Hills: none
Started out the morning with a birthday song from the crew for Don. He was also presented with a crown, which he didn't wear long, a gift and a lei, which he wore all day. I rode with the short distance biking group, and when we stopped for coffee, Don and Pat treated the entire group. Our coffee break was in lieu of the birthday cake they'd ordinarily have at home. The pastry shop had a lot to choose from. Here are a few of the choices folks made. 
We rode along the towpath nearly the entire day. We were passed at great speed by a peloton of about 30 cyclists participating in some sort of race. The long group also encountered racers, only a much larger group. Cycling is all the mania here. During the ride today we encountered twenty or so groups of cyclists out for training rides. Whereas cycling is the exception in France, and bike paths are few, here in Flanders there are paths nearly everywhere, and we've seen folks from toddler age to very old out on their bikes.
Arrived midday in Ghent, which is a large, historic port town and textile town. There are some sixty-odd churches in town, each one sponsored (paid for) by a different guild or religious organization. The largest and most impressive is St. Bavo's , in the middle of town. No photos allowed inside, of course, but we wandered around with our mouths agape for quite some time and then walked around the town for a couple of hours before returning to the barge for dinner.
After dinner we were treated to a boat ride through the city's canals. Here are a few photos of our trip. 
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