Castles and Beer

After breakfast we turned in our keys and got our passes to join the bus for the tour of the city of Ghent with a focus on Gravenstein Castle. The bus dropped us off in the middle of Ghent, a well preserved city with architecture from the 1200’s on. Our guide showed us the characteristics of the centuries of construction and soon we were able to identify the age, plus of minus a couple hundred years, of many of the buildings we saw.

Our group of about a dozen people crossed a bridge with a nice view of the river passing through the city and many of the gabled homes and shops along the waterfront. I stopped to take a shot and so did a couple others from our group. I did my usual thing of offering to take a shot of my fellow travelers with their phone and soon I heard the guide chiding us in our earpieces to keep up. This is why I like to solo tours. There are times I just need a moment for enjoying the moment or for capturing it.

After showing us the shops that would open later where we could enjoy beer, chocolate, and other things we arrived at the bridge looking us at the most classic grey medieval castle I had seen in person in my life. Our guide told us we had a firm reservation for 10:00 and we must be on time or lose our place.

Dozens of children in long lines followed their teacher, or whoever, into the castle in group after group. Once inside we were issued our electronic push button “guide” to the castle and turned lose to explore on our own with instructions to not be late for our departure at 10:40. We started our way to the beginning of our self paced tour and saw a group of children a level below us dressing as medieval damsels and knights in preparations for whatever their guides had in store for them.

Dusty followed the instructions we were given and started into a castle turret marked with the number 4 for our electronic guide. The steps were steep and narrow, but she managed to make her way to the first landing where weapons and armor were on display in glass cases. We found that the numbers on the cases had nothing to do with the numbers on our electronic guides. It was still interesting and the next set of narrow stairs led us to the battlements of the castle and a very good view of the city.

On the tops of some nearby buildings you could see a golden dragon that was the symbol for the city of Ghent and was to protect them from their enemies. I got my pictures and Dusty got the challenge of climbing back down all of those steps.

We made it back to the courtyard by 10:40 and were treated to some free time in the town square. Wandering in and out of a few shops we found some of the handmade lacework that the area is known for. I had seen Dusty do some small pieces of lacework and knew just how much work is involved.

On our way back to the bus we passed by the one area in the city that was allowed to post graffiti. Maybe four blocks long and each tagger painted over the work of some artist before them. I am guessing that some garnered more respect than others and were allowed to remain visible while the less appreciated were covered in short order.

On the way back in the bus our guide suggested that we may want to change from the beer and chocolate tour to the bus going to Bruge. I took some time to think about it and asked if a change could be made back at the boat. I was told that it was possible, but that currently only ourselves and Jim and Mariam from our table were scheduled for the tour. Well, this was sounding more like the way we usually like to travel. Just us and another couple spending time doing things how we wanted to do and hogging the guide for our preferences.

Since the tour was scheduled for a cruise boat group we five (Dusty, me, Jim, Mariam, and our guide Mary) had an entire tour bus to ourselves. Dropping us off where we had left off in the morning Mary tried to expose us to the history an points of interest on the way to our destination. Mariam was quite focused on the chocolate and beer and we moved forward with a purpose. Arriving at the Van Hoorbeke Chocolatier we went inside and were informed we each had two samples to select and they showed and told us a bit about the process as well as being able to look through a window in the floor to see the process in action. With eight pieces of chocolate selected and put onto a platter emblazoned with the Van Hoorbeke logo we were invited to sample the product. I asked the younger employee if we may have a napkin or something so that they could not melt in our hand while we enjoyed them. The manager said to just leave them on the plate until we ate them and walked away.

We tried them. They were crisp and thin chocolate on the outside with nice fillings of yuzu, espresso, hazelnut, and dark chocolate inside. The younger employee saw that I did, in fact, have melted chocolate on my warm left palm and offered me a napkin with a coy look. I found out, over a couple of beers later, that Mariam had been planning to buy chocolate there until the manager had dismissed our simple request for a napkin.

A short walk later we came to the oldest drinking establishment in Ghent. The Cafe Den Turk was established in 1228 and was still serving beer, although the price had gone up since they first opened. Our guide, Mary, had selected a representative sample of the beers available locally. The first was a pale Gruut that reminded me a bit of Lowenbrau. It was brewed from a very early recipe with no hops and was light and refreshing. Perfect for the rare warm sunny day we were enjoying in Ghent. Next was an Orval beer served in it’s own distinct beer glass. Yes, every beer had a glass that was designed to take full advantage of the characteristics of the beer according to their brewer. It tasted more like an amber bock and was sweeter and more full bodied than the first selection. The final presentation was called Gulden Draak, or Golden Dragon, and it had undertones of molasses and a deep dark color. The alcohol content was 10.5% and one was cautioned to not get carried away with this one. Mary said that the flavors were owed in part to the extreme roasting of the barley to nearly burnt. This gave both the molasses flavor and increased the sweetness and alcohol content.

We found the bus and the bus found the boat. That evening we were invited for a special dinner with a fixed menu and a smaller group at the Panorama Lounge. This was the meal that the brochures and marketing had promised. They demonstrated that they were capable of producing fine food with quality ingredients. The soup was a show with the quail egg and other ingredients waiting in an oversized bowl to be awakened with the broth added at the table in dramatic fashion. The main course was well made and generous perfect beef with asparagus spears harnessed by a hollowed out carrot ring as if they were arrows in a quiver. The dessert was dramatic and playful. We were treated individually with a creme boulle topped with toasted spun sugar and the table was gifted with a free form chocolate sculpture holding petit fours for additional decadence.

More chatting with Jim and Miriam over dinner and our day was complete.

The next day would be Antwerp. Nothing planned and questionable weather. Que sera…