March 2024. Porto. Portugal. An hour on the train from Aveiro, arriving at the gorgeous Sao Bento station just as the heavens opened. Mrs RM’s hotel pick was only a couple of minutes away, but first lunch next door in Maza Pasta bar, where International Women’s Day meant seafood linguine and a glass of wine… Continue reading FREE BEER, FREE ROOM, IN PORTO’S HIPPEST HOTEL (but there’s a catch)
Author: retiredmartin
Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.
OVOS MOLES DE AVEIRO
March 2024. Aveiro. Portugal. More of those holiday snaps from places you’ll never visit, but then you’ll probably never visit Brigg, either. A single night in Aveiro, an hour south of Porto, was probably enough unless you really like salt. I love walking cobbled streets of strange towns at night, admiring the decor, and the… Continue reading OVOS MOLES DE AVEIRO
“PUT THE QARABAG ON” SAYS THE BLOKE IN THE IRON DUKE
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… Continue reading “PUT THE QARABAG ON” SAYS THE BLOKE IN THE IRON DUKE
THERE’S MONEY IN SALT, AND CRAFT TAPROOMS, IN AVEIRO
March 2024. Aveiro. Portugal. A dash to our hostel in Aveiro, pausing only to admire the frontages and irritate Mrs RM. Aveiro Rossio is called a hostel but we had our own room so we didn’t have to mix with the hoi polloi, and were only 5 minutes from the city’s two claims to fame.… Continue reading THERE’S MONEY IN SALT, AND CRAFT TAPROOMS, IN AVEIRO
MARTIN’S BAR, AVEIRO
March 2024. Aveiro. Portugal. See ! There will be pubs in this Portuguese mini-series. No-one does pubs like the British though. Except the Germans. And no-one does trip planning like Mrs RM; five hotels in four cities in six days along Portugal’s east coast, starting with a place I’d never heard of (translation : Aveiro… Continue reading MARTIN’S BAR, AVEIRO
EXPO ’98 REVISITED
March 2024. Lisbon. The Star hotel at Lisbon Airport gave us our only breakfast of the week; the Portuguese really don’t do bacon, or filter coffee, but they do do patries. We took the metro to Oriente, helped by incredibly friendly staff who patiently us how to buy tickets (£1.60 a journey). and their stations… Continue reading EXPO ’98 REVISITED
JOHN WAYNE IS BIG LEGGY
March 2024. Lisbon. Just back from a great week in Portugal which means a) hundreds of holiday snaps, b) blog views will fall by a third, c) loads of words will miss the lttr “e”. What’s been happening while I’ve been away ? As we left Lisbon last night, just after I had to switch… Continue reading JOHN WAYNE IS BIG LEGGY
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 50 – NORTH YORKSHIRE (PART II)
Will be there a dozen in South Yorkshire as well ? Or two dozen just in Sheffield ? We shall find out together. But first, five more in the North of the White Rose county. I’ll be honest; classic pubs in the heart of the Dales or the Moors didn’t jump out. So you get… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 50 – NORTH YORKSHIRE (PART II)
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 50 – NORTH YORKSHIRE PART I of 2
Well, after a long gap, we return to “Half a dozen pubs…” and three difficult counties to complete England. Don’t worry, Tayside will be easier. Actually, that’s SUCH a big county I’m going to split it in two, so you can have a round dozen. I make the rules. A southern five first ? We… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 50 – NORTH YORKSHIRE PART I of 2
WEDNESDAY ON A TUESDAY
March 2024. Hillsborough. Americans may not be aware that there are two (2) sorts of football (“soccer” if you must). There’s the game played by Manchester City, Luton Town, and whoever else is in the Premier League these days, and another version known as “grassroots football” played by everyone else without access to the miracle… Continue reading WEDNESDAY ON A TUESDAY
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