The silent monks break TV ban to watch ceremony

[emad]

April 09, 2005
Times
By Ruth Gledhill and Padraic Murphy



TRAPPIST monks in a monastery on an island off the west coast of Wales broke their ban on watching television during the week after a satellite dish was flown in to enable them to see the funeral live.

A handful of the 15 Cistercian monks, who follow a strict lifestyle under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and observe a rule of silence, normally watch prerecorded videos for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoons.

They changed their habit after a local wellwisher arranged for a helicopter to deliver a television set to their monastery on Caldey Island.

Brother Robert, a monk there for 45 years, said that 13 of the monks had watched the funeral. “The cook had to go out from time to time to take the potatoes off the boil,” he said.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,175-1561073,00.html

WHATEVER NEXT? Chatroom access for this silent bunch?

[Catch22Dem]

1. Has anyone ever had their beer? Chimay Ale?

It's good.

http://www.chimay.be/

[emad]

2. How about "Benedictine" liqueur, another holy ointment....

[Catch22Dem]

3. I'll have to check it out...

What is it exactly?

[emad]

4. Benedictine liquor is an alcohol made with plants and spices to

taste plain, in cocktails or in culinary preparations....


Benedictine is a judicious blend of the recipes created by Dom Bernardo Vincelli and by Alexandre Le Grand. It is made up of 27 plants and spices which come from the four corners of the globe. Angelica, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, saffron, aloe, arnica, cinnamon…(the full list is a closely guarded secret!) give Benedictine its unique flavour. Benedictine has always been made with a unique savoir-faire and has a quality beyond reproach, thanks to its lengthy production process. It is distilled in copper stills and then aged in oak casks in the dark Palace cellars… Benedictine is the embodiment of refined luxury liqueurs, enjoyed the world over.

http://www.67wine.com/ic/129843?id=nsession

Also used for rubbing on the chest during emergencies.....

[dcfirefighter]

6. I saw trappist

and thought, mmmm, belgian beer. You beat me to it.

[todwest]

7. Give This a Try

Rochefort is even better:

http://www.producteursdupaysderochefort.be/en/prodinfos.php?iduser=anddsr&societe=ABBAYE%20NOTRE-DAME%20DE%20SAINT-REMY

This being said, I've never had a Trappist Ale that wasn't totally freakin' amazing.

Here's a link that lists most of the Authentic Trappist Products:

http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/index.html?beerid=264

though they seem to have missed La Trappe, which carries the logo, unless I'm mistaken.

And while we're on the subject, it's Wit Bier time:

http://www.interbrewhoreca.nl/merken/hoegaarden/index.htm

Enjoy!

[DS1]

5.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Well, that's not a bit nice.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Maybe they can keep the tv, and leave off the sound!

Rent some Charlie Chaplin movies, Keystone Cops, etc.