This part of West Flanders, which lies wedged in between the coast,
with its populous bathing stations, and the better-known district
immediately to the south of it, where Ghent, Tournai, Courtrai,
and other important centres draw many travellers every year, is
seldom visited by strangers, who are almost as much stared at in
some of the villages as they would be in the streets of Pekin. It
is, however, very accessible. The roads are certainly far from
good, and anything in the shape of a walking tour is out of the
question, for the strongest pedestrian would have all his pleasure
spoilt by the hard-going of the long, straight causeway. The ideal
way to see the Netherlands and study the life of the people is
to travel on the canals; but these are not so numerous here as
in other parts of the country, and, besides, it is not very easy
to arrange for a passage on the barges. But, in addition to the
main lines of the State Railway, there are the 'Chemins-de-fer
Vicinaux,' or light district railways, which run through all parts
of Belgium. The fares on these are very low, and there are so many
stoppages that the traveller can see a great many places in the
course of a single day. There are cycle tracks, too, alongside
most of the roads, the cost of keeping them in order being paid
out of the yearly tax paid by the owners of bicycles.
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