Bergen op Zoom to Kalmthout: E2 Day 106

A complete change in the landscape as the E2 takes me inland and across the border into Belgium. There were woods, heath, farmland but no dykes.

My day began by walking through the suburbs of Bergen op Zoom. Older houses near the centre, more modern further out with blocks of flats by the edges. Then I crossed a busy road and was suddenly in woodland. There were still a few buildings among the trees but I soon left them behind. Most of the morning was spent among mature trees: oak and pine, beech and birch, on paths, roads and forest tracks.

Walk through the woods.

I left the woods by a house selling asparagus and strawberries from a self service vending machine opposite a horse chestnut tree in full flower. For the next several kilometres I was crossing farmland on tracks or roads often edged with trees. The border with Belgium was not marked except by an old conical border marker in a field. After crossing into Belgium a little later I returned to the Netherlands. This was a recent change to the route. Where it once went, some workmen were installing a post with a "no pedestrians" sign. One advantage of the revised route was that it went to the edge of Huijbergen, so I diverted into the village's centre in the hope of some lunch. Although the café was closed I was able to buy a sandwich and Coke at the Coop shop.

Boundary marker between Belgium and the Netherlands.

Walk over farmland. 

Returning to Belgium I walked through woodland for a while. Ponds of water on the track had a yellow film and edge, it seemed to be of a fine powder, either some kind of algae or pollen I thought. I came to a sign at the start of a large area of heathland, extolled by my guidebook. It stated that the public were not allowed any further between 15th March and 30th June, apparently it was a breeding area. Although waymarks clearly showed I was on the GR5, a major international hiking route no diversion or advice to walkers was given. A while back I had seen a GR5 Variant sign, but I did not know where this went, it was not marked on my digital maps, and it might also pass through the protected area. Not having a reliable alternative I ignored the sign and carried on feeling very guilty. I am sure I disturbed no birds or animals. There were tyre mark's on the track, and the cars or trucks responsible would have caused much more noise and disruption than me. Apart from a few cows, no one was around to tell me off and a few kilometres later I reached the other side of the extensive restricted area.

There were still a few more kilometres of heath to enjoy legally. Its sandy soil supported an extensive area of heather, although it looked a bit dull at this time of year. There were patches of pine and birch trees, and trees lined the horizon. The path later ran around a large lake of irregular shape. Side paths were marked "Verboden Toegang", Forbiden Entry. 

Heath.

As I left the heathland at a road by the edge of the town of Kalmthout there was a set of notice boards with a map. The area with entry forbidden from March to June was indeed very large, however use of some paths through it was allowed all year, but not the GR5. Neither the GR5 nor its Variant was marked, but translating the small print on a direction indicator I had photographed where the GR5 Variant re-joined the main route I saw that the Variant was marked "Altijd Toegankelijk", which Google Translate tells me means "Always Accessible". It would have been helpful if a suitably large notice with an English translation had been placed at the point where the GR5 Variant began if they really wanted to protect breeding birds or animals from people like me. I am now installed in a rather modern hotel, thinking about how naughty I have been and wondering what I will have for dinner in the restaurant next door.

Later: My next eleven days would be spent walking across Flanders, a Dutch speaking, largely flat area on the north side of Belgium. Consequently, in discussions with the waitress I selected a local Flemish dish. On being set before me I discovered it was a large, vol-au-vent, popular in Britain for diner parties in the 1970's. Mine was filled and overflowing with chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce,  and served with chips and mayonnaise, which everything seems to be in the Low Countries.