Thursday Very clouded but dry so far. 22°C. More sun later. It probably won’t rain today, maybe Sunday. Grocery shopping done and eating out at In den Beer in Mechelen. Mussels, french fries and a Triple by local @BreweryHetAnker Crème brulée and coffee to finish!

Wednesday Dry, mostly covered + some sun. 21°C. Put on a summer duvet again! Lunch is a 2nd serving of potato salad + extra salad on the side! ‘Looks like the dogs bowl’ according @mrmole09. Spent some time at Volkswagen looking at electric cars. Also other brands in the picture.

Sunday A little more sun than yesterday. 74°F. National Day here in Be. 07/21. Parade this afternoon, fireworks this evening! Lunch is cockerel w salad & french fries. Proper Sunday grub! 😃 Paired w Alvarinho by @quintadalapa house wine! Remco to win today’s stage in TdF!

Good morning, Laura & friends. Prayers for all. More clouds than sun today, but no rain. 73°F. All the leftover veggies + potatoes + cold meats + flageolet beans = excellent summer cold platter! Rest of Assmannshausen Spätburgunder by August Kesseler is a perfect match!

Sunday ESP-ARG Are we ready? Sharing a 75cl Avena Saison by Br. Deseveaux with Htje. Farmhouse Ale (Bio) 5.5%ABV Made w malted barley & oats, fresh hops. Refermented in btl. Perfect head, great lacing, refreshing, mild taste, good hoppy bitterness, quite spicy. WBA

Sunday Only 22°C, more clouds than sun. Lunch is 100% Flemish! Meatloaf w cherries & potatoes! Rheingau, another German wine region w excellent 2023 Assmannshausen Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) by @August_Kesseler Ripe fruit, earthiness, light tannins, good minerality, good length.

Saturday Balmy 23°C. Covered. A run to the bakery and mowing grass this morning. Lunch is my very best saltimbocca alla romana ever + oyster mushrooms + baked baby potatoes. A 9,99€ Morellino di Scansano that challenges my usual Le Pupille! What a wet start to today’s TdF stage!

Friday After an uneventful day w the noise of Tomorrowland Festival clearly audible (20 km away!), there’s no better night cap than a Rochefort 10 by the trappist fathers of Saint Rémy abbey. Quadruple 11,3%ABV Malty, dried fruit, caramel, spicy. Great sweet-bitter balance. WBA

Friday Sunny morning, hazy afternoon, 26°C. Uneventful day. Glad it’s not too hot anymore but no sign of rain! Lunch is wok of Laotian veggie mix w tiger prawns & rice. Great ‘23 Laubenheimer Karthäuser Riesling by Weingut Tesch (Nahe, 1 of the lesser known German wine regions.)

Thursday No change in weather! +30°C! Right weather for a cold platter w tuna, potatoes green peas, carrot & eggs + mixed salad and some faithful Alvarinho by @quintadalapa I'll be off in a minute for a test ride w a Hyundai Ioniq 6. Wish me luck!

Wednesday Another +30°C day! Ready for the ARG-ENG clash? Lunch is kept simple w. this weather! I avoid spending a long time in the kitchen. Chicken leg, 2nd serving of ratatouille, rice. Faithful Alvarinho by @quintadalapa

Tuesday FRA-ESP semi final. Worth a special brew I only had once or twice before.! Hydre Elderflower Hoppy Wild Ale by m Br. La Source. 5.7%ABV Herbal (elderflower), fruity (apple), hoppy, good tartness, little funk, very dry & quite refreshing. I absolutely love this! WBA

Tuesday Escorted Htje to her hairdresser’s apt. this afternoon and enjoyed coffee on the Ijzerenleen in Mechelen. Back home we enjoyed a much needed refreshment. Brussels Calling by @BrasserieSenne Belgian IPA 6.5%ABV Refreshing, fruity (citrusy), hoppy, dry. Delightful! WBA

Tuesday 3 of 13 victims of the fires in Almería (Sp) are Belgian. There are still 10 people missing. Dry, sunny, 32°C. Grocery shopping this morning. Lunch is haddock filet w potato-leek mash. With Alvarinho by @quintadalapa house wine. Off to Htje’s hairdresser apt. in Mechelen!

Monday Sunny morning, cloudy afternoon! 31°C. No cooking Monday! Warming up ragú and serving it w spaghetti! Comfort food! Rest of Blasio Cannonau de Sardegna by @CANTINEDOLIA I’ll drink my other btls. when it’s not so hot! The 14.5%ABV is pounding! Have a wonderful week, y’all!

Sunday Great wins by MvdP in the TdF and Sinner in Wimbledon! A 1st for me. Br. de Bellevaux in Malmédy (German speaking part of Belgium.) Black Saison Hiver (porter style) 5.0%ABV Nice head. Fresh, dark roasted malt, chocolate, good hoppy bitterness, very dry. WBA

Sunday A very warm day. 32°C. Dinner i.o. lunch! Concentrated on MvdP’s great win in the TdF! Lamb cut, ratatouille & potatoes. Simple but tasty! Tasting a 1st btl of my last buy from @giancarlo_murgia. Blazio, Cannonau di Sardegna, 14,5%ABV, ripe dark fruit, spicy, good length.

Saturday The match only begins at 11pm. Not going to wait that long for a beer. Time for a new one for me! Petrus Triple by @BrouwerijDB (De Brabandere) 8.0%ABV This one is dry hopped. Nice head, quite malty, very fruity, excellent bitterness from the hops, dry, good length. WBA

Saturday Yes it still hurts! But congrats to Spain! We did our best! Very sunny, 32°C. Another heatwave has started! Quick tun to bakery + putting a cold platter together for lunch. Potato salad, egg, chicken, salad w mayo + ripe tomato vinaigrette. Rest of that Borovitza white.

Friday (Viernes) Queridos amigos, hoy hay mucho en juego para ambos países. Hagamos que sea un partido limpio y que gane el mejor. No lunch but dinner today! Salmon, spinach, baked baby potatoes and an excellent white (Rkatziteli & Aligoté) by Borovitza (Bulgaria). 90 minutes!

Thursday Sunny, dry, 29°C. Early grocery shopping in the morning. Barber this afternoon + computer shop to pick up my new laptop, No cooking Wednesday. Warmed up a last serving of meatballs in tomato sauce + cooked some rice + ‘23 Ramos Reserva house wine. FRA-MOR tonight!

Wednesday An uncanny evening. No soccer! Decided to have a classic tonight. Orval, brewed by the good trappist father of Villers-d’Orval. Trappist ale 6,5%ABV, bottled Oct. ‘23 Beautiful head, bitterness gone, dry, oak tones, spicy, pleasant sourness. Perfect balance. Top! WBA

Wednesday Clouded morning, clearing up now. 27°C. Lunch: veal medaillon w garlic sauce, broccolini & baked potatoes. Aglianico is a bit too heavy for veal. Should’ve listened to Htje and pour a white wine instead. She’s always right, isn’t she? No soccer today, let’s watch TdF!

Tuesday Argentina can be thankful to Belgium for showing them how a proper remontada is conducted! Going classic w Saison by @BrasserieDupont 6.5%ABV Farmer’s Ale Often copied, never equalled! Light amber, abundant head, lacing. Fruity, yeasty, earthy, spicy, good bitterness WBA

Tuesday Dry, sunny w a few clouds, up to 28°C. Grocery shopping this morning. #1Daughter stopped by for muesli, quark & fruit. Cooking fresh skate w leeks & curry sauce + mashed potatoes for lunch! Great Mosel Riesling by Knebel! Bringing my laptop to the shop to get a new one!

Monday Met my friend Guy after lunch & immensely enjoyed a 0,75l ‘18 Stille Nacht Reserva by @dedollebrouwers 12.0%ABV Strong Blond Ale, aged 2 yrs in barrique #7, only 860 made. Strong, balanced sourness, tart, slight oak flavour, dried stone fruit. (I have a ‘22 waiting) WBA

Monday POR-ESP 1-0 In some matches not much happens and then, bang, in the last min. they score! Exit CR7. Oude Geuze Black Label #10 by @BrouwerijBoon 7.0%ABV Classic geuze from lambics of different age. Tart, citrusy, good sourness, very dry. Good one. WBA

Monday 24°C at noon, expecting 29°C later. Only sun! Busy morning: trip to DIY for mulch, anti-ant spray and other stuff. Clearing the wine deliveries received during weekend. Lunch is 2nd serving of meatballs w pasta paired w Aglianico. Visit to my friend Guy this afternoon.

Monday While I ponder over who the real boss of FIFA is, I’m squaring away the 2 wine deliveries received during the weekend. Pic 1 all Italian including grappa & olive oil, Pic 2 mostly Slovenian w some Bulgarian & German. Congratulations to England for their deserved win!

Good morning, Laura & friends! Prayers for all. 75°F. Beautiful weather! Wonderful Sunday w #2Daughter, partner & granddaughters. Aperitif w Bercher Sekt (Pinot Noir) to start Superb blanquette de veau w pasta for lunch + pastry. Beautiful grappa to close it off! We are blessed!