Matilda on Tour — From Wobble to Wandering

Monday 2 March 2026 — Calais to Brugge

Day 2 — From pause to pitch
France 🇫🇷 → Belgium 🇧🇪

We arrived in Calais last night and pulled into the aire for a much-needed sleep. Thankfully there was no repeat performance of Matilda’s wobble.

We woke to fabulous weather — warm sunshine and proper blue skies. After the build-up of the last week, it felt like a reset.

Our first instinct was to get straight on the road to Brugge… but we paused instead. We wandered down to the beach and found a lovely brasserie for brunch. It was exactly what we needed — a slower start and a reminder that we don’t have to rush just because we’ve crossed the water.

With the sun still shining, we carried on towards Belgium and arrived at Camping Memling, just outside Brugge. It’s a great base — good facilities, free Wi-Fi, and easy public transport into town.

We went through the usual “arrive and reset” routine… and I managed a classic van-life moment. We filled the water tank before pitching, drove into our spot, and then noticed the tank had started emptying itself. I’d forgotten to close the emergency frost control stopcock. Lesson logged.

In the afternoon we went for a walk around a woodland park next to the site. The spring sunshine had proper warmth in it, and it was lovely to see so many children leaving school on bikes, chatting and laughing as they went. It feels relaxed here — easy, unhurried, just people getting on with their day.

By the evening we were back in the van, feet up, simply enjoying being settled. After the intensity of the build-up and the wobble at Dover, today felt steady.

Ordinary in the best possible way.

Tuesday 3 March 2026 — Brugge
Day 3 — Settling into the rhythm
West Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪

We had a slow, sunny start at the campsite before heading into Brugge.

As we were leaving, we got chatting to a Scottish couple parked nearby. They were on their way home from Bosnia, full of stories about winding roads, border crossings and the unexpected moments that make a trip memorable. There’s something lovely about campsite conversations — strangers one minute, swapping travel tales the next. It made the map feel a little bigger, and our own journey a little more real.

We’d originally planned to do “Brugge by bike” today, but over coffee this morning we changed our minds. Watching how confidently the locals whizz around on their bikes, it felt slightly safer (and simpler) to take the bus in and make it a walking day instead.

The bus dropped us near a park on the edge of town, which was a gentle way to arrive. And then suddenly the buildings begin to rise around us — stepped gables, towers, canals, cobbles. Everywhere you turn there’s something worth looking at.

Brugge felt lively without being overwhelming. There’s a steady hum of visitors, but it didn’t feel frantic. Just alive.

Lunch was chips and mayonnaise — simple, slightly nostalgic, and instantly reminding us of our time in Germany.

Afterwards we made our way out towards the windmills. It turned into more of a walk than we’d anticipated, but the windmills themselves were worth it. Standing there, slightly windswept, felt like proper Belgium.

By the time we walked the final 2km back to Camping Memling, our legs knew they’d had a day out.

Back in the van this evening, feet up, it feels like we’re properly settling into the rhythm now.

Wednesday 4 March 2026 — Brugge by Bike

Day 4 — Canals, windmills and a café stop
West Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪

This morning started very differently to yesterday. The mist was thick across the campsite and for a while it looked as though the day might stay grey. Gradually though, the sun burnt through and the sky cleared.

After a bit of morning wrestling with technology we finally got ourselves organised and set off on the bikes.

I’d found a twenty-mile route on Strava the night before, which turned out to be a good decision. We meandered out from the campsite to join it and, rather amusingly, popped out right by the windmills again. We had only seen two the previous day on foot, so this time we carried on south to find the remaining three — all five still standing along the canal.

Cycling through the centre of Brugge is a bit like a scene from Wacky Races — bikes coming from every direction. We did our best to keep up with the local rhythm, although we may have caused the occasional moment of confusion… and apparently I managed to sail through two red lights without noticing. Oops.

Before leaving Brugge behind, we stopped beside one of the canals for lunch. Cherry trees were just coming into bloom and we sat for a while enjoying the warm sunshine — one of those simple travel moments that feels quietly perfect.

Part way along the canal route we came across the Moerbrugge memorial, marking the Battle of September 1944, when Allied forces including the Black Watch fought during the liberation of Belgium. Standing there beside the water, it’s hard to imagine that such a beautiful and peaceful place once witnessed such fierce fighting.

Once we left the edge of Brugge the landscape opened up. It’s very flat here, with huge agricultural fields stretching away in every direction. Many of the trees are heavily pollarded, so at the moment they stand like bare trunks with short stubs where the branches have been cut back.

Most of the ride followed the canals, quiet and peaceful under the blue sky.

Eventually hunger began to win again and we started looking for the essential cycling café stop. Just when we were about to give up, Richard spotted one beside a small community centre.

It turned out to be a lovely little place. Children were playing outside on the grass with toys scattered around while groups of locals sat in the sunshine enjoying a drink. We were made very welcome and had coffee and a generous slice of cake — more cream than cake, but certainly not something to complain about.

Paying was slightly complicated as they only accepted cash or bank transfer. In the end the owner kindly treated us, so the £10 note we had in our pocket went straight into their charity pot instead.

From there it wasn’t far back to the campsite. By the time we rolled in our legs knew they’d had a decent outing.

We’ve decided to stay another night here. The campsite is comfortable, the weather is kind, and there are still plenty of quiet roads to explore tomorrow.

Thursday 6 March — Brugge
Day 5 — A circular ride along the Damme canal
Brugge, Belgium 🇧🇪

Today was our final full day here, and what a lovely way to round off our stay.

The sunshine was warm from early morning and I even managed a short yoga session outside the van before we set off. Not a bad way to start a day on the road.

Once we left the campsite we quickly got our bearings and soon found ourselves back by the windmills that had marked the start of yesterday’s ride.

Our plan was a circular ride down the Damme canal and then back through the country lanes. The canal itself is quite majestic, with tall trees lining the water for long stretches. It felt calm and spacious riding beside it.

After leaving the Damme canal we crossed over another waterway — Afleidingskanaal — a wide, working canal that felt completely different in scale.

After leaving the canal we turned into the countryside and soon came across a tiny white roadside chapel. Curious, we stopped for a closer look. Inside was a beautiful stained-glass window glowing in the sunlight. A small plaque explained that the chapel is looked after by a local heritage group and maintained by volunteers — a simple but lovely reminder of how these little places are still cared for by the community.

A little further along we reached Damme Golf Club, which turned out to be the perfect cycling stop. Coffee and waffles with cream felt like a well-earned reward.

Not long after leaving there we found ourselves riding along a stretch of cobbles for about a mile — a proper bone shaker that had both of us laughing.

Before long we began to recognise the familiar outskirts of Brugge again, and soon we were back near the campsite.

Belgium has given us a gentle and very enjoyable start to our trip — good cycling, friendly people and a chance to settle into life on the road again.

Tomorrow we move on to Namur, and a new chapter of the journey.

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