March 2024. Setubal. Portugal. Day 4 of our Portugal trip, and I bravely took a bus the 3 hours down the coast to Lisbon, fortified by 3 espressos and a huge pastry at Porto’s impressive coach station. Flix buses are reliable, comfortable and cheap (£28 for 2), in stark contrast to Vectis buses on the… Continue reading CHOCO FRITO IN SETUBAL
FINALLY ! THE PORTO CRAFT BEER AFTERNOON
March 2024. Porto. Portugal. These ubiquitous craft beer bars just aren’t photogenic (OK, that Mikkeller one in Norrebro) and you won’t convince me otherwise. But, after 3 hours and 20,000 steps up and down Porto’s hills there was no question that’s where we were headed next. But it was only just gone 3pm, Mrs RM… Continue reading FINALLY ! THE PORTO CRAFT BEER AFTERNOON
FULHAM ARE ON THE TELLY AGAIN ! PORTO PUB LIFE AT THE GUINDALENSE FC SOCIAL CLUB
March 2024. Porto. Portugal. Returning from Porto’s south side, the one with the sherry and port and artery clogging sandwiches, Mrs RM took in the views from the top of the Ponte Louis I. “That green bar with the balcony looks good“. She’s incorrigible, she really is. “It’s looks a steep walk” I say, wary… Continue reading FULHAM ARE ON THE TELLY AGAIN ! PORTO PUB LIFE AT THE GUINDALENSE FC SOCIAL CLUB
FRANCESINHA AND THE SUPER BOCK TASTING TRAY
March 2024. Porto. Portugal. More beer and sandwiches as we cross the Ponte Luis I bridge now, in search of a famous rabbit. The south side seems to be the home of the wineries who sponsor the little boats along the Douro, their gift shops and port tastings packed on this Saturday. We admired the… Continue reading FRANCESINHA AND THE SUPER BOCK TASTING TRAY
PORTO – ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS, ALL THE CLICHES
March 2024. Porto. Portugal. First time in Porto, a place best known for Jose’s knee slide at Old Trafford 20 years ago. The second most famous Portuguese (always found that demonym a bit odd) is, of course, CR7. celebrated in the national football team shop a minute from our hotel. Mrs RM seemed to have… Continue reading PORTO – ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS, ALL THE CLICHES
FREE BEER, FREE ROOM, IN PORTO’S HIPPEST HOTEL (but there’s a catch)
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)
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
retiredmartin 