ROAD TRIPPER
SARAH SUTTON, 45, set off on a road trip through Belgium with her husband and three children. Their holiday began as soon as they boarded P&O Ferries’ Pride of York, sailing overnight from Hull to Zeebrugge. My sister moved to Belgium over 25 years ago, so the journey has long been a familiar one. Sailing has always seemed the less stressful option, especially through the toddler, buggy, baby-bag and countless teddy-bear years. Having said that, we’ve always driven through France from Calais. Even holidays to Nice and Barcelona began at the ferry port to Calais.
Catching an overnight ferry had never occurred to us and we definitely weren’t expecting what we found upon hitting the decks for the P&O Ferries Hull to Zeebrugge route. Soft play, a mini arcade, a chillaxing piano lounge, a lively show bar and even a casino. And to think it was the cabin bunk beds our trio been looking forward to the most! After much squeals of excitement (mine, too, on discovering the Clarins minis), persuading them to venture away from the comfy confines of our club cabin wasn’t such a stretch after all.
Life on board is super casual, although my inbuilt desire to wear heels and lipgloss didn’t wane. (I’d read about a late-night disco.) It’s amazing how no imminent drive is a fast pass to total relaxation. The ferry boasts two restaurants: The Brasserie, for a spot of fine dining, and The Kitchen, a bustling buffet, perfect for fussy eaters and families – or, in our case, both. Plates were piled high with everything from a traditional roast to kiddie faves like fish fingers and pasta. After that, the live music coming from the show bar beckoned. While I’m permanently programmed to shimmy, unfortunately the children were sleepy (and desperate to get back to the cabin). Even though the singer looked uncannily like Betsy’s beloved Olly Murs, after a short spin around the dance floor, it was time for bed.
The next day, after docking at Zeebrugge it took just 30 minutes to reach Bruges, a pretty city that we’d never been to before. With the sun shining, we decided to see the sights from the canal. Our guide led us along ‘The Love Lake’, pointing out fairy-tale architecture, crumbly old bridges, the 900-year-old belfry and museums housing old masters by Michelangelo, Picasso and Salvador Dali. Back on dry land, we mooched along cobbled streets, stopping for lunch at a bustling café in the Market Square, then treated the children to a trip around the chocolate museum. I’m not sure how much information they picked up, but their chocolate booty by the end was impressive!
Desperate to see their cousins, we then drove a further 50 minutes to my sister’s house in Aalst. Along with nearby Ghent, it’s another beautiful spot on the Belgian map and one that we love visiting all year round. Quaint shops, stylish restaurants and endless bars offering flavoured beers and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Aalst is our favourite place to be for Christmas: bitterly cold, fairy lights on every cobbled corner, log cabins selling ginger waffles and glühwein. But back to this trip: after an overnight stay to squeeze in as much family time as possible, we prised ourselves away to hit the motorway to Calais for our return ferry to Dover.
With two more trips to Belgium on the horizon this year, the virtually stress-free idea of sailing overnight is so tempting. I’d recommend it to any parents of small children. Lock the car, settle into your cabin and enjoy the ride…