[English] Free Saturday, how you can use it best, in my opinion there is one option for a longer bike ride. In fact that due to the still prevailing heat, I did not plan so long ride, but somehow it went. In the morning I wondered where to go today, initially the choice ride on the Lobbes area, but when I went and saw in Havre in front of me an encouraging straight road to Le Roeulx (pictured), I could not resist going there. In Le Roeulx I stopped for a moment at the castle, and basically its backside, which was discovered this year, when the owners of the castle cut out the tree covering the castle. I have ridden there many times before, but I had no idea how big this castle is, because it does not look so impressive from the front. Unfortunately, this is private property and not available to visitors.

Immediately after passing Le Roeulx I turned into a side road, which I love, a winding road among fields and farms, from time to time only a few nice houses by the road and most importantly, almost no car traffic. In this way, I arrived at Ecaussinnes, where, following the signs, I arrived at the Ecaussinnes-Lalaing castle, despite the fact that several times I passed through this city, I never came across this castle. In the case of this castle, you can normally visit it together with the adjacent gardens. Maybe someday I will go there in autumn.

From the castle I went straight to the destination of today's expedition, The Sloping Lock of Ronquières on the Brussels - Charleroi canal. A monumental building enabling ships to overcome 1350 tons of 68 meters of difference in levels, an additional attraction is the possibility of entering the top of the tower, from which there is a view of several kilometers. Then I drove a few kilometers along the canal and turned towards Braine-le-Comte. On the way, I had the opportunity to hide in the shadow of the forest de la Houssiere for a few kilometers (photo), it was nice to ride there. In Braine-le-Comte I found a bar where I could refill my water into a water bottle and drink a second bottle on site.

Water was today the biggest problem, driving around agricultural areas, where every bit of smaller or larger villages pass by, it is hard to find a store where you could buy water. In Poland, in almost every village there is a small shop, and in Belgium it is not there, sometimes it is easier to find a bar, but you will not find the store. About 15 kilometers in front of the house I noticed that I have very little water and I will have to stop in the nearest village in the bar, but this one and the other one were closed, what a bad luck. It was only at Havre that the bar would be open, but I decided that I could manage to ride about 3-4 kilometers to the home where the cool beer was waiting for me. And so it happened, but first a glass or two of water and thene cold Leffe. Cheers!