In De Vrede

Our long range plans do not call for our being in this part of the world again for a few years, so a return to St. Sixtus Abbey and its restaurant/visitor center In de Vrede was in order. As in past visits, there were pleasant surprises, and we got away with a few more souvenirs. See my previous post http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/best-belgian-beer-ever-so-far.html or Wikipedia's good article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westvleteren_Brewery.

In the abbey's visitor carpark

#12, just as great as I remembered it; we had lunch, and then
another, just for good measure

The abbey is very popular with bikers

Perhaps a bit less so with cyclistes; it's way out in the boonies,
a few miles from Poperinge, the hops-growing center of this
beeriest of nations

Mostly what you see, this time of year, are locals, and beer
tourists from all over the world

Flanders fields today

Of course, if you care to look, there are ample
reminders that this is an abbey and not a
brewery; "We brew beer in order to be monks."

The abbey is now down to 20 brothers (Vicki
asked), which ought to concern discerning beer
drinkers everywhere...