retiredmartin

Today has been a day to test the boredom threshold of the motorway driver, even if Poland and Germany do allow you that rare luxury of legally driving at 90 mph along their version of the A1/A4.

Oddly, I seem to be driving again, and Mrs RM clearly sensed the chance of a last cheap Polish IPA as we stopped for fuel (80p/litre) in the world’s smallest petrol station in Katy Wroclawskie, a town just south of Wrocala. I do enjoy seeing places off the beaten track.

Poland has some lovely people, and great bottled beers, but seemingly much less of a pub culture than Germany, let alone England. The small towns are rarely architectural gems either, though Katy (?) has some pleasing colour, and a calorific bakery.

But no pubs, or even restaurants with a beer in the two main streets.  Poland doesn’t have a WhatPub or a Good Beer Guide, so I can’t easily see if I missed a gem.  But I doubt it.  I reckon this place below was where the locals get their beer and vodka, and drink it at home;

I did see a hotel sign, but the building seemed to be selling dodgy DVDs. I suspect the Football Club is the best place for a pint of Tyskie these days.  If only the folk in Katy had been able to apply for an ACV for their last bar.

CAMRA is calling for greater pub protection, but unless there’s demand that all seems a bit hopeless to me.  You can’t force people to go to a pub to drink, or force pub operators to run businesses at a loss.  Give communities a fair chance to buy their pub within a reasonable period, but don’t complain if they then  turn it into a gastropub.

Use them or lose them.