Think of Me When You Sip That Cranberry Bastard.

Ah, April 24 and 25. The first of many, many festival weekends where I'll wish I was still in Belgium. But I won't be. So here's your task: Make me jealous.

The Vilvordia BierProefFestival is on Saturday, April 24. Beer list here. Imagine sharing a high school cafeteria with dozens of handsome, like-minded people, tasting many of Belgium's harder-to-find beers.

For those of you in Brussels: It's not some out-of-the way small-town festival where you've got to muster the will to make a couple train changes. No, this one's in your backyard. Specifically, it's at 121 Laarbeeklaan, on the EHB campus, within the outer ring and in the Jette commune. Last year we took the Metro to Simonis then hopped on Bus 13 to its endpoint, UZ-Brussel. Hang a left (south) after the bus stop and hunt for signs pointing toward the "Erasmushogeschool," Jette campus. Works like a charm.

Wish we could be there again. I'll look for consolation in the sunshine. (Today's high in San Jose: 88°F. I don't own clothes for that kind of weather anymore. Hang on: Do you even need clothes for that sort of weather?).

Then on Sunday, April 25: Open Breweries' Day. About two dozen mostly medium-sized members of the Belgian Brewers' Association are opening up to the public. Believe it or not, this is not a normal thing in Belgium. Most breweries don't seem to like visitors much, unless you're a large group and paying with enough cash to make it worth their while. Never mind about smart marketing making friends for life. So this is a step in the right direction.

The list of participating breweries is here. Have to say that Rodenbach would top my itinerary. Hypothetically.