retiredmartin

March 2024. Aveiro. Portugal.

Our first night in Portugal. Just the two 7.5% Black IPAs for Mrs RM, and the night was still absurdly young as we left the sole “verified venue” on Untappd (the yellow dot; the red dots have Super Bock check-ins).

We went for an aimless wander,

somehow steering Mrs RM away from pudding at the first hurdle.

It’s hard to say how busy Aveiro gets as it was barely 6pm and I understand that in Europe folk rarely venture out to eat before midnight.

The crowds seemed to be focused on the cute shopping centre over the canal bridge with love ribbons (50 cents),

a welcome change from those dreadful locks you see on bridges everywhere. I thought of buying one for Mrs RM and writing on it the number of calories we’d just consumed, but hadn’t got a pen.

We were warming to the place as we approached.

“That looks interesting. Go in. Go on.” etc.

By huge coincidence the Iron Duke was on my list having been tipped by Rate Beer, which is to Untappd what Beer In The Evening is to Pubs Galore. Possibly. We really need CAMRA to produce Good Beer Guides for every country except Saudi Arabia.

Well, it wasn’t busy, though there were a few diners in the back.

Odd place. Decent seating, little off-licence at the front, lots of cake and coffee, home brew.

There’s an advert for London Pride, but I can’t tell you it was drinking well as the beers are all local and named (I think) after our Royal Family (wherever they are).

As you see I didn’t rate the beers very highly, and nor does Jonas who scores them 2.25 which CAMRA says means “Get your wife to take it back”. But Mrs RM is happy with her cake, a sort of Tunnock cake with white chocolate covering.

The highlight of our visit is when the old boy with an umbrella switches the TV over to Qarabag v Leverkusen, to the consternation of his buddies.

There’s a locals feel to it, and some scuzzy toilet graffiti,

though even there the London memorabilia dominates.

If you go, stick to the cans.