Day 116: Oostende, Belgium

So today was my last day in Belgium.  I know it was only 3 days here, but it flew by.  I can’t believe it is already so late.  I will be home in less than two weeks….

Today we spent the day in Maarten’s town of Oostende.  It is a really cool city.  It was, and still is, a fishing village and port city.  It has had a substantial military history, and has some very cool things to see.  We started out by heading to Fort Napoleon, with several stops along the way.  

Looking down the pier.  The piles of rock on the left are a massive public works project.  They are raising the beach to prevent flooding.

Me on the pier.  With Oostende in the background.

We took this ferry across the harbor, instead of walking all the way around.

We then visited some German blockhaus, part of the Atlantikwall.

Looking out of the watch tower on the coast.

The whole complex is completely abandoned, so it was pretty cool exploring it.

This is the Oostende lighthouse, near the blockhaus.

We then walked out onto this jetty on the opposite side of the harbor from the pier.  It was cold.  But was nice and quiet.

Me with the city behind me.  Look how cold and unhappy I look.  I hate Europe. 

This bird posed for a shot.

We then walked along the beach to Fort Napoleon.

Fort Napoleon was built by Napoleon.  He was very concerned about a potential British naval invasion at Oostende (which never came), so he was continually bolstering the city’s defenses.  It was actually completed by the British, and re-named Fort Wellington.  They thought they were real clever.  Later, it was used by the Belgians, French and Dutch for various military purposes, including World War One defenses.   When Belgium was occupied by the Nazis, Fort Napoleon was incorporated into the Atlantikwall.  The Germans were very concerned about a potential British naval invasion at Oostende (which never came), so the fort was heavily bolstered.  

There are no rooms in the fort.  Only corridors.  This is where the soldiers would have slept.

There was an exhibit of toy cars, like a mini museum.  The fort became a children's playground after la deuxieme guerre mondiale. 

The fort is comprised of two pentagons, with this dry moat in between.  The moat is broken up with these buildings, with shoosting holes at ground level, to limit mobility within the moat.  So, if you did manage to get in, you die here.

In WWI, zee stinknig German officers turned this into a beer hall of sorts, and smuggled loose women into the fort.  Then they lost a war.  The mural is a German night driving his sword into the throat of a Belgian.  Behind him are the decapitated bodies of a Brit, Frenchman, and others.

Me on the top, of the fort.  Those holes used to enable a soldier to shoot while standing up.  Europeans used to be much shorter.  Really though, the Nazis poured an entire meter of concrete on the roof to strengthen against bombs.  This roof also featured 16 cannons and 20 mortars. 

Us on the roof.

After visiting the fort, we took the ferry back across the harbor to visit a restaurant, because we were hungry.  I had a very good, lunch of fries and Flemish Stew, which is basically beef in broth.  Assuming this was really Flemish Stew.  I also had frites with Bicky sauce.  Bicky sauce is a Belgian thing.  It is kinda sour and tangy and sweet.  Or something.  It is good.

We passed a fish market on the way.  There is tons of fresh seafood, everywhere.

My lunch.  I will miss tiny French fry forks and also Coca Light.

When we finished eating, we visited a fishing-vessel-turned-museum near the harbor.  The port of Oostende once had a large fleet of fishing boats that worked in the North Sea off of the coast of Iceland.  This ship was the last decommissioned, and it was turned into a museum.  It have never been on a commercial fishing boat before.  I basically just was pretending I was on Deadliest Catch the whole time.  It was fun for me.

 

The fish room.  Where the fish go, after they are gutted.

The crew quarters.

I AM DRIVING A FISHING BOAT!!!

Don't judge.  It was a long trip at sea.

The deck of the Amandine.

Now, I am en route to Vlissingen-Souburg, in the Netherlands.  I will basically be there 2 days, which is shorter than I’d like, but it’s better than nothing.  

I got here a bit after 10 pm, and I grabbed a drink with Junior.  Now, we are just relaxing at his house.