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Monday may the 30, 2005.
Main impression:
Ghent visit and meeting Joris.
Odor:
The smell of manure, Joris live in a small village and the farm behind his house had just spread some
manure on the field. It's a perfectly natural odor but for a city guy like me it take a few minutes to
get used to it, when we got inside we didn't smeel it anymore.
Couleur :
The blackened steel of the torture instruments of the castle.
Flavor:
The flavor of the first gueuze that Joris got from his cave. This gueuse, or more precisely lambic, is
the ancestor of the "Cantillon Vigneronne", she didn't have an young lambic added to get bottle
refermentation. The taste of grapes is present but subtile, what dominate is the acidity but all flavors
mix in a perfect way.
Sound:
The noise of the trams crossing the Ghent's turning wood bridges.
Texture/sentation:
Seing all the torture instruments of the castle and thinking of the recents events in London and Egypt
give me cold sweats, we are not far ahead of barbarism (note, this commentary have been writen not long
after the London's subway terrorist attacts).
Day summary:
I have to be at Joris house around 7:00 PM. Considering the stops I want to make before I choose to rent
a car, Anne-Marie de Groot recomend a place where I can have one for 45€ all include, it's not to bad.
To get out of Brussels, I got a bit lost, I had two maps but they where incompletes (tourists maps, I
left a more complete in the house because it seemed to big for my needs). Arriving in Ghent I got lost
again (I only had the one page map from my tourist guide). You have to remember that I downloaded all
necessaries map on my PDA and since it's been stolen I find myself without a B plan.
I finally found an interior parking near the center and I started to explore Ghent. First stop at
restaurant "Chez Léontine" who is an associate of
Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, one of the best place in town to take a good beer.
Chez Léontine I took a cream of tomatoes as entrée and a flemish stew as main course (a bit heavy as a
mid day meal but I won't have time to take much before going to meet Joris), all server with their house
beer made with cold hopping. The effect of the cold hopping is clear, the crisp biterness with a lively
flowery side, verry good, refreshing and balanced.
After the meal i see the castle and decide to do a fast visit... A bit more and I had to pass the night
in. For a Dongeons & Dragons fan and an avid Fantasy reader like me it's a bit as being in a dream. Wow!
Wow and rewow! I must have taken more than 100 photos. I saw other citadels before like Quebec and Namur
but it's the first who meet so much what you expect when you imagine a middle age or fantasy castle.
A fast bite in a fritur then direction Joris... Yes, I got lost getting out of Ghent, not completely but
I lost about 20 minutes before getting back on the right road.
Joris had send me completes instructions to get to his place but I left before I receive them. Finally
after few detours and asked informations to 3 peoples (one who only spoke flemish), I arrived at Joris
place only 15 minutes late.
I'm feeling a bit bad to get here like that, after all I know him only because he frequent two of the
same bulletin board as me. I even mixed him with an other Joris who I met at "Dieu du ciel" a few years
back, and that until a week before my trip. Knowing that an other "bièrophoux" brought him a few beers
recently I asked if he wanted me to bring him some also and he acepted.
Even if his beer cellar is a true temple where the rarest bottles can be found in great numbers (yes,
there are even some good botle of wine for people who prefer that), Joris know how to put people at ease.
He have so much interesting stories and knowledge to share that I didn't see the times pass before
realising that it's already 10:30 PM.
On top of that what can I say about the beers that we tasted together? Well, I won't say much since I
don't feel up to the task. Those who know me are aware that I don't have the most acruate tastebuds and
that my comentarys often limits themselves as "I like" or "I don't like". I can only say that the yongest
had seven or eight years of age and the oldest more than twenty, that one was the ancestor of the
"Cantillon vigneronne", a lambic whit added grapes but without adition of young lambic that permits the
bottle refermentation. I also remember a beer with a small cherry tomatoes taste but I don't take tasting
notes so...
In conclusion, a wonderfull day and evening that I will remember for a long time.
Last update of this page: 12-10-2005
