We follow the Maas river south the whole day on the Trans-Ardennes route, though fortunately the river loops back and forth so we don’t have the wind straight in our faces the whole way. The weather is pretty stormy with fast moving clouds and occasional rain squalls. When it rains, it rains a lot but fortunately it doesn’t last long and we’re able to drive without rain jackets most of the day, though the overcast skies allow us to skip the sun screen.
In contrast to the Walloon area, this is a really quiet stretch of river with farms and woods and the occasional small village. The road is great: recently asphalted and usually reserved for cyclists and hikers. Average speed is definitely lower due to the strong headwind and we take more frequent breaks. We don’t find any open restaurants, so we stop by a friterie and have French fries on the terrace during a dry spell. We’re pretty tired at the end of the day, so we’re happy to see the hotel has a large shower and a bath tub big enough for two. We share a half-bottle of champagne to celebrate and go have dinner in the center of town: a burger and delicious French toast dessert.
Febe writes 