Day 165-exploring East Flanders

June 17-Fundamentally, we are rural folk, so we looked forward to getting out of the city today.  After we all slept in, we went downstairs and grabbed a breakfast of waffles and coffee.

Panorama of the Grand Place.



The kids are in the Grand Place.
Alex is pointing at our apartment.



   While using the Good Beer Guide Belgium book to select beer bars and restaurants to visit today, the description of a place had to explicitly state that there would be things for kids to do.  Having found some candidates, we got our car and drove west towards East Flanders.  We made reservations at the Heeren van Liedekercke restaurant, and then continued to the Oud Bierhuisje beer bar in the hamlet of Zonnegem. 

   If it were not for our book, we never would have found the place, since its sign was small and there was otherwise nothing to really make it clear that the building housed a business.  The bartender asked if we were from Britain and was shocked when she found out that we were from America.  We got this response each of the other places we visited today; most Americans must stay in Brussels, because we certainly heard many Americans there, but it does not sound like many go to eat in the countryside.  Shan ordered a Rodenbach Grand Cru and the waitress suggested for Sally a Boerrinneken, a brown beer made by the Proef contract brewery.  In the rear courtyard where we sat and drank there was a large garden with flowers and an expanse of grass, which the kids could run around on.  There was also a fenced in area with chickens and a couple rabbits for the kids to watch.  They enjoyed running around and we enjoyed sitting back and savoring our beers.

   Since Sally enjoyed the beer that the bartender had suggested before, we asked for her suggestion a second time.  She brought us a brown from Sint Bernard that turned out to be their “12,” which Sally had wanted to try anyhow.  It was very good.  The beer bar was opened to help raise funds for the neighboring church, and we felt that we had done our part to help, so we got around to leave.  On the way out, one of the customers noticed the Good Beer book and asked Shan about it.  After briefly looking at it, the man noted that he owns the new Eutropius brewery in Heule in the West Flanders region.  He gave Shan the information on the brewery and its beers.  Since we were leaving, we could not order one of his beers, but we now have a lead on more new beers for the next time!

   We still had more than an hour until our reservations, so we went drove over to Hof Te Puttens in Lede.  It was really an art gallery that also has a fine selection of beers and tea and snacks.  Shan drank a Liefmans Cuvee Brut, while the rest had tea and chocolate milkshakes.  We also snacked on some crepes.  There were toys for the kids to play with and Sally and Shan wandered through the statues and recognized quickly

that there was no way we would afford any!  Spencer kicked a soccer ball that bumped into some guy’s Porsche that was parked inside the fence.  We don’t know if he was a regular or the owner, but he rightfully got after Spencer, who played with the ball at a more proper distance afterwards.  Our waiter will be moving to the U.S. in the fall to study “American Studies” at Columbia University for two years.  We wished him the best; it sounds like he is very excited to live in New York City.

   We finished our pre-supper snacks and drinks and then went back to Heeren van Liedekercke in Denderleeuw for supper.  It was here that we made a great discovery: the Verhaege brewery is using Duchesse de Bourgogne as a basis to make a cherry brown called Barbe Rouge.  It was divine!  The restaurant had pedal cars, a bounce house, and a playground, so the kids had fun here as well, while we could relax and enjoy our food and beer, all of which was fantastic.  The wives of the two owners ended up talking to us and told us that there was an American couple who visited last month; like I said, American visitors are rare!  One also told us that she, her husband, and their two young children had visited the East Coast of the U.S. last year and planned to visit the U.S. again this year.  She also let us know that they have a single apartment at the restaurant that they only rent to foreigners.  That may be handy information for us someday.

   As the other patrons started to leave, we exited ourselves and returned to Brussels.  The kids went to bed and then Joslyn announced that she did not feel well.  A couple minutes later, she vomited.  Uh, oh!  Not what we needed to see in the middle of a big trip!  She said she felt better and went to sleep very quickly, so Sally and I split a beer back on the Grand Place.  It was as active on Sunday night as it had been on Saturday night!