retiredmartin

The contractually-required Highlights post. Simon does his before May’s ended, which is tempting fate.

Here’s the Retired Martin Travel Map for May;

Oh, and this bit of Europe as well;

Albania was a joy; Tirana, Berat and Gjirokaster three very different cities, essential in their own way.

You’re going there for cobbled streets and views to the hills rather than the beer, though the Irish bar in Gjirokaster had a genuinely good IPA, (top), and huggable teddy bears.

It felt a busy month, taking in the Marches, where Mrs RM greatly enjoyed “Chalky’s Big Cock” in Tenbury Wells Vaults,

the Kinver rock houses,

a mud bath at Cambridge Beer Festival,

and a demonstration of a great little UK pubs town in Warwick.

Warwick’s Eagle was my Pub of the Month, if only because letting a chap recharge his mobility scooter, but also because it seemed a modern classic for beer and atmosphere.

Beer of the Month ?

Well, that happened right at the end of May;

Yep, it’s Hooky, in handle and straight. Report coming up.

The beer was superb all month but the stats weren’t great. Forty-three (43) different pubs, only a dozen of them GBG newbies, but that did include one I’d been trying to do since Covid. Ludlow’s Blood Bay gave me my favourite photo in May.

I’d love to tell you this dish was my meal of the month,

but sadly Mrs RM had left me alone for her solo raid on Andorra, so I can only take her word that the sausage was fantastic.

Will June see any more raids on Europe ? Will I finally get to “Wales” ? Does anyone care about the Euros ? We shall find out together.