So you were impressed yesterday that we had seen two World Heritage sights in two days huh?
Well, wait for this……
We saw two more World Heritage sights before lunch today 💪🏻.
Ha!
The Belfry at Aire-sur-la-Lys (coffee and pastry break at 25km cycling) and the Belfry at Bethune (lunch at 56km cycling).
But that is not all, not at all….
We cycled past FOUR 😳😳😳😳 World Heritage sites after lunch.
Beat that 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻.
1) A chateau style building and various other brick buildings. I come from the South Yorkshire mine field and I would describe this as the Mine Owners posh house plus some pit-head buildings, bath, offices, etc. All in a ruinous state and fenced off.
2) Fancy town hall in Bruay-la-Buissière which is a coal mining town surrounded by row upon row of miners houses (Yorkshire = “Back-to-Back” houses) but these are much nicer than the equivalent in Yorkshire.
3) An estate of miners’ houses.
4) A pair of slag heaps. Nicely symmetrical I guess. 🤷🏻♂️
SIX World Heritage sights in one day. 💪🏻🏆🥇.
Yeah, well, you may wonder 🤔 if the French have the same approach to designating World Heritage sights 🤷🏻♂️😂. We have Stonehenge, Canterbury Cathedral…..🤷🏻♂️
Anyway, our cycling. It was hot 32°C. But we whizzed along tarmac canal tow paths. Oh yes, we can do speed 🏎.
We got stopped by barriers on two occasions and had to back track, but that did not hold us up too much. And a few quiet country roads plus urban routes through this thoroughly World-Heritage-infected former mining town.
And so we reached our hotel for the night. It’s a kind-of Center Parc which we booked last night. Complete with open air swimming pool 🏊. No choice about it. Alistair has carried his swimming shorts all trip in anticipation, but these were rejected 🙅 😳 at reception. He had to buy “budgie smugglers” instead 🩲 😂.
The bar terrace has lovely views over surrounding countryside 🥰. And lots of Belgian beers 🍻.
Damn we nearly missed dinner. One serving at 7pm. We arrived 7:50 and nearly nothing left 😳
Clearly for families. It’s 8pm and the bar and restaurants are empty. Apart from us.