived at a field normally used for paramotor flights. Very cool — but at that moment I was absolutely wrecked. Luckily, I found a spot next to a grain field, pitched my tent, started cooking… and then the gas ran out 😬. Thankfully I had a spare.

 

My planned place to sleep in Huy was cancelled, the campsite was full. Plan B: head to Namur. 41 kilometers away, so I hopped on the bus.

 

In the evening, someone landed nearby with a parachute. Otherwise: just me, nature, and mysterious rustling sounds 🌾. Eventually: ate, made coffee, opened a cherry beer 🍒, rolled out my mat, and fell asleep.

 

Day 19 – From no man’s land to the city of blisters

Waking up at 4:30 in the middle of nowhere isn’t ideal… unless there are three deer around you and a blood-red moon floating above 🌕. Then it is.

 

At 07:15 Étienne rolled in with his little cart, heading out for a flight. Breakfast: tuna on bread with mayo – surprisingly tasty. Then lots of walking and lots of sweating. The bus to Huy was packed, I was crammed in, sweat pouring from everywhere 🚌.

 

And of course, I got off at the wrong stop in Namur. Result: lost, thirsty, and mood set to “snappy.” But eventually found the hostel, checked in, popped blisters, and hit the city on a rental scooter.

 

Mission: gas canister, hiking poles, poncho, shorts, poké bowl 🥗. After a bit of getting lost, mission accomplished and back to the hostel. Shower. Sleep. End of story.

 

Day 20 – The Great Blister Balance and the Post Office Pilgrimage

After a damn good night’s sleep 😴, I woke up to blisters that were finally behaving.

 

Slow start, breakfast, charging up, writing the blog. Then came the bright idea: send more stuff home. Fourth time already 📦. The Museum of the Walking Madness of 2025 is in the works!

 

Walked to the post office — 2 km with blisters. Mission completed. Then lunch on a terrace: salad, Pellegrino, sun on my face ☀️. No backpack. Pure luxury.

 

Later grabbed some snacks at the Spar, chatted with roommates (French, English, Dutch all mixed), and met a Dutch guy on a scooter heading to France 🛵. Dinner: carpaccio, double croque monsieur. Then horizontal and done.

 

Today was truly a rest day. Tomorrow, back on the road — hopefully with happy blisters.