Belgium / Luxembourg / France September 2017 – The Kolossal Tour

Highlights From This Trip

• 4 Days
• 17 Locations Explored
• ~200 photographs
• Powerstations, Chateaus, Churches
• Planes and Cars

Arriving at Dunkirk at 3am in torrential rain, the first take-home titbit was that I much prefer Calais as the arrival port! Duly noted for future reference.

We had 5 days and an epic (somewhat ambitious) route planned, so we got to the first destination a little after sunrise to kick things off nice and early.

When we plan our Euros we each have our favourites planned, our “hit list”, and as luck would have it the first location had been high on my agenda for a few months. The Lady in Red did not disappoint us. The striking red, orange and yellow control panels in this abandoned power plant were unique. The first day was already off to a fantastic start, two amazing locations ticked off already. We managed to swing by La Morgue Prélude (Blue Morgue) for a whirlwind visit just as the sun set.

After a memorable nights sleep in a prison panic room, we emerged at dawn to photograph the subtle pastel-colours and dramatic peeling paint. True to form, I managed a rather ungraceful exit and will be sporting a large scar as a keepsake. On the second day we visited La Sainte Poterie (making a very memorable hasty and premature exit) and Chapel des Morts (via a somewhat inventive route!). We finished up the evening at War Planes, and enjoyed some beers and took some selfies as the sun set.  Over the final days we hit some of the older classic locations: HFB Blast Furnace, Church of Decay, Chateau Banana, Chateau Volt Face, Diesel Farm, Université VB. A small Italian restaurant and an old car garage provided some more obscure and less well-known treasures along the way.

Kolossal Church was our parting treat for the last day (giving me a puncture wound on my hand, the second souvenir scar for the trip). This massive cathedral-sized church was spectacular, and provided the perfect end to an amazing trip. Great company and banter in the car (as always!).