Belgium Comes To Cooperstown ‘10

Spring of  ‘08 finds a new cast of characters  ready to obtain VIP tickets the minute they go online, but to no avail.  The Ommegang web page crashes, the phone lines are busy.  By the time anyone gets in only standard tickets are available, but they are snapped up, and in greater numbers than before.  With no Friday camping at the brewery, all head for last year’s discovery,  Deer Haven.  Dan and Suzan pop the EVC first.  Neal arrives all the way from OH,  Max barks.  Neal has treats… ooh, you’re OK!  Ed, Jamie and Mani arrive (Mani all the way from Visp).   Max barks some more.  Krisitin and Rick arrive, Max… oh you get the drift.  Neal still has treats, though.  Beers are handed to Kristin and Rick, preventing them from shopping for food, but no worries,  no one notices, and there is plenty of food (and even more beer).  Drinking, eating, drinking, skinny dipping, and standing on the hill naked follow.

Morning dawned clear.  The party shifted to Ommegang.  Sh!t, no place to park the EVC… hey, there are Ric and Natalie!   The gang from Stewart’s opens up space.  As the festival begins, Neal (Johan) turns into the best “wingman” that Mani (Hans) has ever had.

The drinking goes on, the wingmanship goes on.

Sadly, Johan forgot that Amsterdam is not in Belgium, the chick noticed, and the beer tasting ended.  Stewart’s continued to pour, though, as did Uncle Jesse (homemade barleywine and whiskey!).  I think there was loud music, bands, a movie, and a bonfire.

Morning came and the crowd began to pack it in. 

Ed laments that this may be the beginning of the end, though photos showed that debauchery was not completely absent.  Max is Neal’s new best friend.  It was a good time, though, and all agreed that it should be revisited in ‘09.