Westvleteren, Belgium

Says Pete when we decide to rent a van to help transport our luggage to our new apartment: "If we have a rental car, maybe we could go to Belgium after we arrive in Amsterdam?" Says me: "I'm a little busy what with our baby and preparing for an international move. But if you want to plan it, go for it!" For those who know Pete, you know that he is not a trip planner, but the promise of Belgian Trappist beer was enough to make a planner out of him! So 2 days after we arrived to our apartment, we took off for Belgium!

It was great to see the countryside just outside our neighborhood. Lots of polders and farm land, all of it completely flat (of course). The scenery didn't change much when we crossed into Belgium though the roofs seemed to change from orange to red and there were more cornfields. After a few wrong turns and some helpful Belgians giving us directions, we arrived at the Abbey of Saint Sixtus (or Sint Sixtusabdij in the local tongue) of Westvleteren, home to one of the World's rarest and best-rated beers- Westvleteren 12. We made plans to meet our friends Laurel and Brian there for lunch at the cafe across from the Abbey. It was wonderful to see familiar faces when we finally arrived! Laurel worked with Pete in the city and Brian is a fellow homebrewer and beer lover.  They are taking the next few months to travel, mainly around Europe and are also documenting their adventures.

Lunch and beer at the cafe.

The beer was good (Pete said delicious), but I was eyeing the ice cream sundays the entire time! That was delicious, too!