If it’s Tuesday Monday, it Must be Belgium

It’s always a gift when a business trip falls on a Friday or Monday when it involves travel to a place you’ve always wanted to go. In this case, I was fortunate to join two colleagues on a tour of our maltry and a brewery in Belgium on a Monday in mid-July. And, as luck would have it, visiting the city of Gent (or Ghent) has been high on my list for a long time now.

Brugges is Overrated

You have probably heard amazing things about Brugges. And they are all accurate. So, why am I calling it overrated? Because once you’ve been to Gent during Gentse Feesten, there’s just no comparison.

Gent has all the same charm as Brugges – the medieval buildings untouched by WWII, the canals, the beer, the chocolate, the waffles and the waterzooi chicken – and then some. Not only is it a bit bigger than Brugges, there are more monuments to see, it’s a more historically significant city (during Charles V’s day it was the richest European city behind Paris), and each summer it is home to Gentse Feesten, a huge festival in the old city that brings live entertainment to the streets all day, and for free.

 

24 Hours (or less) in Gent

My day started with a quick and comfortable train ride from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels. Aside from a small mishap in Brussels (NOTE: Brussels-Midi IS Brussels-Zuid…you do not need to the leave Midi, take a subway, or do anything else, to get to Zuid from Midi, because you are in Zuid. Big mistake. I’ll let you imagine the rest of what happened), it was relatively smooth and easy to get to Brussels and transfer to a local train to Gent.

Two hours and 30 minutes later (give or take, given the mishap above), I arrived in this beautiful Medieval mecca. I started my day with a walking tour of the city which helped orient me and taught me all about the history I needed to know in order to understand the significance of the beautiful buildings and truly appreciate the city’s charm.

After the walking tour I couldn’t help but stop for the gastronomic sensation that is the Belgian French fry. The tour guide pointed out a hotspot along the tour and I made my way back, found a seat outside and listened to the live music in the early afternoon sun. No, I did not try the mayo. But, I did go for the local specialty – a pickle sauce (right up my alley!) – alongside my boring side of ketchup. You can take the girl out of the U.S….

 

 

After my nutritious lunch, I set off to visit the Belfry. From the top I caught the most amazing 360° views of the city. The streets were flooded with people and although the day was a bit overcast, it was perfect for picture-taking and touring.

 

 

I wandered along the lines of canals checking out local shops and scoping out my chocolate options for after dinner. The important things. There’s one great thing about loving to shop – when you travel, finding little boutiques with originals that you can’t find anywhere else can be an exciting thrill for a shopaholic. Then, every time you wear the item it reminds you of the trip. I just love that.

After my stroll around town I decided to take a canal cruise. What else is new?! Just like in Amsterdam, canal cruises can be found all around the city, and it really is a great way to see the city in a new light. I can’t say I learned anything new or different from the walking tour, but it was nice to cruise along the water and take in the scenery. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

 

 

Before calling it a night, I hit up a recommended café to get the famed waterzooi chicken. I would best describe it as a heavy chicken stew that is rich in chicken and hearty vegetables. It’s absolutely delicious, even though the picture below may lead you to believe otherwise. I paired it with a raspberry beer, which really hit the spot. A no, I did not have a Stella. And for the record no one drinks Stella in Belgium. Belgians don’t like Stella. It’s hard to find such an inferior beer. J

 

The Steps Behind the Making of a Great Beer  

On Monday morning I met up with my two colleagues in Brussels and we headed towards Mouterji Albert, a HEINEKEN owned company that has been malting our barley for over 40 years. Our gracious hosts took us through a history of the company, taught us about the 4-step process and took us through their admirable sustainability plan and practices.

After our sit-down meeting, it was time to get a tour! It amazes me how rarely we stop to think about the process of making beer, and even if we do, we think about what happens once all the raw materials arrive at the brewery. Learning about the malting process was eye opening. A whole operation that takes time, effort and care in order to deliver the perfect product to the brewery.

The barley comes from France and then goes through a 7-day process: Weken, which is the steeping of the barley in water (1 day), Kiemen, which is the germination (5 days), and then Eesten, which is the kiln process (1 day). And then voila! The barley is ready to be transported to HEINEKEN breweries around the world.

 

Brewing in Beligum is a True Craft

Belgians have a strong reputation when it comes to brewing beer. Looking at the beer list in Gent was almost overwhelming with heaps of local brews flooding the lists. We tend to forget that around the world local beer is personal. There is pride behind drinking the beer from your hometown and as the craft phenomenon continues to expand in Europe it is fascinating to see some of the Belgian crafts take flight.

One such craft, Mort Subite, has been part of the HEINEKEN family since 2008. It was delightful to tour the brewery later in the day. It’s hard to believe that just 5 people are behind the success of this great brand. That’s right. Five people work in the brewery, including the brewmaster who also oversees the Affligem brewery up the road.

Our tour was led by the brewmaster himself, which was a treat. He told us about the ins and outs of life in the brewery, the history of the brand and all the exciting growth the brand is seeing outside of Belgium. We got to do a taste test with a few different varieties and learned about how the cherry harvest can have such an effect on their famed cherry beer. It was the perfect way to end the day.

 

As I headed back to Amsterdam that evening, I couldn’t help but reflect on the last 48 hours. I’ve been doing that a lot lately. Stopping. Reflecting. How amazing that you can take a two-hour train ride and arrive in a piece of history. A two-hour train ride from New York gets you to…New Jersey. I’m truly loving every minute of this journey!