A day on the Choo-Choo
This was to be the sensible day. A steam train journey in an obscure part of South Belgium, Le Chemin de Fer du Bocq. Ciney was the first port of call, there was nothing there. We hung around waiting for the arrival of the locomotive. The machine arrived on schedule and by that time Dr Stan and Hector had had reaslied that with Ciney a dead duck, we needed to achieve some Bier objective. Rather than stay on the train to the end and come straight back (as David and Jonathan plus Les Freres did), we spotted an advert in the brochure for a decent stop-off at Spontin.
The worst pub in Belgium
The Comptoir de Famille, now there is a name Hector will never forget. Neil, Robin, Dr Stan, Craig, Yvonne and Hector entered the premises just after 14.00. Twenty minutes later, two of us still did not have a drink. Three of us nearly ended up with the wrong drink. There was a Gauloise available on tap. The young waitress went off and poured three Pils, the worst Bier on the planet IMHO. Howard intervened. The Ambre Ale arrived. Craig had ordered a bottle, it was presented off the shelf, warm, with no apology. We ordered some Cheese, Olives and Sausage, they never came. We reckoned in the nintety minute slot we could still conceivably acquire another Bier.
Here we go again
I asked for a Gauloise Blond: ‘Maes?’ Now, how can you hear Maes when one says Gauloise. Howard desired a Hoegarden variant, Les Fruits de…. ‘Oh, lay ffffrrrrrooooeeee,di….’ Come on.
Craig was given another warm Bier
The young Doris kept writing the order on Bier mats, can she not read her own writing? Does she keep loosing the Bier mats?
One of Les Freres arrived, no chance. I went up to the counter to get the bill. I stood the for two minutes, the three staff ignored me, totally. ‘Am I invisible?’ I said in a loud enough voice to the room. I finally asked the young chap for ‘L’addition s’il vous plait.’ ‘Pardon?’ he replied. WTF? I may as well as asked him for direction s to Milngavie via Bo’ness for all the difference it made. The staff simply were not paying attention. The music was crap too, and far too loud for a daytime cafe.
We had amassed what we expected to pay. The bill included three Pils, Olives and Sausage. Neil came up to the counter with Hector. Hector would speak more French.
‘Ceci c’est vrai, ceca n’est pas!’ Hector speaks great French on paper. The young Doris was not up for any argument, she took what we gave her. As we left the first adult appeared, was he in charge of this complete fiasco? If so, train your staff!
‘Good luck!’ was my farewell comment, I felt like Gestapo agent addressing Gordon Jackson in some film whose name escapes me…
Joined up timetables
There was a fifty minute wait for the train back to Namur, of course there was. The station cafe was closed. The Guy Brasserie was open. Good on them. A cleric occupied the only large table, were eleven again, he moved on.
The most efficient barman in Southern Belgium took our order. With no note taking, elven assorted Les were presented timeoulsy and accurately. We were back in a real establishment.
More Karmeliet Tripel? I must like it. There was a temptation to stay another hour, but Namur, Curry and Le Chapitre were calling.
The Taj Mahal, Namur’s almost competent Curry House was the intended venue. Arriving too early (17.30) we had to retire to the Thai Cafe once more It was Hector’s turn for the Rochefort 8. The never ending Cheese covered in the superb Celery Salt was a treat. Celery Salt will feature strongly in Hector’s cooking from now on. I hope it complements Za’atar.
Le Chapitre, our local
Craig, Yvonne and Robin were wrapping up their day when the newly invigorated night shift arrived. Three days in and we were wondering who the tall guy was who keeps following us around. He looked like Dr Stan, answered to Dr Stan, this guy was so horizontal it couldn’t possibly be him. One of Les Freres had retired, the silent one was still with us. Neil and Hector were the two most sensible people left. More La Chouffe, Saison Dupont, Guildenberg and finally a Delirium Tremens to complete the night. This is long, very slow consumption. One feels one spends so long over some Biers, despite their strength, the effects of the previous ones have worn off.
St Bernardus has proved to Neil and Dr Stan’s nemesis. A couple of locals turned up with musical instruments, jazz violin and acoustic guitar kept us amused for a good hour. Neil and Hector took the straight route home.
So, it appears exactly 100 photographs have gone for a burton…
Ciney (Spontin) Bars
Comptoir de Famille, Chaussée de Dinant 25, ,5530, Spontin
Guy Brasserie, Pl Vandervelde 4, 5590, Ciney