Bruges

Brussels airport  All very wheelchair friendly, flat and elevators all over the place. But like all modern airports if have  difficulty walking any distance forget it. The great thing about Brussels Airport if you’re using the train and the airport wheelchair facilities. They’ll wheel you down to the railway station (the rail station is underneath the airport)

Airport station is  completely covered. The trains are all step on, there’s a weird grated step which is an add on to prevent you falling between the platform and the train and the final top step is slightly higher, which is a bit of a bugger when you’ve a rhythm going to get on to the train. For access its really not great (Judicious use of bad language will have you hauled aboard by a passing local)

Standard railway platforms, steep concrete stairs and escalators. These don’t always work but somewhere on the platform is an elevator, hopefully that will be working. 

Bruges Rail station there are two exits, use the main one, it has more taxis and cheaper and quicker to get into Bruges centre. 

Welcome to Europe a lightweight folding boot scooter isn’t going to last very long, nor are your kidneys, liver or joints.

Bruges has  cobblestones and indifferent pavements as long as you keep an eye on where you need to be most of it is doable with care.  Some of the cambers on pavements at garage/delivery access are a bit scary, but a good scooter with a low centre of gravity will cope all right. 

Avoid sand on pavements, it’s not a spill .It s the one thing guaranteed to bring you to a sudden stop. They use it to pack holes in the pavement, so if there’s a patch of sand and no way to get around it, do not attempt to cross it on a scooter, disconnect to drive switch and get a push. Any slope which looks a little optimistic probably is. There’s a lack of sloping kerbs to allow you to cross the road but they do exist. Once again try and avoid driving the thing straight off a kerb it’s not going to do your scooter or your kidneys any good.

Belgian pedestrians are pretty good, if you’re on a collision course on a narrow pavement they’ll step off. After looking over their shoulder for a cyclist.

The place is full of people on bikes. They get to ride on the left, right and centre of the road. Shoot out of side streets and just because its dark don’t assume they’ll even bother with lights. Don’t assume they’re even looking where they’re going.

Be sensible about where you want to go, some old buildings are just completely inaccessible. It’s nothing personal they have been around a lot longer than you.

Happily enough most of the shops and bars are accessible.

The loos. It’s Yoorip you take your chances. We had lunch in one of the upmarket eateries in one of the squares. I went for a pee, right beside the kitchen and the chap who was in  in front of me hadn’t bothered closing the door. He could be seen by the occupants of at least half a dozen tables.

We hit a bar close to the hotel on the way home one evening. Not expecting much, I live in a country full of Irish Bars. Got a couple of beers, asked for the loo and was pointed towards a door to a very well  appointed disabled loo. Surprising given the surroundings, but like the previous incident you never can tell.

Getting around by scooter, its an old city. Use the zebra crossings and wait until vehicles stop. I really don’t get the European fascination for really deep kerbs and cobblestones so the odd detour or about turn is sometimes necessary. Some of the buildings just are impossible to access, they just are. Scooter parking, as the Brugians? Park their bicycles at the front doors of shops and eateries. You can do the same (take the key) we haven’t lost one yet. Nobody seems to mind. The good thing about (and I’ve just worked this out) scootering around European cities is that unlike  the U.K. parking on the pavements just isn’t done. Drivers don’t do it so access is usually unimpeded. Keep an eye out for steps to elderly houses which cut the pavement width in half and make onward progress difficult if not impossible.

One the way back the usual trouble with trains, and stations. There’s not really a lot they can do with the infrastructure.  

As you get off the train at the airport station, keep an eye out or ask around for a wheelchair, there’s usually one about. It makes  getting up to the aiport a lot easier. Especially as the disabled aid centre is hidden right at the back of the airport just beside the search area.