If not for COVID19’s unexpected intervention, today we’d undoubtedly be visiting friends in Haarlem, Netherlands in preparation to ride the rails south to the small Belgian city of Poperinge, and the renewal of its triennial Beer and Hop Festival.
Of course the pandemic caused the festival to be postponed until the same weekend next year, and in turn, so has our trip to Europe – assuming Americans will be allowed to re-enter the continent by then.
Let’s hope so. Poperinge doesn’t appear on many of the bucket lists that we beer lovers enjoy compiling, but it should.
This tidy, friendly Belgian provincial city (circa 20,000 population) is a relaxing place to spend the weekend, with a picture-perfect central square for ale-inspired loafing and plenty of excellent eateries for refueling following hikes and bike rides, opportunities for which are abundant.
Trust me, because I’ve been there and done that.
In 2017, we dined at the Café...
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