Yes, post No.1 of x, where x = an unspecified amount. But there were 33 pubs visits over the five days of the CAMRA Big Weekender (a bit like Cream but with legal drugs or Glasto without pashminas), so be worried.
A lesisurely train trip to Edinburgh to start, aided by a purchase at Ely of one of those hipster “books on paper rather than Kindle” that people are going on about. Nearly finished it, so no spoilers please.
As Simon and Duncan will know, half the fun of GBG ticking is the planning.
I’d meticulously planned a trip to two pubs in Dunblane, with Spoons stop in Falkirk, to kick off the tour.
Well, my train was cancelled, later trains were being cancelled (haggis on the line), and I really didn’t want to be stranded in Falkirk. Sorry, Bairns.
But I had two newbies in the capital, one of them in sunny Leith (I sense a blog title).
And the first one allowed me to make inroads into Q1 Spoons vouchers. #WinWin
Quite why I hadn’t been here when in town last year with Mrs RM, I couldn’t say. But station Spoons aren’t always the most exciting (See: Liverpool Lime Street, St Pancras etc).
And they’re rarely less than packed.
Still, cheap and cheerless, less than £2 a pint, and a chance to see if I could find good Deuchars in Scotland 20 years after it dominated the nation.
Ten minutes after arriving in Waverley, I was already pinking in Scotland.
The Deuchars was cool and decently conditioned, but tasted nothing like the Deuchars of memory, and I hadn’t a throat sweet for 4 hours.
I sank it in ten minutes, contemplating a soaking along the Water of Leith.
Dumping my bag in Jurys, just off the Royal Mile, I headed up the nearest close to loosen my calves for the ordeal ahead.
Then I asked Twitter where to find a decent Deuchars.
The responses were not encouraging.
retiredmartin 
“The Deuchars …….. tasted nothing like the Deuchars of memory” and nothing like the Lees Moonraker there a few days later.
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“But station Spoons aren’t always the most exciting”.
The one at Leeds Station got a rare NBSS 4 from me for a pint of Yorkshire Gold there a while back.
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Not sure “pinking” as a verb is allowed.
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Are you outing Martin as a member of the Communist party? A lingering remnant of the Cambridge Ring?
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If Scotland does annexe itself from England Wales and Northern Ireland does that mean it will just give up on cask altogether?
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That would make the Beer Guide much easier. Perhaps Leeds can annexe Edinburgh.
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Led by Corporal Coldwell?
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Spoons Real Ale and Cider Festival, bog standard beers you’ve heard of, whats the bloody point?
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Citra,
Yes, except when it’s Lees Moonraker.
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I sense Citra not convinced by that 🙄
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S.M,
To be fair I have never tried it , but know from reading the tasting notes it would not be for me.
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I bet you’ve never tried broccoli either.
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Oh but I have.
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Martin,
You managed 33 pubs visits over the five days which is proportionate to my 26 pub visits ( 22 pubs ) over four days.
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Score draw. I did the Booking Office at the start and end so only 32 pubs.
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It’s siesta time in San Miguel de Allende and Mrs PP-T is gently snoozing under the afternoon shade after a dip in the pool.
I’m not generally a fan of an afternoon kip but I do like the idea of putting my feet up to relax after a lunchtime nosebag.
Herself managed to keep me away from drink until the sun was virtually overhead and she was knackered after the ” good walk ” she insisted we go on.
We found a nice little restaurant for lunch – jumbo shrimps covered in goats cheese and Iberico ham then gently baked – plus a few bottles of Delarosa,the local unfined craft beer.Mexican murk basically.
The bill came to around 20 sovs.
This country has changed much since my last visit 35 years ago – a thousand mile drug-fuelled backpacking adventure.
There’s still grinding poverty but also a flourishing middle-class and away from the tourist centre with its inevitable Starbucks some wonderful bars and restaurants.
It suffers from its reputation – decapitated corpses hung from motorway bridges isn’t a great USP – but we have found nothing but friendly locals and great value.
Plus, despite its proximity, an absence of fat,braying American yahoos scared off by Fox News hysteria.
I’ll let Mrs PP-T have a good snooze as I think she may need it – Berenece our maid has tipped me off about a local drinking den where she assures me we’ll get off our tits.
Or whatever she was saying in Spanish with a knowing wink and the universal sign of going loopy.
Tonight I think we will mostly be drinking tequila.I love the effect it has on Mrs PP-T’s equilibrium although it’s a bastard to get her home on these cobbled streets.
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P P-T,
You’re not generally a fan of an afternoon kip but it’s something I’ve taken to occasionally since retirement.
I always thought Berenece was a Romany name but I might be wrong there.
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All I can say is she prepared some home-made guacamole for our arrival not rabbit stew…
I’m slightly uncomfortable with someone around all the time looking after our every need but she comes with the house which requires full-time upkeep.
As for afternoon kips I am often tempted at my age but it just makes me feel groggy for the rest of the day.
Perhaps I’m just raging at the dying of the light.
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I’m with Paul. I’ve started sleeping during the live county cricket commentary on BBC Internet.
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But Berenece knows tourists will expect something local rather than what she does best.
I’m revitalised not groggy after an afternoon kip.
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I’ve only just got the Romany reference Mudgie.
I’m getting slow in my old age.
We never made the drinking den – just round the corner from our house we passed a bar/restaurant advertising a Tuesday night special of twofer margaritas and volcanic hot wings.
Mrs PP-T loves hot wings and I can’t turn down two dollar margaritas.
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That’ll be earnestly hemming your way across Mexico then – as someone once said – Prof.
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Quite good, ETU.
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Not my own, but I am a borrower of ideas, and not a stealer of souls, I hope. Someone once said that too.
If not for quotations, then conversations between gentlemen would be an endless string of “what-ho”s.
And that.
Oh dear.
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That photo at the top is possibly the most spectacular “Ode to Lacings” photo you’ve ever posted (and that’s saying something!).
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I do like that photo. Sun pouring through the clouds, Edinburgh Castle in the distance, bustle of commuters. Shame the Wetherspoons is so average but still a lovely spot.
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