We arrived in Poperinge, the city of the hops, at noontime. There was already a crowd at the Grote Markt and bands were playing various national anthems in another WW memorial service. We all enjoyed some free time before the start of the Hop-parade at 3 PM. Poperinge is a pretty little town apart from the National Hop museum,, some great historical buildings and great restaurants and pubs.

Most of us sat down and relaxed on the terrace of Café de la Paix to enjoy a Hommelbier or another good Belgian ale and ate a snack. The parade is a tribute to the hopharvest, the people working in the industry and the beer culture that is so much a part of this region and of the whole of Belgium. The parade lasted for nearly two hours, it was very colourful  with children from various schools in Poperinge and all neighbouring towns and villages taking part in it.

After the parade we walked to the bus, which was waiting for us on the edge of town. Paul, our friendly and very professional driver took us to Watou, a neighbouring village just next to the border of France. Brewery Van Eecke is right in the centre of Watou. It makes famous beers such as Hommelbier and the Kapittel Abbey and also the very good wheat beer Watou’s Wit. We saw the brew house dating from shortly after WW2 and the fermentation rooms. Bottling takes place now in the other plant in Boezinge, at Brouwerij Leroy, owned by the same family. The tasting took place in Het Brouwershof, the official outlet, and situated right next to the brewery entrance.
The highlight of that day would be the exquisite dinner at Hommelhof in Watou. We enjoyed a very special aperitif, called Cuvee Hommelhof, which is half Watou’s Wit and half Kapittel blond: excellent and nowhere else to get but here!!

Day V