Today was the big day, we were reunited with the truck. We hung out at the apartment until about 11:00 am and then headed to the office of the freight forwarding agent that was going to help us with the port formalities. At the office we did some more waiting, had some documents copied, and did some more waiting. Eventually Karl (the driver) turned up and there after things moved at a brisk pace. A drive to the port, a lightning quick visit to the customs office, a signature on some papers at the entry to the holding yard and we were at the truck all cleared for departure. From the time we got into Karl's car the whole process took less than an hour; and most of that was driving time.

The truck battery was low and the truck would not start. So while we waited for the jump-start guy (who was delayed because of shift change) we started the unpacking process. By the time the jump-start arrived we had the shutters off the windows and all the stuff from our bags put away. The truck started at the first attempt and we were on our way.

From the port we were hoping to find our way onto highway E313, which is a major motorway to the east, but we got a little mislead by the various GPS devices we have and ended up in the dock area of downtown Antwerp. That mistake was compounded by roadworks and closed streets and it took us an hour or so to extracate ourselves. But eventually we got onto the desired highway.

At the town of West Geel we exited from the motorway to do some shopping at a Lidl supermarket. We got a good stock of food but sorely missed our beloved Safeway and their quaity and breadth of selection. Shopping for food while traveling really underscores how well served we are in the US (in terms of quality and choice) by the big grocery chains.

We eventually stopped for the night at a motorway rest area or service center. The place was inundated with semi-trailers most of whom seemed to be stopped for the night. The place was so crowded that the trucks were parking where ever they could find a patch of unoccupied pavement. No heed was given to the signs that designated parking areas for cars only.