Beer

Photo: August 29, 2016

Let me start by saying I am not a beer drinker. I think part of that comes from the smell. But Paul is and this is one he enjoys. What I do like is a sense of history, of continuity and beer has certainly been around for a long time. This one claims it has been brewed since 1240. Their web site tells us that Notre-Dame de Leffe was an abbey of Premonstratensian canons (monks known for their hospitality). They must have known that water was not always healthy and they decided to build a brewery in order to serve the many pilgrims a "healthy, invigorating beverage". The boiling of the water as part of the fermentation process killed the germs so, though they probably did not understand why, they did think of beer as healthy. The abbey was closed during the French Revolution and was re-established early in the twentieth century. In the 1950s the abbot decided to resurrect the brewery, using the age-old recipe, the same recipe used since 1240.
http://www.leffe.com/en/history
You can learn more about the abbey here as well as about its beer-making history.

Day 194: Music and Beer

Day 194: Music and Beer, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Newfoundland is known for music and drink. A custom, of which we did not partake, is to kiss a cod and drink Newfoundland Screech (a strong rum). Barring that, beer is the next best thing (I didn't partake in that either – I'm more of a wine person). Newfoundland has several breweries; one microbrewery is featured in the background of this photograph. Music is a big part of Newfoundland with live artists in the pubs and bars. Buskers can be found on street corners, the young ones hoping this will be the start of a career, the older ones just hoping for some cash to keep going. Whether out on a boat, in a restaurant or pub, folk songs from Newfoundland's past (strongly influenced by Scottish and Irish music) and songs from current groups can be heard. And music is important to me – I bring one or two of my instruments when I travel and take time to play.

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