Summer Vacation, Day 2: Tournai

July 12, 2026 · 3 min read · 4 visits

From Baarlo we moved on to Orcq, a village just west of Tournai in Belgium, 260 km in three hours with two breaks along the way. Tomorrow it’s only about 130 km to Calais, the ferry is at 12pm and we’ve got the flex ticket - we can board any ferry within a few hours before and after our booked departure time.

Four years ago our initial plan was to board the ferry to Dover. Nadine was pregnant with Kellin at that time, Aika was not with us yet and Tilian was four years old. That day we did not make it across the Channel. After Brexit, as a European citizen you could only enter the UK with a valid travel passport. The European personal ID card was not enough. Nadine was held in detention for three hours as we had already passed the French side of the border in Calais - Tilian and I had our travel passports. After release we started an alternative travel route, 2,000 kilometers along the French Channel and Atlantic coast, down to Quimper and in three days back to Groitzsch.

California with the awning out on a hedged pitch, towels drying — Our pitch at Camperplaats Orcq

Back to today, before we left this morning, Kellin, Tilian and I went for a walk with Aika. Tilian discovered the Sony Alpha for himself so he took it, he did around 1,000 pictures in the first two days.

Weathered wooden gate with Oppe Hei carved into it

Tilian in a cap photographing with the Sony Alpha

Today’s trip was not long in terms of distance so we took it easy, found a local LIDL in Venlo to stock up on bread and vegetables, then departed for Belgium. We did a longer stop for another walk with Aika along the highway and a bio break for the boys. There was a group of guys trying to fix a car with lots of zip ties and kickstart it with a spray. Our break lasted for half an hour, they were still there at the time we left. I could not deal with annoyances like this.

Three men under the open hood of a car at a service area, wind turbines behind

Wind turbine and white canopy mast against blue sky

In Orcq we are on a small farm site at the Chemin Landaise, a dozen hedged pitches, water and electricity included, 18 euros a night, horses, chickens, and rabbits on the farm. Tournai’s center is four kilometers away. We got fresh apple juice and 2.5 kg of potatoes. Later on we turned them into fried potatoes ("Bratkartoffeln") with sausages and peas.

Steel ladder against an old brick wall covered in flowering trumpet vine

Mirror and beacon of an old yellow combine harvester

Rowan branch with orange berries against blue sky

White wagtail with insects in its beak on a mossy roof ridge

Topics: Travel, Photography