Bad weather that just won’t let up in France / Belgium…

I’m cycling to the Netherlands via France and Belgium, starting from England. I’d originally planned to get a little Germany in, but I’m not sure I can reach it now, or if I have the will to.

The weather has been awful… Every time I check the forecast it’s as though the rain just keeps extending more and more into the coming days. It really takes the fun out of the trip to be constantly trying to keep dry and warm, or to wait out the rain, or dry clothes out. I’m feeling really dispirited and wish I’d bought extra waterproofs, or just stayed home.

Any pep talks, anyone? It’s been too wet to camp so I‘ve just gone city to city and I’m now in Antwerp, wondering what to do. The route between Lille-Ghent-Antwerp was also pretty urban and ugly, but I kinda knew it would be. I guess I could go to Wallonia for some trees instead of farmland…?