Hasselt a place full of wonders and a cyclist’s Paradise
The cyclists visit the natural and architectural wonders of a quiet Belgian town.
Article by David Dias.S
The bicycles are part of Belgium’s cultural identity. One only has to stand still at a crossroads and see the number of cyclists flying by like flies on honey. A group of cyclists led by a tourist guide set out to see all of Hasselt (located in the eastern part of Belgium) by bicycle.
They left the PXL Campus pedaling with all their people on a cloudy Thursday morning, one on a two-pedal bike, the others on individual bicycles. The first thing they saw was a large dam called Het Sas, moving an enormous amount of water. The canal created by man’s hands was gray and resembled the ink he uses to write stories. It was an opaque gray much like what you would see on the surface of a gas planet. The riders stood watching the great canal as the tourist guide told them the story of the river.
The riders continued pedaling, appreciating the Belgian nature. The trees were so green that the cyclists were amazed. They felt like they were in a Horacio Quiroga story. They continued on their way and in the many lakes and ponds they could appreciate some beautiful ducks that with a great sense of humor showed their buttocks to the incredulous travelers. A very shy flamingo-like bird was at a great distance. The cyclists could not see it up close but it fished with a calmness worthy of Buddhist monks. Swans, on the other hand, behave like that uncle or friend who is always in a bad mood.
They continued their journey and stopped on a strange road. It was a lake, but this one was divided in two, as if it were the Red Sea of Moses, but instead of magic, the separation was the work of human engineering. A concrete path was built so that pedestrians and cyclists could pass at the same level as the lake.
Two cyclists got off their steel horses and set out to walk the length of the green walkway. One stepped into the crossing and tried to get the ducks’ attention so she could take pictures of them as models. The male ducks look like something out of a Warner Bros. animation and the females have a modest appearance, but it is offset by their personality.
The tourist guide and the four cyclists crossed the sea on their swift steeds. With their heads at the same level as the water. The ducks lined up to cheer the riders on. They arrived at a nature trail where the beautiful vegetation caught them. The smell of pine filled the air, transporting them to Narnia.
They came to a crossroads where there was an ice cream parlor. The riders were disappointed to find that it was only closed on Thursdays. They continued their journey and arrived at a group of old houses which in the guide ‘s words was a family home over a that a family lived several centuries ago
Seeing the beautiful old structure accompanied by beautiful gardens. They were unable to enter because Cronos was playing against them so the riders returned to their steel riders.
The journey continued and they stopped at every lake to admire the wonderful nature that with warm green hands encouraged the riders.