Bidding farewell to Visé on 14 August, we headed for the Meuse and the industrial region of Liège and Huy. Signs of massive industry lie on both sides of the river here, reminders of the role the region played in the sillon industriel of Belgium, the 1000 square kilometre ‘furrow’ of industry stretching from  Verviers in the east to Mons in the west, passing through Liège, Huy, Namur and Charleroi.

It also meant dealing with a fairly heavy amount of river traffic from very, very big commercial barges travellng very, very fast (compared to our sedate speed of 10-11kph).

Although we didn’t stop in Liège, we were glad to pass through and glimpse a city with a fascinating history and legacy. In the 14th century, the city established a unique guild-based form of democracy, the spirit of which survived incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburg rule of prince-bishops. In 1789 the city erupted into revolution at the same time as the French Revolution in Paris. In the early 19th century Liège developed into a major industrial city, one of continental Europe’s first large-scale steel-making centres. In 1950 the city’s unions led the general strike which forced the abdication of King Leopold III for alleged collaboration with the Nazis. And again in the General Strike of 1960-61 which, although originally aimed against government austerity measures, eventually led to the rise of Wallonian identity and the formation of a federal structure in Belgium.

It’s done it tough since the 1970s with the decline of its industrial wealth but it’s good to see that in recent years Liège has experienced some recovery from late 20th-century deindustrialisation, with the emergence of new advanced-tech and high-tech industries. The inner city district of Le Carré with its pubs and vibrant nightlife, and the Sunday Batte market along the banks of the river, are just a couple of reasons we look forward to the opportunity to return to Liège and stay a while.

Passing through the upstream city of Huy, also an industrial centre, we arrived at the Port Fluvial de Plaisance de Statte, just beyond the centre of the city, at 5.45pm after 7.5 hours and 41kms of steady travel. The port is a small and rather tight harbour off the river, protected by high stone walls and a narrow entrance, and we nervously edged Eben Haezer through the space and alongside the quay – not daring to take her further into the mass of smaller but more expensive plastic boats moored on pontoons.

The port capitaine gave us a friendly wave, indicating all was OK . A moment later, however, an agitated man advanced along the pontoon opposite us and gesticulated, indicating we should move further back along the stone wall to allow space for a boat arriving later…. a manouevre which would have made it impossible for us to get off the boat. The capitaine ignored the self-appointed admiral of the port, and we decided to do the same. As it happened, the boat we were supposed to make room for entered the port about an hour later, driven by what appeared to be a very calm pre-pubescent skateboarder and populated by an assortment of jewellery-adorned grandparents, and easily found a spot in a smaller space further within the harbour. We clung to our spot that had cost us €10 including power and water, and spent an enjoyable evening.