Our first stop was to the Basilica of the Holy Blood. We toured both floors of the church. We just missed the weekly service where they actually bring out the vial. The paintings, church, and statues were all very beautiful.
After that, we went to see the inside of the Church of our Lady. The outside was under construction so earlier in the week we assumed it was closed. The inside remained open though. We checked out the church, its beautiful paintings, stained glass windows, sculptures, and structures. The old pulpits were especially cool.
The main attraction was a Michaelangelo sculpture. The Madonna was a shiny marble, intricately carved depiction of thoughtful Mary holding a young Jesus. Pretty cool stuff. It was hard to get good pictures since they keep you a good distance away from it.
After that, we headed back to Roeselare. We decided to take an optional castle route which was well worth it. The first was the castle d'Aertrycke, a 19th century neo-Gothic castle with a large pond and garden nestled amongst the wooded forest. At the other end of the pond was a chapel in which the remains of the builders, the de Maere family are buried. The castle now contains a fine dining restaurant and there is also a small hotel on the grounds.
A ride through the forest behind the castle produced another, older castle dating back to the 15th century. Actually, it was originally built by the count of Flanders in 1085 but was destroyed and rebuilt. It was a common theme in Belgium, the destruction and rebuilding of historical monuments such as churches, windmills, buildings, and towers. Most though were due to the huge damage incurred during World War One.
We stopped first at the outdoor cafe adjacent to the castle. Trix enjoyed a Sangria (seems to be pretty popular as it appears on most menus) and Abe had a Grimbergen. We both enjoyed a big bowl of pasta and a cafe to finish the meal.
This castle, the Castle of Wijnendale was later home to King Leopold III of Belgium. He remained here during the second World War, not wishing to leave Belgium, although eventually surrendering to Hitler. This castle was closed to visitors so we snapped a few pictures and rolled on.
After the castles, we rode on to the town of Roeselare, our original starting point.
We took an "alternate" route to be back to Roeselare and ended up having no clue where our hotel was. After circling the same area several times and then finally finding someone who knew where our hotel was located, we made it back to the hotel by 6:30, riding by Rodenbach brewery, then past Cafe Mango where we saw our fellow bikers enjoying a drink outside. We dropped off our bikes and walked over, enjoying a celebratory toast and later, a nice dinner.
Later, we enjoyed a good night's rest at our favorite hotel, the Hostellerie Vijfwegen, and the best breakfast in Belgium the morning after.
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