First of our Summer Visitors

 We are most excited to have many people coming to see us this summer.  Candy & Paul and their friends Shari and Paul were the first.

They battled through jet lag to see the view of the city from the arch at the Parc du Cinqantenaire.

We were excited to go to the Brewery Tour of the Cantillon Brewery, located in an old industrial part of Brussels. They serve the beer in cool wicker baskets, which I was excited to see, Greg was most excited to sample the beer which is his favorite variety called gueuze.

The logo is cute...the old guy tipping back drinking his beer!

Our tour guide informed us that it takes a sophisticated palate to appreciate the gueze, so Greg was happy to hear that he was sophisticated!  Really it was all about the fact that there is no sugar in this beer, it is for those that don't want any sweetness!

Almost all the machinery in the brewery is from the early 1900's and most of it was made somewhere in Belgium...the guy said the only new machinery they have is the bottling stuff and it is what breaks down!

Whenever they talk about Lambic style beers in Belgium they always mention that they are fermented in big open vats and they use the wild yeast that blows into them in the process.  I was super curious to see how this was done.  We got to go up into the attic room in the brewery and see the shallow tank where the magic happens.  They have louvers on the sides that they can control to slow how much wild yeast settles into the beer.

 They have louvers on the side walls that they can control to slow how much wild yeast settles into the beer.  (see slats on the left)

They only brew in the cold months, so we are excited to go back in the winter and see it all in process.

Waiting in the barrels for Greg to try it all!

This one was our favorite, it was mixed with grapes.

Visitors are a great excuse to go see all the wonderful places that are on your list but you don't make the time for!!