We left Gent-Leie Yacht club

for a more central marina in Gent  – Portus Ganda. Not the most scenic of trips! One very large lock, that luckily opened within 10 mins of us arriving, one swing railway bridge which also opened within 10mins, lots of industrial landscape, a trip through their dock lands , lots of low fixed bridges (which we all managed … hurrah) and finally we arrive at the deceptively tranquil Portus Ganda marina. As central as you like.

Gent was nearing the end of its biggest annual festival. In every square there was some sort of musical performance. In the large squares there were enormous stages and sound systems to match any you will see. In smaller squares ther were smaller stages, and on almost every street there was an act or a busker or a band. The musical genres varied from the birdie song through Belgian favourites, through Michael Bouble (I am told ) through Led Zep.

In the day the town was heaving with families and the stages had many children’s acts. In the evening it was all youngsters and the current music sounds. It was an amazing time to be in Gent.

Unfortunatley our moorings were opposite the shuttle bus that brought the throngs into Gent, and we are talking thousands of people every day. And even more unfortunately some music acts went on all night, their start time being scheduled at 5am! So we were bothered every night by youngsters ‘enjoying’ themselves alongside our moorings with a mixture of legal and illegal additives. It was a sleepy flotilla that left Gent on the Monday!

Some views around Gent….