Spijkerbos – Kwaremont rondtocht vanuit Zulzeke

Last weekend we had some time on our hands on Saturday and we needed to be in Ronse early on Sunday for a hockey game so we decided to turn the match day into a weekend trip and we went on Saturday for a walk nearby in Zulzeke. The walk was 16k but because we missed an turn somewhere we ended up doing 16,5k. We found the walk on Komoot and it was a really nice walk. We arrived at our starting point around 11am and had foreseen to be back around 4:30pm including lunch and a stop for some refreshment in Kwaremont. The weather was nice when we started the walk, so much so that I hesitated if I should put on a jacket. I decided to wear it because there was a chance of rain later on only. I put on my sunglasses as the sun was shining, always helps to lift my spirits. We started at the church of Zulzeke in the village center but after a kilometre or so we went into a small forest. Some crazy guy in a jeep thought he could test his vehicle but got stuck soon because the path got too narrow. It was muddy as well and his tyres were spinning in the mud while he was trying to make a u turn on a walking path. Afterwards we saw almost no one on the trail, maybe every few kilometres did we encounter other walkers but it was mostly quiet and deserted. We brought our picnic and sat down on the grass on a hill with the view you can see on the picture. After lunch the sun decided to disappear behind the clouds and as we walked on the sky became more and more grey. But, apart from a few isolated drops we did manage to keep it dry. The last few kilometres were quite chilly without sun and a lot of wind though. The idea we had to stop for a drink in Kwaremont didn’t work out unfortunately. Every single pub in the village was closed. We passed the VIP tent of the Ronde van Vlaanderen which was held the weekend before. They were still cleaning up and dismantling and apparently all the pubs take a break after de Ronde. As we only had another 5k to go from Kwaremont to Zulzeke we just pushed on and decided to have a drink elsewhere after the walk. After the walk we had a look on Google and found Memling Grand Cafe in Ronse looking inviting. It was a short drive with the car and it didn’t disappoint. The interior is still old style with wooden benches, stone tables and old advertising for photography films. The cafe is obviously popular with the locals as one of the waitresses was personally greeting many guests by name and chatting with them. I had a local bear called Quintine which they had on tap which was quite good. The interior warmed us up after the cold and biting wind of the last stretch of our walk. A nice way to conclude our walk.