October 2025. Brasov. Romania. Four nights in Transylvania, longer than we’d normally spend in one place but Pension Casa Timar was to prove the perfect base to explore the land of impalement and Pale ale*. Brasov is an odd place to negotiate, the rail station in “Tractor District” a mile north of flashy new town… Continue reading THE JOY OF GETTING YOUR NAME ON THE UNTAPPD SCREEN IN AFTAR STUBE, BRASOV
BEAUTIFUL BRASOV
October 2025. Brasov. Seven days, five cities, 3,568 calories worth of apple strudel. Romania is a gem, easy to negotiate, bar the painfully slow rail network. 2:34 hours on the train to Brasov (pop. 237k) in the centre of the country, your gateway to the lands of Vlad the Impaler and Count Dracula, neither of… Continue reading BEAUTIFUL BRASOV
CASUAL SEXISM IN SUBURBAN BUCHAREST
October 2025. Bucharest. The last of the Bucharest posts, you’ll be delighted to know. If nothing else, Mrs RM will find them useful when she comes to her own more forensic blog and wonders “Where was that fancy meringue ?”. This was Tort de Bezea, one of numerous upmarket cafes in the snappily named Sector… Continue reading CASUAL SEXISM IN SUBURBAN BUCHAREST
ADMISSION : I ACCEPTED A TASTER AT HOP HOOLIGANS
October 2025. Bucharest. We concluded the quartet of Bucharest taprooms at Hop Hooligans in the (relatively) genteel suburbs east of the University. Yes, a gorgeous looking home for Romania’s best known (more Vocation than Brew Dog) purveyor of murk. The bars themselves didn’t change that much, but Hop Hooligan, Ironic, Ground Zero and Zaganu give… Continue reading ADMISSION : I ACCEPTED A TASTER AT HOP HOOLIGANS
Bucharest Café society
October 2025. Bucharest. More cultural and culinary highlights from our 3rd day in Bucharest, as we leave the unprepossessing surrounds of the Ironic Tap, and stumble upon this oddity; “Don’t go in there” I warn Mrs RM. Mrs RM goes in anyway. This western edge of central Bucharest (Lipscani St) isn’t that edgy, but it’s… Continue reading Bucharest Café society
BUCHAREST’S IRONIC TAPROOM
October 2025. Bucharest. The Young Boys of Bern had told us that Bucharest’s Ironic Taproom was an essential visit, and as Mrs RM wanted a blog post called “four essential craft bars” it was easy to drag her from the seedier part of the Old Town, past the majestic Stock Exchange, to the less than… Continue reading BUCHAREST’S IRONIC TAPROOM
TURNING STRAWBERRIES INTO BEARS. TICKING BUCHAREST
October 2025. Bucharest. Mrs RM had devised an ingenious plan to get me to trudge round Bucharest in the drizzle taking photos of Instagrammable sights on our 3rd day. Her blog posts will no doubt cover this stuff in fine detail. Simply mark the points of interest with strawberries which get eaten by bears after… Continue reading TURNING STRAWBERRIES INTO BEARS. TICKING BUCHAREST
Caru’ cu Bere. Your must visit for pork knuckle in Bucharest.
October 2025. Bucharest. Friday was the Big Tourist Tick Day in Bucharest, and Mrs RM had targeted Caru’ cu Bere as the must visit Romania restaurant. And not just because it was close to Ground Zero and it was raining. Chat GPT had told me to go to Caru’ cu Bere (Ale Wagon) as well,… Continue reading Caru’ cu Bere. Your must visit for pork knuckle in Bucharest.
MEETING YOUNG BOYS (BERN) AT GROUND ZERO
October 2025. Bucharest. Six hours on the Bucharest tourist trail, time for a beer. Luckily for Mrs RM, a brand new bar awaited yards from our coach drop-off. Seven years on from our first trip, the capital has lost a couple of Old Town craft bars, including one with London Pride on handpump, denying BRAPA… Continue reading MEETING YOUNG BOYS (BERN) AT GROUND ZERO
GOLDEN BATHROOMS AND PARLIAMENTARY WHITE ELEPHANTS. A TOURIST DAY IN BUCHAREST
October 2025. Bucharest. “All I remember about that first Bucharest trip is your ****ing craft beer pubs” said Mrs RM angrily. Somewhat unfair, as I distinctly recall it was her making me go in places called “Beer O’Clock” and “100 Beers”, and it was me getting tickets to the Beethoven violin concerto that night but… Continue reading GOLDEN BATHROOMS AND PARLIAMENTARY WHITE ELEPHANTS. A TOURIST DAY IN BUCHAREST
retiredmartin 