2005, Day Seventeen, Jabbeke, Belgium

Day seventeen 10th July

Travelled into Belgium from Saint-Quentin in France, we took the A26 from Saint-Quentin towards Arras then there onto the A1 for Lille.  As we approached the turning we needed at Lille the GPS went off and during the mad panic to get it back on we where already on the wrong road, the A25 towards Dunkerque.  We take the first turning off and end up in a trading estate (I seen to remember doing something very similar in Spain in 2003 but this time it is my fault for not remembering the route and just relying on the GPS).  After restarting the computer and getting the GPS back on we are not lost anymore and head around the western side of Lille to the A22 via the N352, instead of the east side as was the plan.  As we pass into Belgium A22 changes name to the A14 we turn off the A14 onto the A17 and then the A10 to the site.

Missed the turning off the A17 for the A10 and head straight into Bruges instead of heading for the campsite, had to go down a side street and do a U turn to get back on the right road. 

Jabbeke Klein Strand Varsenareweg 29 - 8490 Jabbeke Web Site

On arrival at the site in Jabbeke we park up and head over to reception, only to be informed that there is no room on the site if we have not booked but to drive over to the other part of the site where there is and ask at reception there.  I think the first reception was mainly for holiday homes, static caravans, chalets etc and the second one for tourers.

The site is about 7 miles 11K from the centre of Bruges and the intention was to use the scooter to go to and from the city for sightseeing but as it was so hot and the site so nice and we did not really have enough time to do it, so we didn't (its not like we will not be back, as we certainly will but with more time for sightseeing).

 

We were a bit close to the toilet block, no smell or anything like that but lazy people would park their cars on our pitch while they used the facilities, very annoying.
The site has a lake with a sandy beach (when we were there they were constructing another lake which I believe is now being used, see site website), a large tea room, shop, Chinese restaurant and many sports facilities, also a good bar and takeaway on the real campsite.  On the Sunday when we arrived there was, a market on the site selling clothes, shoes, toys, etc, and there was also a waterskiing demonstration, no wonder we never got into Bruges.