Daytrip Off the Beaten Path

Dinant, Belgium

I am addicted to research and have always been. Most of the time, I don’t recall how I end up at a particular topic. Knowledge increases with each reference and seque. My path is nothing, if not circuitous. What arose, was a daytrip off the beaten path in Dinant.

I made a wise choice using Ghent, Belgium as my base for my Belgian adventure. Of course, I also ventured to Bruges and Antwerp. Both far exceeded my expectations. Looking at the map during my planning, I wanted one more day trip.

I discovered that nearly all inhabitants of Dinant, in the Wallonia region in southern Belgium, speak French. And, I learned that the city is the birthplace of Adolphe Sax. Born in 1814, he invented the saxophone in the early 1840s, but only after having several serious near-death experiences. So, I decided to make the trek and then realized that an unusual special event occurs each August 15th.

A holy day of obligation for Catholics in France, l’Assomption is also a federal holiday. Each year on August 15 in Dinant, some 25,000 spectators gather along the Meuse River to watch the International Bathtub Regatta. Started in 1982, this event has grown to include a huge flea market along the river banks, floating bars, and plenty of street music. https://www.lesbaignoires.be/

Regatta rules stipulate that teams build homemade rafts that have at least one real bathtub into the flotation structure, and that everything must be powered strictly by human arm or paddle. Watching dozens of these concoctions attempt to travel a kilometer down the river, I laughed alongside hundreds of strangers.

Both the regatta and the Charles de Gaulle bridge lined with saxophone structures made for a whimsical and unexpected day. I’m so glad I opted for a daytrip off the beaten path in Dinant.