Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December 2009.
We are booked into the four star centrally located Hotel Acadamie**** for five days over Christmas. Our hotel is situated in the historic ‘golden triangle’ of Bruges, just 50 metres from the famous Minnewater (Lake of Love) and the Begijnhof (Beguine Convent). With a superb hot and cold buffet breakfast, this is a great hotel which has air-conditioning in all rooms and all bathrooms have a bath and shower. They also have a bar and a winter garden with terrace.
In addition to the beauty that is Bruges year-round, Christmas is a special time of year in this unspoilt medieval town. The Markt square is full of Christmas Market stalls where you can shop, or even better sip hot Gluhkriek. The Markt also houses an open-air ice skating rink. The square in front of the rail station also hosts the fantastic Ice and Snow Sculpture marquees, where you can enjoy a drink at the ice-bar.
Bruges Markt Ice Rink Christmas Day 2009
Day 1 | Thursday 24th December
Following our Eurotunnel crossing, our first stop will be to see Marc at The Lost Shrimp café at Adinkerke for our first beer and a bite to eat. We will have a further stop at Vlasschaard in the beautiful village of Stene before arriving at Bruges and our hotel in the early evening. I have booked a number of tables at Strijdershuis, in the shadow of the belfry, where they always supply great food and a more than decent beer list.
Bierloods Christmas Day 2009
Day 2 | Friday 25th December
Around lunchtime, we head off by coach to Bierloods for an opportunity to buy a few beers to take home and a beer or two in their underground bar. We then make our way to Ostend for a wander around the Christmas Markets and seafront promenade, but I’m guessing that most will be huddled round a beer at the fabulous Café Botteltje which opens all Christmas Day. We round off the day with a special beer cuisine evening meal at the Bistronoom in Ostend, which is opening especially for us, courtesy of the chef, Stefanie De Vos.
Ostend Christmas Day 2009
Enjoying Beer Cuisine at Bistronoom, Ostend, Christmas Day 2009
Day 3 | Saturday 26th December
We leave Bruges for a Boxing Day breakfast beer at In De Vrede, the world famous monastery brewery at Westvleteren. After calling in for a short break at Diksmuide we move on to visit our old friends at the Alvinne Brewery in Heule. We finish off the day by going onto the coastal town of Middelkerke and paying a visit to the new and excellent Den Toogoloog where we will have a ‘Breughel’ buffet which is accompanied by a tasting of several draught beers from the local Strubbe brewery.
A breakfast beer at In de Vrede, Westvleteren, Boxing Day 2009
Two wise men, Alvinne Brewery, Christmas Tour 2009
Day 4 | Sunday 27th December
The first visit of the day is to a brewery that at the time of writing does not even exist. However, by the time of our visit we should be able to sample at least two beers from the brand new Brewery Weize, in the village of the same name. From there we travel on to see Piet at the Sint Canarus brewery where we will enjoy a guided tour and a beer tasting plus a ‘brewersmeal’ featuring different artisanal charcuterie directly from the farm. Piet may then join us as we make our way to the open brewery day at Smisje brewery, hosted by Johan, where we can enjoy his warming Christmas beer on tap.We round off the day with an evening visit to Gent.
A master class from Marc Strubbe at Den Toogoloog, Middelkerke, Boxing Day 2009
Wieze Tripel beer tasting at Wieze Brewery, Christmas Tour 2009
Day 5 | Monday 28th December
The day begins with a privileged visit to Verhaeghe Brewery in Vichte where Karl Verhaeghe will lead us in a tasting of their quality beers. We than pay a special Christmas visit to buy beer from our friends at Van Den Bussche in Waregem for an opportunity to buy more beers to take home and no doubt they will keep us generously fed and watered. Our last stop prior to catching the train home is a visit to historic Ieper. Start giving excuses to your family now or if all else fails bring them along with you!
Enjoying a beer at St Canarus Brewery, Christmas Tour 2009
The price of this extended five day tour is £385 per person based on sharing a twin or double room. There is a single supplement of £112 if you want your own room. We always use our own luxury coach throughout the Tour. Included in the price are breakfasts each day, all brewery visits, admission charges, and coach travel from Colchester or Chelmsford. Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way from Colchester to Dover or even on the other side of the channel. Personal insurance is not included but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card, application forms available from the Post Office.
All above times are local and approximate. Food, drink, passport and insurance costs are your responsibility. We will try to make the cost of as many as possible of the items marked* inclusive of the tour price but some may cost extra.
