Intro:
A short hike on the GR 128 trail in French-Flanders. Due to some minor road changes the distance covered is 14,8 km.
Up to Godewaersvelde this is a rather flat hike. Further up starts a slow climb to the top of the Mont des Cats. The area around the abbey is worth a visit.
Back and forth:
We took advantage of a splendid Whitsun weekend to travel to Steenvoorde.
From Antwerpen we first took a train to Poperinge and then a bus took us to Steenvoorde in French-Flanders. It was almost 2 pm before we could start our hike. That's also the reason to decide for a short hike.
We could spend the night with friends that live in nearby Bailleul. They picked us up on the Mount Cats and again dropped us there the next day. Without them it would have been almost impossible to organise this hike.
The hike:
According to the topoguide the GR 128 trail between Steenvoorde and Mount Cats is only 10,8 km. Fortunately we knew in advance there were 2 changes in the trail, extending it by 4 km. We indicated the changes on the map. The old trail is marked pink, the new ones are red.
The hike is short enough, so it can't be difficult.
Furthermore the trail advances in an almost completely flat landscape. Only the last third of it makes you climb slowly to the top of the Mount Cats, which isn't too big an effort either.
(clikc the picture for more images on Picasa)
The first trail change is situated between Steenvoorde and Godewaersvelde. GR 128 kept to the right of the village of Eecke, but now it heads right through the village. The name Eecke refers to a legend which tells us that the patron saint Sint-Wulmar once lived here in a hollow oak tree. The flemish word for 'oak' is 'eik' or 'eek'.
You can't help but noticing it: the elegant stone church has no tower. Instead, there's a plump wooden tower in the middle of the graveyard completely separated from the church. It looks like as if it has been quickly added later on, just because a church is supposed to have a tower. Why not building a tower against the church, or on top of it? Maybe there wasn't any space available anymore because of the graveyard. We're only guessing. We don't know the reason.
The trail describes a wide curb underneath Eecke and then leads to an old railway bedding that goes straight towards Godewaersvelde. The straight line is interrupted by the A25 highway, which forces us to make a detour to a bridge over the highway. The trail then immediately goes back to the railway which has been turned into a nice hiking path here.
Past Godewaersvelde we walk along a British war cemetary. It reminds us that this region was hard fought for. On and around Mount Cats WorldWar I took the lifes of no less then 7.000 Canadian soldiers ...
Starting at the cemetary the trail starts going up. Mount Cats with it's enormous broadcasting antenna is right ahead of us. Somewhat further starts another trail change. Initially the trail took the southside of the hill to climb to the top. Now it takes the northside and it's a little bit shorter.
The wall around the abbey is decorated with stones representing a maple leaf. That's how the monks commemorate the useless deaths of the soldiers that died here. Impressive in all its simplicity.
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