Tag: europe

RAISING A PINT (OR TWO) TO MUDGIE IN WIDNES

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January 2026. Widnes. A confession. I intended to make that post on Mudgie’s funeral a long read including the post-wake pubs, but Mrs RM had finished her pint/wine/Amaretto Disaronno in St Annes Spoons and I had to press “PUBLISH” in case the WiFi ran out in our Travelodge (£29.99). It would have been rude not… Continue reading RAISING A PINT (OR TWO) TO MUDGIE IN WIDNES

TAKING DOWN THE TREE

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January 2026. Rye. Obligatory video, from the best Christmas album. I‘ve used this one, and the title before, (twice !) which is sort of self-plagiarism, no ? No decorations for us again this year, in Sheffield or Waterbeach or Rye. Mumsnet would be outraged. But, in keeping with the need of the country to honour… Continue reading TAKING DOWN THE TREE

RETIRED MARTIN’S 2025 IN TRAVEL

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You’ve had the pub awards, now it’s time for Retired Martin’s highlights in travel, food and music. And possibly fashion. Though possibly not. Two maps for you, domestic, and international, with a heavy emphasis on countries nervously looking over the Ukraine and Russian borders. Talking of Soviets, Tirasapol in Transnistria was the higlight of 2025.… Continue reading RETIRED MARTIN’S 2025 IN TRAVEL

LEICESTER CASTLE

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October 2025. Leicester. 36 hours in Leicester, and with lunchtime approaching (though we’d barely finished breakfast) it’s time to explore the castle. Leicester looked quite lively with shoppers that late October Thursday, but tourist trade is light, and we are virtually the only folk in Castle Park, apart from that giant heron (or whatever it… Continue reading LEICESTER CASTLE

A NERVOUS PINT IN GASTHAUS ALTEPOST

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October 2025. Sighisoara. You left us in our astonishing £36.27 Sighisoara guest house wondering where the catch was. A few reviews had mentioned that the breakfast didn’t include drinks, “you’ll pay extra for coffee at Paris prices“. wrote one traveller. Few folk mentioned the cat that woke us at 9am, the prescribed breakfast hour. No-one… Continue reading A NERVOUS PINT IN GASTHAUS ALTEPOST

Top 5 Transylvanian Bed & Breakfasts – Casa Cositorarului, Sighisoara

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October 2025. Sighișoara. There are two main challenges writing these foreign blogs. One is finding the right button on the phone for the mysterious “comma below”  in Romanian names, the other is limiting the number of photos so you don’t get too bored reading the posts. Not that many folk do read the posts to… Continue reading Top 5 Transylvanian Bed & Breakfasts – Casa Cositorarului, Sighisoara

Caru’ cu Bere. Your must visit for pork knuckle in Bucharest.

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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

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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

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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