August 7-16: Hoogerheide

 Sunday, August 7

We got up pretty early and were on the road by 7:00 am to another Flea Market — this one was in the town of Dudzele and it was full of antiques.  We cruised through it quickly and headed to Antwerp where we found an amazing gym with a free one day trial. 

Monday, August 8

We got up super early after a restless night in which the van alarm went off twice.  Tons of traffic passed our van as we attempted to sleep – not very successfully.  At 4:30 am, Ashley recommended that we move the van back to the shaded area from yesterday. Unfortunately, the police were there and we decided just to drive to Vanguard Logistics and hope that our boxes had arrived and passed customs.  Talk about being overly optimistic – the boxes aren’t even expected to arrive in Antwerp until Thursday, August 11 and might not get through customs until August 16 – ugh.  This news will definitely impact our plan of spending the rest of the month in Croatia and then September - October in Italy & Switzerland. 

We rallied and decided to camp for a few days in Lier, Netherlands – it will at least be cool and maybe I can finish my video series. After stopping to grab groceries for the week, we set up shop in camp. 

Tuesday, August 9

It was another relatively quiet day for us.  My major accomplishments for the day were completing two more videos – one about Cinque Terre and Rome and the other on the Philippines.  I’m pretty proud of the first one – think it’s my best video so far.  I cheated a little on the Philippines one by using iMovie Magic, which creates a video for you after you select the content.  After a few edits and adjustments, I think it also came out pretty good.  I did a long introduction that was followed by a ton of videos and pictures.  I feel good about having completed these two tasks.  My next one will be about Scotland and our trip to Skye Island. 

Wednesday, August 10

We worked out at Anytime Fitness, which has a 7 day free pass that we’ll take advantage of during our stay in Hoogerheide.  While parked at a free spot, we met a couple and chatted with them as we drank and had a snack.

Thursday, August 11

I had a cup of coffee and a yogurt before packing up for the library and gym.  The library was wonderful with super quick WiFi.  I also downloaded pictures for my next video on our trip to Scotland.  

Next, we signed up for our 7 day membership to Anytime Fitness for only $35/person, which we will get back if we decide not to join.  I made a stop to get a new SIM card, which took longer than expected so Ashley went to the van to start lunch.  She made a delicious chicken dish and I melted some Brie on bread — wicked tasty.

After lunch, we made a stop at a hospital to see if they could do anything for Ashley’s finger.  Unfortunately, they wouldn’t diagnose her at the emergency room.  

From here, we stopped at another free campsite by a freshwater lake.  I took a swim and then we relaxed for a bit.  Ashley showed me a TED talk on the connection between gratitude and happiness. 

Friday, August 12

The waiting game continues as we are beginning to feel like locals in Hoogerheide— went to the library and gym again.  I even went to the pool later in the day — other than that, we just tried to find shade to stay cool.  

It got really warm by around 7:00 pm as the sun was still strong until almost 10:00 pm.

Saturday, August 13

After a morning workout, we drove a short distance to a quiet campsite where Ashley did dishes and made lunch – Korean pork and dumplings.  I tried my best to finish the Scotland video, which is a little over five minutes.  I’m trying to choose music to match the video – so far I’ve selected Melt; You Make Me Move, Dreaming, The Moment, and The Summit

Sunday, August 14

We ended up hanging by the beach and I ate the leftover hamburger and a salad.  I eventually caught my second wind as we met a nice Moroccan family who live in Belgium.  Their extended family eating reminded me of the days at the beach in East Boston where the kids would play and eventually be called to the table to eat. 

After dinner, I saw couples dancing the salsa at some bar — unfortunately, I couldn’t convince Ashley to leave the van and join me to dance.  We did eventually go for a nice walk — I ended up talking to my sister and mother for about half the time.  Scrub and I were howling about how we were saving money by parking for free and getting a free membership at the gym where we got free showers, water and coffee.

Monday, August 15

Another quiet day as we continue to wait for our boxes — library and gym.  We returned to the van for lunch and then I went and did laundry. The laundromat was interesting— it was part of a gas station and car wash.  Not cheap but an efficient system with a heavy duty washer and dryer.

Tuesday, August 16

It was our last day at Hoogerheide and last free workout at Anytime Fitness.  We ended up driving to a town called Roosendaal and found a nice campsite at a Marina.