Today’s ride was way better than yesterday, I started the day with a nice sleep in, a breakfast of mostly croissants and a trip to the museum nearby. It was located in the bunker which was the headquarters for the French Forces in World War II. There was loads of information and display items for Operation Dynamo, where over 340,000 allied and French forces were evacuated to England in 1940.

Battleships and the army of little ships (any ships they could recruit to cross the English Channel) took on the dangerous mission. Some were bombed or struck by mines along the way.

They had to leave their equipment behind and decades later, bits and pieces were still washing up on the Dunkirk beaches.

Afterwards I got on the bike and cycled along the beach for a little bit, before enjoying the perfect cycle paths into Belgium.

It was a cruisy day, there were no cars near me, just some roaming animals.

After three hours of riding with a tailwind, I stopped for a break and enjoyed the peaceful views.

I arrived at the hostel before it rained and met a fellow cycle tourer in my dorm. Jon was finishing his first cycle tour, Rotterdam back to his home in Leeds. It was awesome to hear about his experiences and his cycling speed was impressive, despite the headwinds he faced.

Luckily the rain stopped in time for the evening walking tour. Our guide, Tace, seriously hates Colin Farrell after he was in town to film In Bruges and it was hilarious to hear his occasional digs at him. The city is amazing and I can see why so many tourists flock here.

We were feeling thirsty from all the walking and stopped by for a drink, in an alleyway between two chocolate shops.

We finished the tour and I had my second dinner with James, another Aussie on the tour who is currently exploring Europe before working in the UK next month. I headed back to the hostel for an early night and I was content with my fun filled day.