I need say only one word: Westvleteren. That should be enough to get
you all buying train tickets to Alphen. Especially if I tell you that they still have
some of the Red.
But let's back up a second and go through some introductory details. Alphen is a typical
smallish Dutch town (60,000 or so inhabitants). Large anonymous postwar suburbs surround
a relatively small core, that straggles along both banks of the Oude Rijn. But don't
expect any mass of historic buildings. The town centre is dominated by clumsy 70's
and 80's developments with all the charm of a concrete lamppost.
Julianastraat is a pedestrianised shopping street on the "Hoge Zijde"
or "high side" of the river. Just where the shops peter out is
Natte, in a buidling lower than its neighbours (a sort of Dutch bungalow).
I would include a photo of the setting, but I forgot my bloody camera that
day. On entering, we find a typical brown café - lots of blackened
wood fittings and general old-looking stuff. Gosh, I'm so eloquent this
morning. I'll rush on while the prose is flowing. It's a very long and thin
pub. It adds greatly to the effect of the light that floods in from a leaded
glass window at the rear.
If you look up, you will notice that for most of it's length there is but one storey.
With the exception of the very front, where a small balcony nestles up against the
rafters. Everywhere else, theres nothing betwween your head and the roof beams.
But let's not talk about me. Let's get back to Westvleteren. With prices
of €4, €4.50 and €5 for the Green, Blue and Yellow I don't
think anyone can complain. I did notice that they sell quite a few other
beers too. Not that I tried any of them. Would you, with all that Westvleteren
just sitting there? They also sell the products of local contract brewer
Brouwers aan den Rijn.
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