Hops are a boy's best friend.

Prior to departing for my holiday, Bluegill was giving me a hard time (good natured?) about being gone, and I promised to provide weekend relief in advance. onsequently, beginning tomorrow is the first installment of the four part series, “Pilsner, Putin and Me.” The first two chapters are this weekend, and the final two next weekend. Enjoy.

Meanwhile, owing to the wonders of Blogger.com’s scheduled advance posting capability, I’m on the ground in Belgium. Later today we’ll make a short bicycle ride from Ingelmunster to Poperinge, and when we arrive in the epicenter of the Belgian hop growing business in early evening, the opening of this year’s triennial hop festival will already have been observed.

That’s okay. The real fun comes on Sunday, when the parade takes place.

Tomorrow, with the weather permitting, we’ll ride to the French hill town of Cassel, which is perched atop one of the few genuine hills in Flanders, and where someone had the good sense to install probably the best Biere de Garde tasting café in France. If there is time before returning to Popering, sated, with saddle bags groaning under the weight of 750 ml booty, we’ll have a beer at the Hommelhof beer cuisine restaurant and café in Watou. Back in Poperinge, the Hotel Palace bar retains its large and varied beer list, and the evening will be hopping. The parade will be icing on the beery Poperinge cake. My tourist director buddy Luc will be a busy man, but it will be good seeing him again.

Here’s the brief account from 2005, followed by links to more stories about beercycling.

(Children in costume during the hop parade, with the Hotel Palace behind)

Poperinge’s hop festival is a recurring delight. This small provincial town possesses a self-image second to none, and the three-day event reflects a much appreciated commitment to local values.

Hop-related events and related revelry take place throughout the festival weekend, but the highlight is the Sunday parade through the tidy streets of Poperinge. The parade actually tells a story, with an accompanying libretto of sorts printed in several languages, periodic chapter markers, and a refreshing absence of commercial considerations.

The story concerns the history of brewing, the history of the hop, and its importance to the Poperinge economy. Onlookers meet the enemies of the hop -- for instance, brightly festooned children as beetles -- and the plant’s friends, other whistling children dressed as birds.

This year’s parade highlight came when the uniformed marching band from Wolnzach, Poperinge’s hoppy Bavarian sister city, stopped in front of the Hotel Palace, wheeled to face Guy, the owner, and played “Happy Birthday to You” on the occasion of his 60th.

PRESS RELEASE: "Let’s go to the hops."

9. Belgian beercycling 2000: Belgian beercycling 2000: The final beercycle ride, and postscripts.

8. Belgian beercycling 2000: Brugge and the DTs.

7. Belgian beercycling 2000: A pause for perspective before the tour concludes.

6. Belgian beercycling 2000: Poperinge and Cassel.

5. Belgian beercycling 2000: An evening at Cave a Biere, Danes included.

4. Belgian beercycling 2000: Brewing day with Jean-Louis at Brasserie A Vapeur.

3. Belgian beercycling 2000: Tournai warm-up, Cave a Bieres and Pays du Collines.

2. Belgian beercycling 2000: From Brussels to the Tournai base camp in less than 15 drinks.

1. Belgian beercycling 2000: A prologue.