Vatertag 2026

Having read about Vatertag in Grass's The Flounder (didn't end well and slightly off-putting) and then Lutz inviting me at new year to Vatertag 2026 in the Harz mountains I am at St Pancras stupid early to get the first of 4 trains to Lutz's local station outside Hannover. Vatertag is the German Fathers Day but instead of gathering kids around you all adult men go off hiking and suchlike laden with beers and snacks. Lutz has a tradition of going to his family's place in Harz, where we spent new year in the snow, with a group of friends. I'm leaving our German guest Paul in London which is odd.

It's an easy Eurostar journey to Brussels but delayed going to Cologne. The countryside is flat until Liege where two years ago we saw the Spring Classic of the same name. Passing through Aachen the outskirts have rows of bungalows with gardens where people go on days off to relax from the city which is a feature of a lot of German cities. Weather was sunny and cold in London but cloudy in Belgium and going into Germany. The countryside is lovely countryside so although longer the train is a lot better than flying. At Cologne I have a 45 minute wait so grab a coffee next to the cathedral which I went up in 2010 with the kids. At Arpke I'm met by Johanna and it’s straight to a party celebrating Lutz’s and friends birthdays. I’m plied with beer and gin and chat to Germans, in English of course. We end the night playing table football which Germans are very good at. A good start to the trip.

Wednesday starts with heavy rain and we go to the supermarket to stock up on burgers and fake meat supplies then we collect Tom from school. Late afternoon we get picked up by Lutz’s friend and driven to Harz. There's lots of people here already with the beer waggon setup and a big sound system complete with dry ice and disco lasers. We're greeted with hazelnut schnapps shots and the local beer. There are about 15 here and they've been coming for 25 years starting as a way to keep in touch and now is a must do event. A great mix of people who are all very friendly and chatting to me in English.

Thursday is Father's Day the coldest they've had in 25 years, and wet and windy. Apparently Germany often has a couple of very cold days in late spring. A few of us go on a short hike to get rid of the hangover and then it’s a BBQ breakfast washed down with beer, of course. The fire is going all day to keep us warm whilst listening to German punk. During the sunny spells we go up on the roof for the great view and to wave at the steam train passengers. Not many hikers today because of the weather but a couple drop by to clamber onto the roof and offered beer. Evening is cold and pretty wet so eventually we go inside to play football and watch films. I slink off to bed about midnight. It's been a long day.

Friday we wake at 7 for an early drive back to Arpke for Tom’s birthday. After lunch I have to drive an electric automatic to a small amusement park with Tom's friends plus Levi and a couple of his. The Erse adventure is from the 1970s and it doesn't look like it's changed much. The rides are geared for younger kids and it’s a very pleasant place, although I get soaked on the third water slide run. After all the excitement we drive back to the village and drop it kids off then a fairly early night.

Saturday is fairly lazy day and my shoulders ache due to the upside down ride at the park. I help with the cable routing through the front wall. In the evening we go into Hannover with Tom for a lovely Asian meal.

Sunday is my last day and after goodbyes I get the train to Hanover then Amsterdam where I have an hour or so to wander around. Uneventful journey back to London and read and watch the towns and countryside go by. So I survived my first Vatertag I'm back home safely.

Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026

 

Good Friday and it's drizzle as I set off for St Pancras where I meet Simon and Bruce then catch the fast train to Dover with some lively youngsters who seem to be up for a big day out, or match, in Dover. A freezing breezy wait for the delayed ferry but once on board I get cheap chips with curry sauce. Getting out of Dunkirk port (Loon Plage) is the usual lorry dodging but soon we're on the open road courtesy of Simon's navigation (kudos for the whole trip finding quiet routes) and arrive at our farm B&B before nightfall. Only calamity was me losing my milometer when scrambling up a steep pedestrian bridge in my cleats. We cycle a few miles into Veurne where I'm treated (due to my organising the trip logistics) to a lovely meal and local beer with unspecified additional alcohol. Back and in bed by 11 for a good night's sleep in my double bed.

Saturday after an excellent breakfast we say bye to our host and after a false start we're re-enter Alveringem then on to the Iser Tower with it's spectacular views across flat Flanders. Plus 22 stories of WWI museum. It's in Diksmuide where we stop for a coffee in a lovely square slightly sullied by a fairground. Then it's a long straight road to Merkem into the wind so we're in peloton formation. We're following the WWI western front and stop for a break in Passchendale then onto our B&B just outside Bellegem (where we were 2 years ago). Another lovely farmhouse where we settle in and shower before a short walk into Bellegem to a family run restaurant for a great meal (where we also went 2 years ago). Chilled rest of evening after our 50 mile ride. It's a very windy night. 

Sunday is race day and after a great breakfast we cycle to Kwaremont mostly along a canal. We encounter a couple of brief showers, often fight into the wind, negotiate a closed industrial estate and donate inner tube to stranded Brit cyclist. Dumping our bikes we walk up to the town and into the fan zone which is packed and serves beer and sausages and has a big race screen. This isn't the best place to watch the actual racing being lucky to see the shoulders of the cyclists although it is at critical stages (they come past 3 times) so interesting nonetheless. We chat to a group of Belgians who have a lot in common with us... one is a Gooner, the two girls grew up in the village next to our 1st B&B and one's ex-boyfriend owned the massive mound of earth in the field next to where we stayed. They also tell us that the farmhouse was raided for being a drug lab a year ago; along with being a casino which we knew about already. They also recommend Bellegem for having the best friterie in Belgium which is a big claim indeed. I come off the strong beer then drop to just water. I need to ride in a straight line home! On the road we see Pogačar and van der Poel having attacked on the Kwaremont hill then later Pogačar out on his own and he does indeed win the Tour of Flanders 2026. The crowd at the side of the road is less for the women who come past with Demi Vollering in the leading group and winning. We have a couple of heavy downpours (our friends laugh and say "it's English weather") which don't dampen the party spirit but mostly sunny and we ride home in sunshine and wind. We do indeed visit the best frituur in Belgium where I have a great vegetable croquet, salad and thin frieten. And a local Omer beer of course. Back at our room I have a chocolate Easter Bunny (thanks Lils) then to bed.

Monday is clear and nippy. Fond goodbyes after another great breakfast we are off to Ypres via the recommendation of our hosts being the Route Vlaardingen, which we manage to lose before we even reach it then come across it and lose it at various times throughout the day. No matter the country roads are lovely to ride anyway (thanks Simon x Beeline). We visit Kortrijk then after a Bruce chain repair it's on to Menem where we stop in the cosmopolitan town for coffee and lunch. It's windy but warm and soon we're on the long straight Menem road taking us into Ypres. Our place is great and we wander into the centre with it's large square and massive church. Strange to think that 100 years ago the whole town was rubble and rebuilt mainly in the original style. We walk along the city wall to the Menem gate where we watch and hear the very moving daily Last Post. Then eat at home as can cook. I have my own room and Bruce and Simon share tonight...

Simon wakes me at 5.30 to say goodbye as he's off in the dark to get the 10 am ferry. A while later Bruce and I cycle off along a nearby canal to a route labelled 14-18 so basically along the front line, and our Route Vlaardingen. We go through Voormezele then into Witschate on the ridge where the British dug under and blew up the ridge - the original Peaky Blinders. Past the massive crater Pool of Peace and into Mesen (Messines in French) where we lunch next to the church. I wander inside down into the crypt then start going up the stairs not realising it goes up past the bell tower then out onto a viewing platform at the very top of the church tower (214 steps and 190 foot up). Amazing views across the countryside including the Kemmelberg. I happen to be in the bell room when it strikes 2.30 with apparently 58 variously sized bells making a lovely tune. Bruce knows a lot about this area in WWI so I have a real expert on hand to tell me all about the various vantage points and main battle areas... onto Ploegstreet where the Christmas Truce football match took place and we see the memorial to that. We go into France to Armentières which was a city where Allied troops had a rest and R&R. We have a beer in the square then back on the road home via Mesen. Salad for dinner before bed as it's been a long hot day. Well, hot.

Wednesday I wander in the sun to the boulangerie then we walk around Ypres on the city walls past the Menem Gate where I find Debbie's great uncle Fred Giles. Then we cycle out along our "usual" canal then off to de Klijte. We see a large hill fairly close so meander towards it. As we cycle up towards the top we decide to stop at a cafe which happens to be a famous cycling cafe named In de Zon. After a beer we cycle to the top of the hill (Scherpenberg) where we have magnificent views to the Kemmelberg, Ypres and where we cycled yesterday. On to Poperinge which was another R&R town and after lunch in the square and fountain cycling we take the straight road home for 5 pm and relaxation in the sun. We walk a mile or so along past the marina and up the canal next to us.

Our last day finds us tidying up and taking the canal next to us as far as de Boot where we stayed in the odd landed boat a few years ago. The owner was there and remembered me as part of the group who laughed at his compost toilet (only poo - wee against the wall). We have coffee at Lo and buy food at the market. We go past where we stayed the 1st night then through Veurne and to the coast eventually seeing the sea at Dunkirk sea front where the boiling hot day turns into a pretty chill sea breeze but much welcomed. The usual difficulties negotiating our way out of Dunkirk then past asylum seekers walking along the Loon Plage road. Intricate route into the ferry check in although easier than at Dover whose red line and lorry check-in is crazy. The parting shot from France was by an Irish ferry worker shouting "Up the Gunners" in reference to my SEGA shirt. A quiet ferry journey but we're in late so missed the target train from Dover which gives the opportunity to leisurely cycle along the sea front and out along a pier. The train is uneventful. Need to be careful cycling through central London as this isn't Belgium or France and it's a few degrees colder. Home by 9.30. A brilliant trip although would be great to see the race again at a vantage point which isn't a crowded manic fan zone. Thanks Simon and Bruce.

Route...

Mileage:

Day 1 50

Day 2 52

Day 3 35

Day 4 30

Day 5 40

Day 6 24

Day 7 65

Harz Germany New Year 2026 Debbie's Birthday

Monday 29th December sees Debbie and I driving to le Shuttle terminal at Folkestone to get the train over to Calais. Our hour delay is tempered by amusing seagulls sitting on our bonnet but it's nothing as to the delays and cancellation the next day so we dodged one there. On the continent we see a spectacular murmuration of starlings before reaching Hassalt in Belgium. Our hotel has a great view over the city with it's cathedral and surrounding very flat countryside. We are in the centre of town and we walk through the cobbled streets into the main square which still has it's winter market in full swing. We indulge in Glühwein with Rhum and freshly deep fried crisps on a stick. Everyone still seems in a festive mood and it's a fun evening.

Tuesday we awake to a bright sky and after a coffee set off on our long drive. Not a great start as takes ages to find the car in the underground car park but soon we've navigated the pedestrianised cobbled streets and are out on the open road. The terrain is flat through Belgium and Netherlands and into Germany with it's no speed limit autobahns then the hills begin sending us over high bridges spanning valleys. As the sun sets behind us and lights up the trees in front we climb up into the Harz mountains. There's some snow on the pavements and a little on the ground as we reach the Klostermann cottage on the Brocken next to the Schierke steam railway station. After a welcome by Lutz, Johanna, Levi and Tom we distribute presents and then Tina, Jens, Ula and Matti arrive. Debbie and I walk down into Schierke with Lutz to meet everyone else who've driven for a lovely Italian meal. We walk back up with Johanna and it's getting very icy underfoot and very cold in the clear starlit night air. Back in the warmth I win at Ludo then we watch the darts from Ally Pally. We sleep well.

We awake to a few inches of snow and go for a hike before a big breakfast of a typical German spread. Drive into Schierke to go ice skating which I manage in a manner with help from my friends but soon leave the others to it whilst Debbie and I watch the skaters drinking Glühwein. Us, not the skaters. Back home we go sledging in between snowball fights then feast on a raclette dinner. It's New Years Eve so watch the traditional German TV programme which is the odd English Dinner for One. We watch it twice and it's on a dozen times today. Then it's fireworks out in the snow for Tom and the adults chat until just before midnight when the teenagers join us for the countdown with an ageing German pop star. After the excitement of midnight and the new year we celebrate Debbie's birthday. The two of us have a romantic walk in the snow before Debbie opens the rest of her presents in the warm.

Thursday we're up lateish and Johanna returns from her overnight visit home to look after the cats. A quick walk in the bitterly cold wind, it's getting very gusty, but it's lovely in the thick newly laid snow. Another fantastic breakfast feast before sledging then Tina, Jens and the girls have to leave. Us adults have a late afternoon walk through the drifting snow making it back as darkness falls. A magical day in this remote cottage as the only buildings anywhere near are the mountain rescue centre and the steam railway station. Leftovers for tea then we celebrate Debbie's birthday with various gin based drinks then champagne and beers. We walk up to the station in the falling snow before Lutz and Johanna make impressive snow angels. We chat to Paul who visited us in the Autumn and then to Lily-Rose.

An early start and as I walk outside my feet sink into deep snow going way over and into my boots. It's snowed a lot overnight and drifted deeply in places. However, being Germany even our road has been snow ploughed in the morning. Shovelling snow off the car and de-icing the windows we say our goodbyes and gingerly drive down off the mountain worrying that I should be wearing winter tyres, rather than my summer ones. The main roads are cleared of snow except for the new still falling flurries and lower down the roads are properly clear. Apart from hitting a mini blizzard on the autobahn just past Hannover we leave the snow behind. We reach Arras at 6 and check into our lovely apartment which is opposite the cathedral. We wander into the main square with the town hall which is typically Flanders like then after shopping wander back along the cobbled streets to eat at home.

Saturday is a beautifully sunny day and we stop off at Agny Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery to see Edward Thomas' headstone. It's crisp air and frosty ground and you can't imagine how tough it would have been spending months in the frozen trenches. Onto the coast and along the route that I cycled in 2022 watching le Tour which is damned hilly. Incredibly clear views across to the white cliffs of the English coast. Soon enough we're at le Shuttle terminal and with a fast trip we're back home in Balham by 3.30 pm. Seems odd that only 8 hours earlier we were sinking into deep snow and freezing cold in a bitter wind. 

A lovely break and so lucky we had such good (i.e. snowy) weather. And so lucky that we have such lovely friends in Lutz and Johanna who invited us over and spoiled us so much. X