Romy from the Boat Bike Tours team swapped her desk for a spot on the Magnifique VI to enjoy a break and experience a trip firsthand.
On September 2nd it was finally time to board the Magnifique IV for our cycling vacation from Amsterdam to Bruges. Our group of four ladies could hardly wait! Once on board we were warmly welcomed and the special corona measures were explained to us. Everybody followed them carefully and we didn’t feel unsafe for a moment. Thanks to this there was a wonderful vacation feeling on board.
See the ship Magnifique IV
Well organized
Every morning we enjoyed an extensive and well-presented breakfast. Instead of the normal buffet, we were served at our tables due to the coronavirus. Everyone sat neatly 1.5 meters apart and the waiters wore facemasks. The same went for the dinner: it was all very well organized.
A little lazy, mostly active
During the day we cycled through villages I’d never heard of before. Our tour guide Anneke quickly changed that: with every city or town we passed, she’d tell us something interesting. A lot has been said and written about this route, from Amsterdam to Bruges, but for us Dutch travelers it was a new experience of our own country. It was partly lazy, but mostly an active vacation, with wonderful sailing to different cities such as Vianen, Dordrecht, Willemstad, Bergen op Zoom, Ghent and Bruges.
Hidden corners of the Netherlands
Unfortunately, due to Code Orange in Antwerp we couldn’t stop there. So we went to Bergen op Zoom instead. And the itinerary change certainly didn’t spoil the fun! Bergen op Zoom is a charming town where we spent a wonderful day and did a great walking tour. We were so surprised by what our country has to offer! The Netherlands has so many beautiful places! We may be Dutch, but it took this cycling vacation for us to visit places that we didn’t even know existed.
A feast for the eyes
Along our cycling routes we had enough time to explore cities like Ghent and Bruges. With our tour leader Anneke always by our side, we learnt a lot about these beautiful towns. Facts and places that you wouldn’t know otherwise. My personal favorite was Ghent’s graffiti street: a narrow alley covered in street art. There were so many beautiful pieces by graffiti artists that I didn’t know where to look! We also enjoyed a canal cruise through Ghent.
Spoiled rotten
Besides being looked after on our bikes, we were also totally pampered on board. The crew that took us safely from Amsterdam to Bruges was great. Every day after a long bike ride it felt like we were really coming ‘home’. The Magnifique IV and her crew were always waiting for us in the harbor. And back on board we were spoiled every day with a snack or drink, and the cabins were spotless again. Last but not least the chef: every evening he cooked the stars from the heaven – as we say in Dutch!
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