W222 through Europe

[gr1nch]

In the spirit of Graeme_m's "W221 through Europe" post....

Picked up my 2012 W221 S63 today, just one small problem - can't get the grin off my face; is there a medical term of "grinnitus"?

In the first long run for our new W222, stopped at the Abbaye d'Orval to pick up my favourite beer (the monks here make only one bottled type, the other is fresher and lighter which the monks drink and can only be bought at one place, the attached café L'Ange Gardien, where are refuelling

This is after a 40k walk over 2 days on the beautiful Müllerthal Trail 1 over the border on Luxembourg, which i can highly recommend. Each part takes about 5 hours.
Mullerthal Trail Route 1 | Mullerthal trail

Another plus is that Luxembourg diesel is €1.02 per litre!

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[219]

This might turn into one of those reviews George Bishop ( at least I think it was him ) used to write in Car magazine , about all the fine meals he had in the best restaurants , with perhaps a couple of lines about the car under review , almost as an afterthought .

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

You had me at "Orval"

I first discovering Orval on a Choir trip to Belgium, as a teenager (sic)

Brilliant beer. Don't know why it isn't distributed more.

Cheers !

 

[Smart320]

Not enough Trappist Monks ?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

This might turn into one of those reviews George Bishop ( at least I think it was him ) used to write in Car magazine , about all the fine meals he had in the best restaurants , with perhaps a couple of lines about the car under review , almost as an afterthought .

I hope so.

 

[219]

Not enough Trappist Monks ?

Perhaps they consume it themselves ?

 

[gr1nch]

This might turn into one of those reviews George Bishop ( at least I think it was him ) used to write in Car magazine , about all the fine meals he had in the best restaurants , with perhaps a couple of lines about the car under review , almost as an afterthought .

Haha, fair point! Some car stuff.

* Consumption:
- on the way down: 36.7 mpg over 172 miles, 95% motorway
- on the way back: 43.5 mpg over 84 miles, 100% motorway at a steady 75mph (testing cruise)
- overall since new: 32.5 mpg over 2,035 miles

* the COMAND low fuel display problem hit me too, but I found a way around it. The (home) button on the steering wheel will not change the display saying you're into the fuel reserve and it's 10%. However after trying a few combinations, simply pressing the ↩ (back) button, returns the display as normal - so I can see Range and Total Mileage (as some forum members have wanted).

* I (overly) worried about street parking the car overnight. The combination of Brexit, an expensive car, RHD car (RHD just makes our cars stand out more on Ze Continent) and the unfriendly look a boyracer gave me as we walked away. We had parked the Saab a year ago in exactly the same spot in Born, which is about half-way around from our hotel in Echternach on the Müllerthal Trail, but the further away I got from the car, the more I worried about it. Was even considering getting a late night bus there and back to move it to a better spot in that village. In the end, just retired myself and was too knackered anyway. Early night and just deal with it, if it's vandalised. In short, life is too short to worry about it!

* LHD has its advantages as I'm driving along trying to write on the pad with my left hand. No way the car recognizes my scrawl, so given that up!

* The tyres and wheels are seemingly holding up to the potholes which I do my very best to avoid naturally. But when they come in clusters on motorways (the *******s) and you run out of manoeuvre room, its wiggle a bit and hope for the best. Wallonie's motorways are surely the worst in Western Europe!

I first discovering Orval on a Choir trip to Belgium, as a teenager (sic)

Brilliant beer. Don't know why it isn't distributed more.

I believe the reasons are space (the beer has to be brewed inside the Abbey grounds and Orval has little spare) and the cachet of not over-producing (which Chimay does). Orval is quite a minimalist place, also offering retreats - to aid deep contemplations such as whether to stick with Mercedes or which model to get next! . A bit more about Orval...

* There are only 12 Trappist breweries.
http://www.trappist.be/en/pages/trappist-beers
A Trappist beer is not the same as an Abbey beer
Of*all the beers in the world, only twelve may carry the name “Trappist”:* the beers of Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Mont des Cats, Rochefort, Westvleteren,*Westmalle, Mont des Cats* Stift Engelszell, Zundert (NL), Spencer (USA) and Tre Fontane (IT).*

* They produce about 22 million bottles which equates to about 72,000 hl.

* Most bars run out of it. I've only ever seen one supermarket stock it as a surprise promotion with one 4-pack per person. Judging by the size of the shelf, there wasn't much and it had gone by lunchtime. The only way to buy it by the box as an individual consumer is at Orval (similarly at Wesvleteren).

* 20km from where I live is my favorite bar, a temple to Orval, where you can drink it frais or agée - 1,2,3 or 4 years old. The older the less sweet it and deeper the flavour.
http://lepalaisdelabiere.be/

* Orval is perhaps the French-speaking Belgian man's favorite beer after Jupiler (refreshing, but mass market)

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[MarkACLS]

I first discovering Orval on a Choir trip to Belgium, as a teenager (sic)

Brilliant beer. Don't know why it isn't distributed more.

Cheers !

You can buy it online from Great Grog on Dalkeith Road Edinburgh...

http://www.greatgrog.co.uk/site/index.php/browse/beers-ciders/world-beer

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[gr1nch]

You can buy it online from Great Grog on Dalkeith Road Edinburgh...

http://www.greatgrog.co.uk/site/index.php/browse/beers-ciders/world-beer

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That's not a bad price considering. In Belgian bars it's between €3.50-€4.50, in restaurants €4.50-6.00, but can't beat a box of 12 for €20 from the abbaye The aged 4-year is €6.50 in the café Palais de la Bière.

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[MikeInWimbledon]

Does the Abbaye stock the older beers and the light version?

That's not a bad price considering. In Belgian bars it's between €3.50-€4.50, in restaurants €4.50-6.00, but can't beat a box of 12 for €20 from the abbaye The aged 4-year is €6.50 in the café Palais de la Bière.

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Does the Abbaye sell the older beers, or do buyers have to "age it themselves ?"

 

[Doodle]

Orval is lovely - that and Westmalle are my downfall. Drink it like water and then wonder why my legs have stopped working and I'm now upside down.

 

[SW18]

Rochefort and Westvleteren

I'm a big fan of Rochefort beers, the strongest of which is best treated like wine with its 11.3% strength. I always try to pick up a couple when in Belgium, but I haven't been there much lately.

And I've always wanted to try Westvleteren but it's generally only sold to personal callers at the Abbey. I'll have to go there one day....

 

[Londonscottish]

Consumption: - overall since new: 32.5 mpg over 2,035 miles

That's a great figure

* the COMAND low fuel display problem hit me too, but I found a way around it. The (home) button on the steering wheel will not change the display saying you're into the fuel reserve and it's 10%. However after trying a few combinations, simply pressing the ↩ (back) button, returns the display as normal - so I can see Range and Total Mileage (as some forum members have wanted).

I'll have a look at that. In my 212 about 10 miles from home on the way back from France it suddenly stopped displaying the range so, to cut a long story short, I changed my route in order to fill up. When I filled it I only got to 73 litres or something so could have carried on for absolutely ages.

Thanks for the report - enjoyed it.

 

[gr1nch]

Does the Abbaye sell the older beers, or do buyers have to "age it themselves ?"

The Abbaye shop doesn't sell any aged beer unfortunately, it's all "frais", usually a few of weeks old. So yes, aging oneself. I think I've got a 2 year old box in the cellar amongst some 1 year old ones.

The waiter in the café told me he'd had a 15-year old Orval! Not sure I could wait that long . The sweet spot (sic, hic) imo is 3-4 years when all the sugar has well and truly converted to alcohol and it's mellowed a bit, but still frothy as frais.

Orval also have the best beer crates in the world!

Orval is lovely - that and Westmalle are my downfall. Drink it like water and then wonder why my legs have stopped working and I'm now upside down.

Hehe, strong stuff eh? Specially that Westmalle! All this talk of beer has got me drinking one . Here's our shelf of Belgian beer glasses, which we try and buy when we try a new one.

I'm a big fan of Rochefort beers, the strongest of which is best treated like wine with its 11.3% strength. I always try to pick up a couple when in Belgium, but I haven't been there much lately.

And I've always wanted to try Westvleteren but it's generally only sold to personal callers at the Abbey. I'll have to go there one day....

It's within an hour's drive of Dunkirque and on the way to Bruges. The best you can hope for without booking ahead is a couple of (rather expensive) six-packs from its café over the road, where they also serve it by the glass. If you do get a booking though you've got the jackpot! Inexpensive and 24 per beautiful wooden crate.

That's a great figure
06a
I'll have a look at that. In my 212 about 10 miles from home on the way back from France it suddenly stopped displaying the range so, to cut a long story short, I changed my route in order to fill up. When I filled it I only got to 73 litres or something so could have carried on for absolutely ages.

Thanks for the report - enjoyed it.

You're welcome. Must admit I did the same with the detour for fuel, as it was my first low fuel warning and didn't want to tempt fate with using the reserve - that situation will keep for when I really need it.

I reckon the overall mpg would be closer to 35, as I'd kept the engine running when stationary quite a few times for various reasons and not always driven optimally.

So glad I got an MB and S Class.

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[Graeme_m]

Good review, but I did get sidetracked with all the beer information, before I got back to reading about the rest of the trip.
Just back from a week in Portugal in a rental car, cant wait to get mine over there later in the year. 500 miles from Bilbao should be an easy run.