New - Exciting 2016 Summer Breeze trip to the Low Countries

[mike020150]

If you want to be included in the Mailing List for updates and information on the XK8 Forum Summer Breeze 2016, please e-mail your contact details and interest to Jim Mann at one of the following e-mail addresses: j.mann@fugro.com or jim.mann@jec.org.uk For more information on the planned trip, please read on:

With the first snow of the winter covering the garden and N6 JMX tucked away under its cover as I write this in November 2015 for you to read in January 2016 as you recover from the excesses of the New Year celebrations, it does seem quite apt to be turning my attention to warm summer days and driving the XKR across the Continent. Therefore I am pleased to supply you with the outline information for the proposed Summer Breeze 2016, which will be to the Low Countries of Europe, namely Belgium and Holland. I have chosen these particular locations for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that I find them steeped in history, fascinating places to visit and largely overlooked by those of us who take trips to the Continent.

Looking at the feedback and comments after our Heidelberg trip in the middle of 2015, I have taken onboard what I can and for 2016 I am looking at the following:

Timing: Jun.23.16 to Jun.26.16 inclusive

Locations: Meeting up initially in Gent in Belgium on Thursday the 23rd of June 2016 and then travelling the relatively short distance to The Hague in the Netherlands on Friday, the 24th of June 2016 and spending 3 nights in one of the most overlooked countries of Europe. Which incidentally also enjoys some of the best paved roads in Europe.

Ghent is a port city in northwest Belgium, at the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt rivers. During the Middle-Ages it was a prominent city-state. Today it’s a university town and cultural hub. Its pedestrianized centre is known for medieval landmarks such as the 12th-century Gravensteen castle and the Graslei, a row of guildhalls beside the Lys river harbour. There are a number of good quality hotels and I am currently in negotiations with several of them, keeping an eye on the budget and parking – as well as rooms and food of course. You can see more about Gent and its attractions by visiting www.visit.gent.be/en/home or some of the other sites if you do an Internet search on “Gent”.

The Hague is a city on the North Sea coast of the western Netherlands. Its Gothic Binnenhof complex is the seat of the Dutch parliament, and 16th-century Noordeinde Palace is the king’s workplace. The city is also home to the U.N.’s International Court of Justice, headquartered in the Peace Palace, and the International Criminal Court. As a major city, the hotel choice in and around The Hague is extensive and I am also looking at a number of suitable options to act as our Base for the 2016 Summer Breeze. Check out www.denhaag.com/en as just one of the many sites extolling the virtues of The Hague.

As in 2015, I hope to arrange Summer Breeze 2016 so that it allows you to participate at your own pace and leisure, with a mixture of organised elements that you can opt-in to; coupled with ample free-time to allow you to personalise your visit and enjoy aspects of our locations that suits your own tastes. Obviously there are lots of cultural and heritage elements in both cities, but there are also poignant reminders of a more recent past, with the largest war grave cemetery of Tyne Cot close by to Gent.

At the other end of the scale there is Circuit Park Zandvoort, the historic racing circuit only a short drive from The Hague. The 2016 calendar of events is not finalised, but I am sure there will be some who will want to visit this superb circuit. See www.cpz.nl/en/home for more information.

I hope you had a pleasant festive holiday and, like me you are ready to think about getting that XK / XK8 / XKR lined up to use it for what it was designed for – touring on the Continent. So drop me a line and sign up for more information on the XK8 Forum Summer Breeze 2016.