rob_jax or rob_iax

[BarneyCumbria]

on blaarmeersen is the electric polarity the same as the uk? do they have super hook up pitches (own water, drain, etc)whats the tv reception like? can you pick up uk tv with a freeview? how far is the nearest supermarket? whats the sites restaurant like? sorry for all the questions mate but the website isn't in english, and its only 6 days now and i'm all exited now. thanks barney.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Barney,

I am working in Rotterdam this week and drove the route you'll be taking a day or so back - Dunkerque to Brugge is one hour at 100 kph, and another 30 minutes to Gent

The motorways are running fine, with the exception of traffic works at Brugge ONLY from the direction of Gent. So no trouble going to Gent - the possibility of a short delay or slow traffic on the way back home.

For sightseeing, you can take the N9 road that parallels the motorway from Gent to Brugge, or take the motorway and branch off at junction 9 (Oostkamp) and follow that road in to Brugge. And there is a good chance that the road works will be finished in a week or so.

You will need a continental adaptor from a caravan shop - then connect that to your UK hook up lead - the UK hook up lead is actually an ISO standard, and European sites either use this already or will change over to it - when then need to make the change and not before (expensive to re-wire a camp site)

The polarity of electricity in Europe is random - it doesn't matter to the appliance - but UK made vans only switch the live wire - European caravans switch both live and neutral. So some UK people like to get the polarity right - if you do you will need a polarity tester and a polarity reversing cable (short 1 metre UK hook up cable with the live and neutral crossed).

I don't know if they have any super pitches for caravans - these may only be for motor homes.

There is a well stocked shop on site, and other shops and supermarkets within 5 miles - and the Gent city centre

Freeview is a UK terrestrial service and the broadcasts won't reach across the North Sea. If you have a satellite system - you can get FreeToView from Sky - subscription free. We don't and won't have a TV in our caravan - so that's about the limit of my knowledge.

Robert

 

[rob_jax]

And it's quite difficult to see, but the last part of my forum name is JAX

Robert

 

[BarneyCumbria]

thanks very much for that rob jax. Barney

 

[BarneyCumbria]

robert, can you tell me the name of that double or triple sandwich you told me about a few weeks ago, i tryed looking for the past posts but cannot find it. someone else said mussells and chips are in abundance is this true and if so what are they called? also i've tryed leffe and don't like it, are there any beers like our lager ie carling as i cannot drink it if its too strong. and is the stella totally different over there, like what guinness is totally different in ireland, if you know what i mean. what our problem is when we first go to a new country you don't know what stuff tastes like and i end up buying loads of different beers and end up either giving or throwing away what i don't like, so with us only going for 8 nights i'd like to "get it right from day one" and not waste time and money. and to top it all off i've just got the 5 day forcast and its going to be 28 degrees on our first day, what a start. cheers mate, barney

 

[Roger_5040982]

robert, can you tell me the name of that double or triple sandwich you told me about a few weeks ago, i tryed looking for the past posts but cannot find it. someone else said mussells and chips are in abundance is this true and if so what are they called? also i've tryed leffe and don't like it, are there any beers like our lager ie carling as i cannot drink it if its too strong. and is the stella totally different over there, like what guinness is totally different in ireland, if you know what i mean. what our problem is when we first go to a new country you don't know what stuff tastes like and i end up buying loads of different beers and end up either giving or throwing away what i don't like, so with us only going for 8 nights i'd like to "get it right from day one" and not waste time and money. and to top it all off i've just got the 5 day forcast and its going to be 28 degrees on our first day, what a start. cheers mate, barney

surely one of the main reasons

for going abroad is to sample the

different foods and drinks, as well as the culture,

scenery, language and people!

sticking with known english cuisine?

does that not defeat the object

roger

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Barney,

I was going to post this anyway:

LANGUAGE - if you speak French, don't bother - it's the Dutch speaking region - so when you say "Hallo" to the restaurant owner just ask if they have an English menu - ditto for the camp site people / shops

If you want to attract the attention of the waiter - just say "Please" as they walk past - the locals will say "Austublieft" (Please)

DAMME - I returned home to Wendover on Saturday morning, after staying one night in a family run hotel (5 rooms) in the town of Damme (just 5km North and East of Brugge) on the banks of the North Sea Canal - just beautiful

Approaching from Brugge - there is an out of centre (free) car park about 200 metres before the town square - stop there - no parking in the town. Note - two roads on either side of the canal - bridge crosses the canal at Damme (and Brugge) if you drive on the "wrong" road (the car park and Damme itself are on the southern side of the canal)

It is worth a visit for the many restaurants - I counted 12 plus bars - in a town of 1,000 people.

FOOD - Restaurant food is very good. I had a snack - a glass of Palm (this is like a UK porter beer - try it, I hope you'll like it) and a farmer's style omelette (big and properly cooked), with salad and saut

 

[LadyMaureen]

Rob,

I see that you live in Wendover......that takes me back a few years.Did my nurse training at PMRAF Halton.....is the hospital still functioning ?

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Lady Maureen,

Sorry no, I'm afraid the hospital was long gone - it moved to RN Haslar - but the training wing is still at Halton.

Back in the late 70's I was a patient in PMRAF - acute iritis effectively ending any thoughts of a career in flying - still fly my Libelle sailplane - and now the wheel has gone full circle and we live in Wendover (and Brielle in Holland).

With most of Wendover village centre listed - you would pretty much see it now as you remembered it.

Robert