23 April 2024 – Tournai

Miles driven today = 71

Total Miles to date = 4,834

Well the weather forecast was spot on.  The thermal cover which I put over the windscreen to keep the worst of the cold at bay was frozen stiff when I went to take it off this morning, so we kept ourselves tightly tucked in under the duvet until the heating system had at least got the temperature inside the van up to an ambient 16 degrees in order to make showering a bit more comfortable.

I had read that the aire that we were heading for in Tournai today didn’t accept new entrants before 1pm so we dawdled a little before getting underway a little after 10.  An accident on the E42 near Charleroi held us up a bit and reminded us just how it felt to be stationary on a motorway.  It’s not something we have experienced since we left the UK.  We stopped for an early lunch near Mons but were still a little previous in getting to the aire.  Thankfully the barrier lifted and we were in.

The aire is only a short walk from the centre of this lovely old town.  It is recorded as having been around in Roman times and historically it has been controlled on various occasions by the French, Dutch, Austrians, Spanish and even the English for 6 years in the 16th Century.  This is the main central square, The Grand Place which is a wonderfully atmospheric space.

In the centre of the square is this statue of Marie Christine de Lalaing.  She was the wife of the Governor of Tournai and led the defense of the city during her husband’s absence in the Dutch Revolt of the Eighty Years War.  To the left is the 12th Century Church of St Quentin.

We had a quick look inside the Church.  The interior is relatively austere but very Gothic.

The Cloth Hall was originally built from wood in the 13th Century.  That was destroyed in a storm and rebuilt circa 1610.  That building collapsed in 1881 but was rebuilt again as a faithful replica.  It was destroyed again by incendiary bombs in 1940 and an ongoing restoration project will see it restored to its former glory once again.

Construction of the Belfry began in 1188 and it is therefore thought to be the oldest such building in Belgium.  It’s height was increased in 1294 and further embellishments followed.  It’s 70 metres tall and you can climb the 257 steps to the top.

The Cathedral together with the Belfry are UNESCO World Heritage sites.  

There is a lot of restoration work going on both inside and out.  The building was heavily damaged by a tornado in 1999.

These statues to one side of the main entrance doors are awaiting their turn to be spruced up.

There is very little to be seen inside which isn’t obscured by scaffolding but this stained glass window above the organ pipes was impressive.

This was another striking looking Church which stands on the banks of the River Scheldt but I’m afraid I’ve not even been able to find anything out about this one.

The Pont des Trous (Bridge of Holes) was originally part of the city’s defences.  The towers to either side were built in 1281 and 1304 and the bridge was completed in 1329.  It was blown up by the retreating English army in 1940 and when it was rebuilt the whole thing was raised 2.4 metres.  However this still wasn’t high enough to allow the modern commercial shipping through so in 2019 the whole central section was demolished and redesigned with a larger central arch.

We ambled down the river for a while and admired some of the old properties on the far bank.

Then we had a quick look around some of the shopping streets.

Of course the very best thing about Belgium is the fabulous beer they brew here so we decided to find a seat on the Grand Place in order to partake.

On the way back to the van we passed this statue which is a monument in honour of French soldiers who were killed during the Siege of Antwerp in 1832.

But we weren’t finished with Tournai just yet.  I know it’s only 48 hours since we pigged out on Kniddelen & Wainzoosiss in Luxembourg but we’ll be home in 2 days and restaurant prices are noticeably cheaper here so we decided to treat ourselves again.  So we wandered back into town and found ourselves stepping into a great little restaurant called L’Imperatrice.  They have their own house beer and it would have been rude not to sample it, even if it was a slightly dangerous 9% ABV!

I already had a warm fuzzy feeling and I was getting a taste for the stuff now so I decided to try another local one.  St Martin Brune.  Just a measly 8% this one.

The food was just as good as the beer.  Lisa has been hankering for a steak for a while and it was less than half the price here it was in Luxembourg.  Meanwhile I went for Lapin a la Tournaisienne, a local dish of rabbit cooked in beer and prunes.  Naturally, both served up with a large portion of frites.  Job done!

24 April 2024 - War Graves & Gravelines