Wednesday 9:30 AM, and the bus was waiting for us outside the hotel. Luckily it was the same driver who had remembered his way back to the hotel. The bad part: Dennis and Mary Ellen had to stay behind, because Dennis was not able to travel. There are of course worse places to stay behind than Brugge. Especially for Mary Ellen, who, we learned later, took advantage of the next days to wander and admire this truly gorgeous city.

Some of us had already gone in the early morning to the market square, just around the corner, where the weekly market was thriving. It’s a kind of farmers market, where many food products and even living animals are sold, along with clothing stands selling everything from bra’s, jackets, to fine women’s clothing. Didn’t see any fitting rooms, though.

An hour later, we arrived at the Bavik brewery, which is the largest brewery of West and East Flanders, and that can be seen immediately when entering. What a great, clean and neat enterprise! Jose De Smet, marketing manager, and Kris Van Acker, master brewer, welcomed us, and took us immediately on a tour through the brewery.

The beautiful brew house was the setting for many pictures. Impressive were certainly the huge oak casks, wherein the Petrus is aging for two to three years. Lots of pictures taken during the brewery walk, and finally plenty of opportunity to ask Kris questions in the modern bar overlooking the bottling system. Not a surprise that we were invited to taste all their beers, from their famous Bavik Premium Belgian Pilsner, over the price-winning Wittekerke White to reach the 3 different Petrus ales: old brown, special and triple.

The ambiance was great, the noise level high, and then came the announcement that we would make a short trip to the other side of Kortrijk for our yearly Mussel-feast. This year at the Passim restaurant, which is build in an old and defunct roof-tile factory. Amazing to see the huge steam engines in the middle of this very large restaurant. Make no mistake about it: we came for the mussels with plenty of Bavik beer, and the mussels were great!

After lunch, we stepped on the bus and headed to Wallonia, where we would spent the next two days. Most of us took advantage of the ride to take a nap. Less than 2 hours later we were warmly welcomed at the St. Feuillien micro-brewery in Roeulx, not too far from the city of Mons.

The young master-brewer took us on a tour in this old brewery, where gravity is still an important aspect of the brewing process. We went four stories up to the grain attick where the malts are milled, coming down a story to the mashtun, and lower to the boiling vessel, to end up in the cellars where the fermentaion and lagering tanks are to be found. Making a detour outside to a small bottling installation, we were finally invited back to a very cozy tasting room which is part of the cellars. It was there that Dominique Friart, the owner of the brewery, welcomed us and treated us to several of her beers. Surprise to her: we wanted to buy some of the beer! The display shelf was almost empty when we left.

Back on the bus, and now heading to our Hotel Beauregard in Namur, along the Meuse river, just outside the center of town. This hotel is only one of two casino-hotels in Wallonia. The local Chef had prepared a wonderful beer dinner for us, and invited us first to a beer tasting with lots of goodies to munch on. In fact, the two waitresses brought us so much of that, that some of us were already full before the meal started !!! But, we didn’t complain and enjoyed a wonderful meal. After all, for some of us, the days are very long! Indeed, we learned the next morning that some of us had succeeded to close a couple of bars in Namur, although they had not dared to enter the dance party that was going on at the local nurse-school. I don’t know of other countries, but certainly in Belgium, the parties organized by nurses are the most popular.

Menu Special Beer Selected by the chef. Zakouskis Gauloise Beer Leg of Ham prepared as in the Valley of the Bocq' Beer of Br. Du Bocq Apple cake, Wallonia Style. Coffee or tea

Day V