[Jay]

Hi folks,

BAB have just posted information on next year's Bruges Beer Festival.

It will take place on the 12th and 13th September and as a bonus it will tie in with the 20th anniversary of BAB.

Time off work requested 





Cheers
Jay 

[Jay]

Time off work requested 

Cheers
Jay 

Just been approved  loooks like we're heading back to Bruges 

Cheers
Jay

[Trappist]

Just been approved  loooks like we're heading back to Bruges 

Damn fantastic Jay         
looking forward already !!!
Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

Hi everyone

Well folks today is my birthday (another year older  )

Amongst the wonderful gifts from my amazing family was a rather special Mead and tucked away inside my birthday card from Linda was this piece of paper.





Bruges Beer Festival here we come, we fly out Thursday and fly back home the following Monday. After missing out last year we're super excited to be returning to our No1 destination.

Once again we're staying at the picture perfect Duc de Bourgogne (which is already fully booked) it's such a beautiful hotel and in the absolute perfect location.



Here is that rather special bottle of Mead, from Superstition out of Prescott, Arizona. One of the very best Mead producers in America
Superstition was the very first Mead I sampled (their Blue Berry White) at the Mikkeller beer festival in Copenhagen back in 2021 and have since been fortunate enough to sample many more from several different producers...they're mind blowing stuff.

The bottle is Grand Cru Berry, a 13.5% Blackberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry and White Chocolate Mead aged in Fundamental Observation, Iridium Flare and New American Oak barrels...ooooft.







When I open it (in February) I'll be sure to post it here

Cheers
Jay 

[Jay]

A wonderful beery bonus from BAB, to anyone staying overnight in Bruges that weekend.

Order a big package from the Bruges Beer Festival and get a FREE drink when showing your accommodation voucher from your hotel, B&B or apartment! This way you support overnight tourism in Bruges.

Cheers
Jay 

[Trappist]

Hi Jay,
Indeed a great bonus from BAB!
Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

When I open it (in February) I'll be sure to post it here

Cheers
Jay 

Well it's a little later than February but like the saying goes "good things come to those who wait" and boy was this worth the wait.

Superstition - Grand Cru Berry...13.5% Blackberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry and White Chocolate Mead aged in Fundamental Observation, Iridium Flare and New American Oak barrels...#282/336





Pours just like berry juice, it's almost coulis. MASSES and MASSES of dark stewed berries, sweet vanilla, oak barrel, dark berry jam....I could sit here all night just smelling this magnificent Mead, it's one of the very best I've had.

I can't wait until MBCC as Superstition Meadery (plus others - Marlobobo, Abyssal) will be in attendance, you can guarantee that I'll be in line glass eagerly in hand.


Cheers
Jay

[Trappist]

Hi Jay,
That looks fantastic and your tasting notes are so mouth watering.
I'm not that familiar with meads, but that could change soon.
Actually , They are quite difficult to find over here.
VERY close to my home: https://www.luckyduckling.be/
And !! also a nice bunch at https://stacks.be/ !!
And maybe there are a couple of other ones.
It seems I need to source some bottles 
Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

Big Time tickets booked -

* fast lane access
* glass
* booklet
* 10 tokens

 and because we're staying in town a free drink courtesy of BAB...it'll soon be here 

Cheers
Jay 

[Trappist]

Hi Jay,
Excellent planning !!
About the beerswap.
At this point I'm not sure if that will happen again.
I'm still waiting for Rudy to have more news.
Also, I'm not so much involved in that great event. I only do the picture report and also the event publish on Facebook.
I'll keep informed when more info arises.
See ye soon mate 
Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

Well folks that was some trip to Bruges (and beyond) it most definitely ranks up there as one of the very best....the bottle share was epic, the beer festival was magnificent, the bars and beers fantastic and Filip & Katrien the absolute icing on the cake 

First however some health news...

You may remember that for almost a year I've been troubled with a constant upset stomach and in the past few weeks been in pain with a hernia, I've also been passing a lot of blood when visiting the toilet.

Because its been going on so long (with me brushing it off as blokes do) and the blood Linda insisted that I go to the Doctors and last month I visited our local GP. After a check and samples I did indeed have a hernia and also found traces of blood so a visit to a cancer specialist was next with blood tests, a colonoscopy and ultrasound booked.

The cancer specialist gave me a full checkover and thankfully found nothing to worry him, this was all a week before we flew out to Bruges.

Our time in Bruges provided the perfect (and much needed distraction) and it was whilst we were in Bruges that I got the results of my blood test, on our very last day and hours before we were due to leave - it turns out that I'm anaemic, low on vitamin B12 and vitamin D but the good news is that my Frality score was 1 (the best result, a test of your fitness)

Two days ago I had my colonoscopy (my that was some experience) and I'm delighted to say that no cancer was found     the surgeon did find 5 small polyps that have been sent away for a biopsy but I'm sure this is just precautionary.

Tomorrow I have the first of six vitamin B12 injections and start a course of vitamin D tablets.

I'm still to get a date for my ultrasound and there's my hernia to sort out but the main thing is that I've got the all clear for the dreaded "C" AND my stomach feels SO much better

So its positive thoughts from now on and very much looking after myself 

I will be posting bits from our trip to Bruges (try and stop me  ) there's our amazing trip out with Filip and Katrien to share and new bars

Much love
Jay         

[John B]

Jay that's wonderful news mate! So happy to hear your health worries turned out to be something that can easily corrected and that you're feeling better. That's certainly a load off of your mind.   

I'll be looking forward to your Bruges bits from your trip whenever you get a chance to post them here.

Once again, so happy to hear you're feeling better and are doing things to keep your health going in the right direction.

A big hearty CHEERS to you Jay!! - John

[Trappist]

So its positive thoughts from now on and very much looking after myself         

That's the great spirit Jay !!!!
It's not the big C , so this is some amazing good news after all.
When I met you a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that you were much more slim since I met you. You looked abit fragile too.... but after all, you looked so healthy 
But still, be careful with having a diet. Vitamins are essential, and many people take their diet too serious. After all, your body still needs to live from your food.
Healthy food and moderation are two keywords to take damn serious.
Concerning me: I weigh too much and my sugar levels need caution. Not that I am diabetic, but it is close.
This means: less sugar, less starch, less fat, more moving, more fruit, more vegetables, no exaggerations, but also less alcohol I'm afraid to say.
We become older and older, so our body needs to be cared about more than ever. Actually, with my age of 64 I really feel that I get old (actually, I am old). I get tired more quickly, have less energy, and am sooner to feel lazy.
But inevitable, we need to go some time, the best ofcourse late, fast, and painless. But I don't want to become 100 years either.
So, my advice is to be active, live healthy, moderation, take more time for your health, and above all: LIVE HAPPY !!!!!
Anyway, Katrien and I are so happy for you that the test results aren't that bad at all and like John says, can be easily corrected.         
CHEERS !!!!
Filip

[Jay]

Thanks so much for the kind replies guys, it really is a massive relief    the worry of "what if" was constantly on our minds. The big thing was getting the Colonoscapy out of the way, that would reveal anything untoward and I'm so happy to say that no cancer was found...I can deal with a few polyps - I aint gonna lie though that was some painful procedure (the medicine you take is vile and the camera examination something else)

Because they found 5 polyps (albeit small ones) I will have to have another colonoscapy but thankfully not for another 5 years.

Tomorrow I have my second Vitamin B12 injection with 3 more to follow over the next two weeks, I'll then have another blood test to see if my B12 levels are high enough, if they are then that's an end of it    if not they'll repeat the procedure in 3 months time.

In saying all that I really do feel so much better than I did just a couple of weeks back, that upset bloated stomach has gone and as a result my appetite is returning.

Next is to get my hernia sorted but that's another story 


Cheers,
Jay             

[Jay]

Now for a proper post, our time in Bruges 


Our first day in town was a mix of old favourites and new spots, kicking things off with the one and only and best house beer around







A bit of food and Linda had booked us in at a restaurant that we've walked past countless times (on our way to Rudy's old bar) and the first of two new locations used in the film In Bruges...Diligence










Flemish Carbonnade (first of many) and Spaghetti Bolognaise






Our final bar of the day and there could be only one...my No1










Heading back to our hotel we had to make a little pitstop at our favourite little wooden food truck (always the one on the right) and the guy serving said it's great to see us again and that we were missed last year - it's not just the people in bars who remember your faces






Walking back to our hotel the night was so peaceful, beautifully quiet and not a breath of wind






Bedtime for now folks...tomorrow we venture out with Filip and Katrien plus the bottle share

Cheers
Jay