Legs and Feets

La Vache et le Prisonnier, 3-11 October 2026

Dunkirk. Time to give Saphira a few days off.

The WWII Dunkirk evacuation (1940) of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and other Allied troops from the French seaport of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) lasted from May 26 through June 4. About 198,000 British and 140,000 other Allied troops, including Polish, Dutch, French and Belgian troops, had been evacuated to England, escaping capture by German forces.

Operation Dynamo involved naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats. The smaller vessels picked up Allied troops from the harbor and beaches of Dunkirk and transported them to the larger naval vessels in deeper water.

After the surrender of Dunkirk, about 35,000 mostly French soldiers were taken prisoner by the Germans.

The Dunkirk 1940 Museum covers the evacuation of troops from May 26 to June 4. There were several dioramas on display, including this antiaircraft and machine gun position.

One of the many dioramas depicting Dunkirk beach.

Who would have thought you could escape German captivity during WWII with a cow? One interesting story was about a cow and a prisoner, the subject of the film La Vache et le Prisonnier. In the film, a French prisoner of war working on a German farm in 1943 decides to escape and return to France. He plans to walk to Stuttgart with a cow named Marguerite, then leave her behind and hide on a train bound for France.

The next day we jumped on a bus and headed to Fort of the Dunes (Fort des Dunes). Construction began in 1878 as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications, built after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. It served as a command center for French troops during the Dunkirk evacuation.

Many of the rooms were set up to show the command and communication centers used during the evacuation.

Outside the fort was a memorial cemetery for those killed during the Dunkirk evacuation.

We did take some time and walk the beaches along Dunkirk. Though we saw no remnants of the battle while we were there, it was interesting to see the beach where this major event of WWII occurred.

Dunkirk beach. Imagine thousands of soldiers lined up here waiting to board ships.

Dunkirk is also quite proud of a local hero, Jean Bart. Jean was born in Dunkirk in 1650 to a seafaring family. He became a privateer in French service and later joined the French Royal Navy as an officer. He became the terror of the Dutch navy and a serious threat to the commerce of Holland. His list of exploits is way too large to include here.

Later, walking down the esplanade, we found this interesting sculpture of an octopus coming out of the boardwalk. One of the arms is holding a hiking stick and another a puppet bird head. On the short arm to the left is a bird bath and there are bird nests hidden throughout.

Again deciding to head to Paris for more birthday parties, we took Saphira to a Warmshowers host’s house and left for the week.

Into France, 2 Oct. 2026

Blankenberge, Belgium, to Dunkirk, France. 80 km. Temperature 53 to 68 F, winds 3 to 7 mph, with gusts 13 mph, from the south, southwest and west. Mostly sunny, with no precipitation.

Deciding not to purchase the motel’s €42 continental breakfast, we rode to the closest grocery store and paid €19 for a filling breakfast for both of us.

Stopping at the grocery store for breakfast.

We were in Belgium, and the bicycle paths were not as nice as their neighbors to the north. This gravel path through the woods was full of bumps, holes, sand traps and tight gates. On the city streets, the routes were shared with pedestrians, were narrow and were often paved with uneven brick.

Needing to purchase Belgian postage stamps, we stopped in Wenduine and found a store that sold stamps. The shop clerk was busy trying to fix the instant coffee machine with little success, and it took a while to purchase our stamps.

We decided to go to a bakery and purchase a treat and coffee before leaving. Legs went in to purchase pastry, and the clerk asked, “Are you eating in or out?” Long story, but it seems a client can order a drink and have it inside this bakery, but the client cannot order a pastry and eat it inside. So we went next door to the cafe where we were able to order a tea and use the restroom. We went outside and ate our pastry.

In Belgium, the paved paths through the dunes were less well maintained, and in several areas we needed to ride through sand drifts.

Sand across the path. Just take it slow.

Fortunately the Westerschelde Ferry crossing the Voorhaven river was open and running. It was a bicycle and passenger ferry. There was a road crossing a few km up river but it is always better to not ride the extra distance. Riding to the Westerschelde Ferry docks at Vissingen and crosses the river south to Breskens.

Riding back to the beach, we again started riding on a wide boardwalk in the resort town of Oostende. There were several art displays and monuments along the boardwalk, but these orange steel structures really caught our eye. Some of these structures were three stories tall and looked like steel boxes that someone crushed like a pop can.

Following the coastal cycle route, EuroVelo 4, we passed Atlantikwall Raversyde, a coastal complex of German WWI and WWII bunkers, tunnels and observation posts. We did not stop, but apparently visitors can use an audio guide to explore the bunkers and learn about the defensive weapons used during these wars.

A bunker with an antiaircraft gun at Atlantikwall Raversyde.

The EuroVelo map indicated there was a ferry crossing at the IJzer River. Approaching this crossing, we found that it was closed during the week and only ran on weekends at this time of year. Oh well, turn around and head back upstream to find a road crossing.

At the town of De Panne, we were diverted inland to the N386. Unfortunately, the N386 had a major reconstruction project in progress. We asked a truck driver if it was okay to proceed down the road, and he said no, but we could go if we were careful. So we walked down the road, and equipment moved out of the way for us to pass.

A short way past this construction, we crossed the border into France. There was an old border crossing building converted to a convenience store in the middle of the road. We did see a sign covered with stickers marking the boarder of France. Once across the border, it was no time before we entered Dunkirk.

Riding the boardwalk along the beach, we saw several old houses that had not been destroyed during WWII. Though over 70% of the town was destroyed, these houses survived.

Buildings from the 1800s in Dunkirk that survived WWII.

The motel was located near the city center. It was close to 19:00 when we checked into our room. By the time we found dinner, the sun was setting over the harbor.

Into Belgium, 1 Oct 2026

Burgh-Haamstede, Netherlands, to Blankenberge, Belgium. 107 km. Temperature 60 to 66 F, wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts to 21 mph, out of the southwest and west. Some rain last night but nothing while we were riding. Cloudy in the morning turning to mostly sunny in the afternoon.

So typically Dutch. A wonderful bicycle path, excellent route signing, and a historic windmill. Of course everything is flat unless riding up or down the path onto a levee.

Leaving Haamstede is so typically Dutch.

This area of the Netherlands has a substantial set of sand dunes between developed land and the sea. Most of the sand dunes are vegetated with trees, including pine in the photo below, but also birch and oak. This vegetation helps stabilize the dunes from wind erosion and provides a buffer between the sea and developed lands.

Other dunes along the route are stabilized with grasses and shrubs. Much of this area is signed “access forbidden” and fenced with barbed wire. The photo below shows sand covering the path. The work of clearing the trails must be enormous, but these trails are paved with either asphalt or brick and maintained to remove root bumps or holes in the surface. Though it is hard to see in this photo, there is a wind turbine on the left side of the photo. The Dutch are using the wind to generate power.

Sandy dunes stabilized with vegetation but still eroding.

The Zeehondenbank is a large bay with a bridged causeway. However the bridge is designed to control tidal water from entering the bay. Large flood gates allow water to exit the bay during low tides as is happening in the photo below. During this photo there is around a five foot drop between the bay into the North Sea.

Causeway between the Zeehondenbank bay and the North Sea.

This photo shows a windsock as we ride into the wind. Yes, the winds are strong and we were very glad it was not a side wind. But riding into the wind is also hard work. Thank goodness the causeways have a safe bicycle route next to the highway.

Today was a slow day. It was difficult to sustain 15 km/h, and the bicycle computer showed an average speed of 7 km/h, including stops. By lunchtime, we had only traveled 30 km to the town of Domburg. This town was surprisingly busy for a weekday.

However, most restaurants were not open, but we did find one serving Dutch pancakes. Legs ordered a Dutch pancake with a local Dutch cheese, leeks, and eggs served with sugar beet syrup. Feets had a salad with cheese wrapped in phyllo. Cheese that Legs soon devoured.

In the Zwin area, we crossed from the Netherlands into Belgium. We did not see a sign designating a crossing on the bicycle/pedestrian path.

Crossing from the Netherlands into Belgium.

When we were not riding in the sand dunes, we were riding on a boardwalk through resort cities. Most tourist facilities were in the process of closing down. Many of the bathing shacks on the beach, play areas and restaurants were being removed for the winter.

The first town we entered in Belgium was Knokke. The wide boardwalk had several of these pedal buggies. The pedaling passengers sat in the back as on a cart, and the child could sit on the horse out front. We know someone who would have loved a ride on this.

We made it to Blankenberge at 17:30. It was time to check into the motel on the beachfront. With the off season, the prices for a room were much more in line with our budget. After checking in and getting settled, it was getting dark, and with the headwind all day, our legs were tired. It was time for dinner and bed.

Checking into our motel on the beachfront.

Escape From Persecution, 30 Sept. 2026

The Hague to Burgh-Haamstede 93 km. Temperature 64 to 72 F, wind 8 to 12 mph, with gusts to 21 mph, out of the southeast and south. Cloudy all day, with light to moderate rain starting around 14:00 and continuing through the evening.

Leaving The Hague, we took EuroVelo 12 south along the coast of the North Sea. On the seaward side of the seawall is a long, clean, sandy beach with restaurants and concession booths. It was past peak season and early morning, so there was not much activity.

Again, we entered an extended protected sand dune area known as Westduinpark, following a paver path. There were several beach access points along the way, but the dunes elsewhere beside the path were marked no entry and protected by a barbed wire fence.

One of the many beach access points along the dune path.

Leaving the dunes, we saw a large area of greenhouses. An information board stated this is the Westland area. According to the board, the sea’s influence brings cooler summers, warmer winters, and a lower chance of frost, allowing the region to supply produce to the Netherlands earlier and for longer than the rest of the country. One drawback is that the winds are saltier. To address this issue they have built over 4,000 ha of greenhouses in this region.

During WWII, the Netherlands was occupied by German forces, and this pillbox is a relic of that period. In fact, there were many bunkers like these along the coast and around the harbors.

Another reminder of the German occupation was the effects to the Jewish population. As we entered Hoek van Holland, beside the shipping channel into Rotterdam, we found a statue of six children. The marker tells the story of about 10,000 children, most of them Jewish, who escaped Nazi persecution between 1938 and the outbreak of WWII. They came from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia and traveled to England without their parents. Dutch authorities and volunteers helped them along the way.

Monument to the children who escaped Nazi persecution before WWII.

The passenger ferry crossing the Nieuwe Waterweg and mapped on the EuroVelo 12 route had closed for the season. An information center employee told us the next ferry was 19 km upriver. So off we went.

Our planned ferry was closed, so upriver to the next ferry.

The Rozenburg-Maassluis ferry was running. We arrived as it was loading. Legs purchased tickets at the vending machine while Feets waited to loaded Saphira onto the ferry. There were only two cars, one motor scooter, and about 12 bicycles, so it was not too cramped.

In the town of Stellendam, we found a cafe and settled down for lunch. Across the street from the cafe was an electric bicycle charging station. We took this lunch break to plug in the phone and our battery. The service was free.

Charging our battery and phone during our lunch break.

After lunch, it started raining, and we stopped and put on our rain jackets and pants. Our cell phone also is used as our map. We have waterproof covers for the phone, but if the screen is wet, we cannot use the touchscreen, so we put the phone in a plastic bag. It worked fine then.

It started to rain, so on with the rain gear.

The causeway between the islands has a campground at Strand bij Ouddorp. This would have been a great place to camp in dry weather, but with the rain, we were happy to have a motel down the road.

Following the paved path through the sand dunes has its hazards. As we tried to ride around a gate instead of stopping and opening it, the front wheel sank into the sand. When we tried to ride back onto the pavement, the front wheel caught the edge of the road and dug deeper into the sand. This brought Saphira to an abrupt standstill, and we almost dumped the bike.