Sinterklaastreffen 2013 - Part Three

Once I had finished lunch it was off to walk around and see where all the bikers were..... Usually the city centre is full of them, mostly from the hotels and the really tough souls that camp!  Camp? December? Nutters!

It didn't take long to find the "usual" chocolate shop. The same lady works in there was in all the years we have been going to the St Nicks. Since 1985.

I bought a few things, some to take to work, some for Christmas and some to eat during the day!

Chocs etc

Once back at the bike I noticed that my ignition and luggage keys were hanging in the topbox lock! I had been walking about the city centre for well over an hour and it had been there! In London I would have come back to no bike.

As it was already 1425 local time so I set off around to the meeting place. Like a ghost town. There is some bike parking near the big church so I went there. A couple of non-local Belgians had arrived. Just as nonplussed as me as to what was going on.

The web page definitely has this weekend on the poster.

I waited a while and with My Ferry having a three hour gap from 1645 to 1945 I decided to take off along the coast.

The sand covered the road in places between the Thermae Palace and Middelkerke. But rather than risk it I picked my way through the car tracks.

On the E40 again I set the cruise to 120kph. One of the successes was to work out how to change from miles to kilometres.

I arrived at Calais just about 1535. Checked in for the earlier 1645 sailing and rode to Lane 340 to await the ferry.

Calais dockside

Once onboard, Döra was tied down in the rack and I went to the brasseries for a  Croque Monsieur and a coffee.

Croque Monsieur