Belgian Family Fun on Calliope

The Leie, the Schelde, and the Canal Bossuit-Kortrijk August 8th to 17th 2024 It had been an interesting summer, cruising north from Saint-Jean-de-Losne in France to Diksmuide in northern Belgium in order to get our hull repainted, followed by a two week holiday by the sea at Nieuwpoort. Now we had come about 75kms southContinue reading “Belgian Family Fun on Calliope”

From Nieuwepoort to Deinze – enjoying North East Belgium

22th July to 7th August 2024 Calliope and crew proudly left Diksmuide with a newly painted hull and headed for the coast down the River Yser (Iser). The cruise is pleasant, through wide flat plains of farmland – no locks until Sint-Joris, Nieuwpoort. Areas such as these are know as polders – areas of land,Continue reading “From Nieuwepoort to Deinze – enjoying North East Belgium”

High-rise Living in Diksmuide

Calliope’s lift-out for hull cleaning and repainting. July 10th to 22nd 2024 Boats like Calliope should have their hulls repainted with good black ‘stuff’ as part of regular maintenance. We were 6 months away from her 10th birthday, and thought she should be treated her to her new bottom early. Over the past 9 weeksContinue reading “High-rise Living in Diksmuide”

Crossing Belgium SW to NE Part 2

Gent to Diksmuide July 1st to 10th 2024 Gent, on the Scheldt This was one of several special family weeks during 2024. Calliope had to be in Diksmuide, North Belgium, on July 10th to be lifted out for her quinquennial (5-yearly) hull clean and re-paint. We had been travelling up from Saint-Jean-de-Losne in France forContinue reading “Crossing Belgium SW to NE Part 2”

Crossing Belgium SW to NE – part 1

Namur to Gent 22 June to 1st July 2024 Calliope began the summer in France, down on the Saone at Saint-Jean-de-Losne, and we were taking her on a special trip to Belgium for her five-yearly hull repainting. Following recommendations from lots of people we had booked her in at Buitenbeentje in Diksmuide; we needed toContinue reading “Crossing Belgium SW to NE – part 1”

Whizzing down La Meuse PK96-46

[Cruise it slowly if you have time!] 11th to 23rd June 2024 We love La Meuse. This is our third time on the river – once up and once down before. We only stopped at 6 places this time, so if you are interested in knowing more about our experience of La Meuse here areContinue reading “Whizzing down La Meuse PK96-46”

The Magnificent Meuse

– part 1 From Belgium into France 7th – 13th May 2022   We didn’t start at the bottom, or the mouth, of the Meuse; we joined at Namur, so this account does not do full justice to the river. It was a rather overcast day when we left the Sambre and found turning upstreamContinue reading “The Magnificent Meuse”

From the Haut Escaut to the Meuse

Up the Nimy-Blaton-Péronne, through the Canal du Centre, down the Brussels-Charleroi and along the Sambre. April 28 to May 7 2022 After 3 splendid nights on the new curved pontoon of the Royal Yacht Club of Péronnes it was time to move on. While there we had had a couple of good walks around LeContinue reading “From the Haut Escaut to the Meuse”

Short Trip on the Scheldt

(Actually the Haut Escaut; we are in Wallonia!) From Bossuit, at the end of the canal from Kortrijk, it is not far to Peronnes where we were to join the Nimy-Blaton- Peronnes canal – just 27 kilometres. Nonetheless, in our new sedate gentle mindset we took a break of two nights along the way atContinue reading “Short Trip on the Scheldt”

A winter visit

6th – 10th December 2021 We had kept enough off our Schengen 90 days to visit Calliope at least once during the winter, and despite Covid rules both sides of the chan new requiring several tests each we decided to go. So with the ‘leaving UK’ PCR test accomplished and negative results received we wereContinue reading “A winter visit”