Opening Day of Brussels Beer Weekend

First thing this morning we ran into a lovely couple, Neil & Nicole from Toronto, who, fresh from their honeymoon in Paris, were now in Brussels to attend the Beer Festival. We decided to have lunch together, and after comparing notes we all hiked to the Upper Town in search of the Ultimate Hallucination - a wonderful Art Deco restaurant that specializes in Belgian beers. Alas, we found the address, but they were not open for lunch. Instead, we opted for another local spot called Le Bier Circus, not far away. Good choice! Neil had a beer he'd been waiting to try Mariage Parfait, a marvelous bottle conditioned Oud Gueuze from Boon, while Nicole went for the fruity Kriek. Paul and I went for the fresh draft. His a lovely hoppy glass of La Chouffe's Houblon Double IPA, me a rather still, but stunning Girardin Kriek Lambic direct from a cask. Hmmm, heavenly! Paul also tried the 10% La Rulles Grand Dix, as close to a Tripel as you can get, without calling it one. From here we wondered back into the winding streets of the city centre to prepare for the opening festivities of the first evening of the Beer Festival. And what an opening night it was, as patrons jostling elbow to elbow, in a very friendly way, like fish swimming upstream, trying for the beers they love most. After a while it did seem like no one was keeping a count of how many were in the crowd, and alas to anyone if they had to find the WC, as security was not letting anyone back in, realizing at last that there were perhaps too many people inside the gate. The Trappist booth seemed to be one of the most popular, but it was crowded whatever you went for, whether the Duchesse de Bourgogne fresh on tap, or the mysterious Black Hole lager from the Roman brewery. We met people from all over the world, who I'm sure, like us, will be back Saturday afternoon for more.