Spring is the best time of the year in Belgium. When the weather is nice, the flowers blooming and the cafes are full of people. It is almost enough to make you forget the several months of rain that you have just endured. So to take advantage of the beautiful weather, SWMBO planned for us a driving trip to a couple of Trappist monasteries to see the sites and sample some of the monks products.
The first destination was Orval. About 2 hours from Brussels in the Luxembourg region of Belgium, Orval sits only a few kilometers from the French border. The weather was a bit touch and go early in our drive but by the time we reached Namur, the sun was out and the temperatures were rising. The Abbey at Orval is probably the most scenic of the monasteries that we have been to and is the site of some very well preserved ruins. We wandered the ruins for a while then peeked into the cathedral. The extreme quiet was a little intimidating so we left and went to their museum, trying but failing to maintain the silence.
By the time we finished in the museum, we were ready for lunch, so we went to the cafe associated with monastery. Many of the monasteries make beers that are specifically for the monks. They are referred to as Patersbiers and are generally lower in alcohol and would be classified as blondes. You can sample the Orval version only at the cafe, so this made lunch a little special. The beer itself is quite hoppy and refreshing. It was very easy to drink sitting in the sun enjoying our lunch.
After lunch, we walked back to our car and enjoyed looking at a collection of vintage MG’s and Triumphs that had stopped in the middle of their road rally to do the same thing that we had just done.
Next stop was Abbaye de Scourmont home of the most well known Trappist beer, Chimay. Leaving Orval, our GPS took us on a route that crossed into France and kept us away from most of the highways. We drove through pretty little towns and past fields bright yellow with blooming mustard. It is really a wonderful drive and it made me wish we were in one of those classic convertible MG’s.
The Abbey itself was pretty, but did not compare to Orval. The cafe for the Abbey reflects the popularity of their beers and is set up in a more touristy way. We also sampled the Chimay Doree which is their version of the Patersbier. Like the Orval it was more hopped than their other beers and considerably lighter. Again very crisp and refreshing although not as complex as the Orval.
At this point it was pretty late and we still had a long way to drive home. We purchased some cheese and bread also made by the Abbey for dinner and headed back to Brussels.
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