May 2, 2012.

Today we picked up our car and headed off to the Belgian Coast via Latham St. Martin where Al’s granny used to live.

Al was relying on his sense of direction from when he was seven so we never managed to find her house, although on our convoluted attempt to find our way back to the highway, we passed a charming ‘Auberge le Pecheur’.

That rang a bell with Al, “We used to go to a restaurant with granny all the time called ‘Le Pecheur’; there’s a canal in front…” and there was! Because it was only 11ish we decided it was too early to go for a meal. Too bad, we’ll probably never find it again. Back on the highway, and with everything really well sign-posted, we made it to Knokke-Heist in no time at all. Our first stop was the casino which has a mural by Magritte (bonus!)

Knokke-Heist Casino with its mural by Magritte

They had a massive photo exhibit in Knokke-Heist that ran for four months, and occupied both inside and outside spaces. I would have loved to have gone along the 16k bicycle art route but the weather was cold and windy, and rain was threatening.

Sculpture in Knokke-Heist Central Plaza. The photos of blue glaciers on the plaza were by Olaf Otto Becker.

Knokke-Heist Foto Festival Brochure

One of my favourite photographers from the exhibit was Ruud Van Empel. His work was on the cover of the above brochure. Here is the link to the exhibit but it seems out of date: http://www.summerofphotography.be/en/exhibition/international-photo-festival-knokke-heist The beach was beautiful to walk along despite the dreary weather. Someday I’d love to come back…

Our trip was roughly based on the Beer Route through Belgium, and here it is so far:

• a 300 year-old bar in Brussels
• a la Becasse, a traditional pub in Brussels
• a la Mort Subite, a historic brasserie in Brussels
• the Verdi Bed and Breakfast in Bruges, Belgium
• eating and drinking at the Cambrinus in Bruges
• Brugse Zot and the Half Moon Brewery Tour in Brugge, Belgium
• warming up a chilly day in Bruges, Belgium
• shopping for a picnic in Bruges, Belgium
• drinking at the t’ Brugs Beertje in Bruges
• dinner at the Cambrinus in Bruges, Belgium
• beer and museums on our first day in Ghent
• beer, food and museums on our second day in Ghent – Part 1
• Ghent SMAK exhibit, the conceptual Bulgarian artist Nedko Solakov
• beer, food and museums on our second day in Ghent – Part 2