Citytrip Oostende 2018

Slightly over a week ago, me and Noshi went for a weekend out to sea.  We took the train to Oostende, "pearl of the Belgian Coast". 

So we left straight after I came from work, and had booked a room in Les Paquerettes, a lovely BnB run by two very kind people right behind the Wellington race track.

A tip: take a "Kustpas", a free voucher map to be found in most of the bars, hotels and restaurants.  It contains coupons for all the things to see in the region, and we saved 2x 1 euro for the Mercator, and 2x 2 euro for the Raversijde combi-ticket by just, well, taking one along.  You don`t even have to cut anything, just show it ant the counter.

The Mercator

On our list to do, was the museum, and former training ship, of the Belgian navy, the Mercator.

 The story of her restauration a few years ago, when she was totally stripped and brought back to her current glory.

 Yes, she is actually an Antwerp ship, the bell being donated by the city in 1939

 Want to worship Slaanesh with me?

 The voyage when she retrieved the body of Father Damiaan after his death is documented as well

It also had a temporary exposition on this unknown Belgian ww2 hero.  Perhaps an idea for a future Crisis figure?

Yeah, I could steer this thing if they let me, no problem...

Of course, I took a Belgian Heritage coin along as a momentum.

Belgium - Tunisia

When we arrived friday, we saw a board which told us that the match of the Red Devils would be send out on a large screen on the Wellington race track.  So instead of looking for a bar with a television, we decided to pay the 5 euro entrance and enjoy our team literally crush their opponents together with about 500 if not more people.

Intermezzo: after the game we took the Kusttram to Blankenberge.  There we played a round of Snookergolf, and she trashed me.  She also told me I should better get used to that...

Domein Raversijde

On sunday we visited the Raversijde domain, which hosts not only the Atlantik Wall, but also the history of an ancient fishing village and how life would have been back then.

But first, you go through the house of Prins Karel, brother of King Leopold III who purchased the domain decades ago and chose to live out his life here, in rather modest conditions, instead of opting for one of the castles he was offered in the 50s.

The Atlantik Wall

Unfortunatly, one of the batteries, the Aachen, was in restauration, but the Saltzwedel Neu was open for the public.  In this tour, you get to see how life was for the german soldiers during the second world war here on the battery.

 The Desert Fox himself visited the works at Oostende

It displays a LOT of guns, and even though the whole section only shot down 2 to 3 planes over the whole war, the cramped living spaces and all made you see it wasn`t the "good life" at all for them.

Anno 1465

The second part of the domain is hosting 4 recreated, authentic fishing houses of the 15th century.  Back then, a flourishing fishing village, it met his downfall as a result of the 80 years war and the trade problems that came with it.

These people will tell their life stories during the tour, giving an impression of social standings and life in the village

Archeologists have been unearthing the area, and 3 out of the 4 houses have actually been remade with stones fug up, and as such being over 500 years old.

It also features a large interactive museum, where one can see a lot of the relics found in the area and what they where all about.

 Only a single golden coin has ever been found during the digs

 Boardgames, 500 years old style.  Yeah, I pictured the rules on purpose so you can have a go if you like

Unfortunatly, the domain didn`t have one of the coin machines, so no further additions to my collection on that part...

All that was left to do then was go back to a beach bar, have a drink and take the train back to Antwerp after a very cosy weekend...