So this completed our Normandy trip and although we stopped off in Bolougne and Dunkirk for fuel and food refuelling we sailed on a pace and arrived in Oostende on 28 May. Our first visit to Belgium where we found folk friendly and helpful but the cost of living really quite high. We luckily arrived in the middle of the Oostende Voor Anker festival which kept us entertained for many hours. Fleets of old Dutch and Belgian sailing vessels and barges; some of the British Little ships of Dunkirk fame, and some beautiful big yachts lined the harbour walls, plus food stalls, artists tents, clothes and shoe stalls galore, and demonstrations of the old crafts. It was also a very commercial and industrial port with activities going on all the time which was fascinating to watch. We took a bus ride up the coast, where our bus was boarded by the drugs police and decided that although we had enjoyed our trip to Oostende, tides were great for our trip to enter The Netherlands at Breskens. So we sailed on 31st May.
